Category: News

If anyone’s making a list of well-known GOY fans, make sure you put Adam Duritz on it. He’s the lead vocalist/songwriter for Counting Crows, one of my fave bands going back to the ’90s, and he raves about Gang of Youths on the latest episode of a podcast that he does with co-host James Campion.

The episode is titled “Gang of Youse” and Duritz/Campion spend a whopping 22 minutes — the final segment of the show — talking about GOY and playing a couple songs. I don’t want to spoil it by posting tons of quotes, but here’s how they finish the conversation:

Adam Duritz: I hope this catches on in America and I can’t encourage you all enough — go out and get this record or go on Spotify and listen to this record. It’s called Go Farther In Lightness. I think it’s from just last year…it’s so fucking good and this is the next — they’re the next U2 in some ways.

James Campion: They have a lot of U2 in there.

AD: They have that quality of vulnerability, of real emotion and feeling, and a shitload of epic, slamming rock and roll to go with it. And he is a great writer.

JC: He’s got a lot of Strummer in him.

AD: He does. A lot of Strummer, a lot of Springsteen —

JC: — all the guys that you love.

AD: This is a guy — this is a voice that’s worth listening to.

This is a podcast that’s worth listening to, as well. 🙂 Have a listen for yourself, the GOY conversation begins at about the 1:18:20 mark.

I’ve got no clue how many listeners that podcast has, but no matter — it’s high praise coming from another successful musician/songwriter. And just speaking as a fan, it’s really cool to hear Duritz and Campion identifying with a lot of the same lyrics and themes that caught my eyes/ears when I first discovered GOY and Go Farther In Lightness.

(Adam Duritz photo by Alex Cason Photography. Used via Creative Commons.)

In a few hours, Gang of Youths is gonna take the stage at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix as the opening act for Foo Fighters. It’s the first of seven shows they’re opening for the Foos.

Each night, they’ll be playing in big arenas — 17,500 to 20,000 capacity. The buildings won’t be full when the opening act starts playing, but even at 50% capacity or so, I have to think these are the biggest crowds that Gang of Youths have ever played to in North America.

And I’m actually nervous for them!

After 30+ years with U2 as my favorite band, this is a really new — and kinda cool, frankly — feeling. With U2, it’s been a loooooooong time since anyone would doubt whether they’d be liked, have an audience, succeed. All of that has been a given, no matter how much faux modesty Bono has given off over the years.

But my new favorite band has no such guarantees. They don’t have name recognition here in North America. They don’t have radio airplay, album sales or anything like that. They have a lot to prove. There’s legitimate jeopardy as they take the stage tonight and over the next couple weeks. I know nothing about Foo fans, but I sure hope they’re open to hearing a new band while they wait for the real show to start.

Opportunity is knocking. Good luck, Gang of Youths. I’m rooting for you.

Good luck @gangofyouths. Hope you nail it and make a lot of new friends/fans on tour with the Foos. https://t.co/5LtF5HOuiZ

— Matt McGee (@mattmcgee) October 8, 2018

UPDATE, 8:45 pm

Well, Gang of Youths have finished their set and Foo Fighters should be starting now (or soon or already did). And based at least on a few tweets, they made a good impression on some in the audience. Way to go, GOY.

@gangofyouths This band performing now in PHX before Foo Fighters….wows, just wow. ????????????????????

— acurlymess (@acurlymess) October 9, 2018

@gangofyouths first time hearing your band!!! You are awesome!!!

— Mii (@elehcimaya) October 9, 2018

HOLY SHIT @gangofyouths you guys bloody killed it!!!! So happy to have gotten to hear you rock that stage!!!!!!!! You have a new forever fan!!!

— Balfour Wong (@Bluhdrain) October 9, 2018

(Foo Fighters photo via Creative Commons/Raph_PH.)