I’d much rather have a caravan in the hills…

…than a mansion in the slums.  So sang Neil Finn & Co., as the reconstituted Crowded House swept in to perform a sold out show at the 9:30 Club.  Having seen them in Philadelphia in August of last year, I expected a lively if not exceptional show.  The Crowdies didn’t exceed my expectations; they utterly destroyed them with a nearly 2.5 hour set that can only be described as epic.

Reprising the classic quartet lineup of their later years,the band featured Finn on vocals and lead guitar; original member Nick Seymour on bass; multi-instrumentalist and longtime member Mark Hart; and new drummer Matt Sherrod replacing the late Paul Hester.

Always known for their colorful and earthy sets, the audience was greeted by a backdrop featuring depictions of the band, including a ghostly figure that could only be representative of Hester, in various types of family and candid photos.  Arriving too late to hear the opener, my concert buddy Jen and I wound our way near the front of the crowd (and in close proximity to the bar) just prior to the band taking the stage.

Kicking off the set with fan favorites Everything is Good for You and World Where You Live, the band set the tone for a night focused more on classic CH tunes and new compositions than on last year’s Time on Earth.  Preparing to record their sixth album, Neil announced that the band would be trying out some new songs on the audience.  With a few exceptions, including the lovely but elegiac English Trees as a tribute to Hester, Crowded House steered clear of the tracks from Time on Earth, which was recorded largely with studio musicians.

Also woven into the set were classic numbers like the dreamy Distant Sun, a breathy rendition of Whispers & Moans, a soaring version of Anyone Can Tell, and an extended crowd singalong of Weather With You to close out the first set.  The first encore was a study in contrasts, with Something So Strong from their eponymous debut bookended by Private Universe and Locked Out from Together Alone.  The second, extended encore featured an improvised song about Washington, DC, and its monuments, and the classic Temple of Low Men tune Mansion in the Slums, which Neil admitted he probably hadn’t sung in 20 years.  It was a pleasure to see the band dust off tracks from their second album.  Temple, which was initially regarded as a letdown from their debut has, over time, come to be appreciated as the vastly underrated pop gem it was.

This retooled Crowded House may be better than their initial incarnation.  It’s great to see Mark Hart back in the fold.  He provides the band with a depth and musicality they otherwise didn’t have as a trio. And I simply cannot describe the impact new drummer Matt Sherrod has had in revitalizing the band.  I know I’m treading into dangerous territory, as Hester is sorely missed by the legions of Frenz worldwide (including me).  All I can do is simply state the truth – Paul is gone, God rest his soul.  The band couldn’t have picked a better musician to carry on in his stead.  Sherrod brings both a muscularity and a subtlety that meshes well with Seymour’s funky bass lines.

Without saying, this was simply an astonishing show.