Crowded House Closes Out Their US Tour in Fine Form: The lads from Down Under came and conquered

The fourth and final installment of my somewhat inadvertent “The Sun Never Seems to Set on the British Music Empire Tour”

Choosing to wrap up their US tour not in Los Angeles (whence they decided on their band name based on the cramped quarters while recording their first album) but in bucolic Paso Robles was a suave choice. Vina Robles Amphitheatre was recently voted best new venue in the area, and Crowded House took full advantage of the great setting and late summer evening.

Delivering a wide swath of music from their deep catalog, the band struck the right balance of crowd favorites with an ambitious slice of tracks from their latest album.

Crowded House has their roots in the sibling-led Split Enz, an eccentric troupe that struggled to break out of their native New Zealand in the 1970s. A few tracks managed to slip into radio playlists elsewhere in the former British Empire (“I Got You”), but the band eventually dissolved into Crowded House.

The current iteration of Crowded House is led by Neil Finn (his brother Tim has been in and out of the band over the years). Neil’s sons Liam and Elroy handle guitar and drum duties, leading to much stage banter about family behavior. Mitchell Froom mans the keyboards and continues to provide a wry sonic punch (he produced the band’s first three albums). Bassist Nick Seymour was with Neil at the band’s inception, and provides the band a crucial heartbeat.

Despite a comparatively low output (eight studio albums since their eponymous debut in 1986 and their most recent Gravity Stairs), the band has a potent batch of material. Johnny Marr, also touring nearby along the California coast, appeared on the fifth Crowded House. No word if they found time to meet up on- or offstage. For their final US gig the other night, Crowded House served up a generous 22 song setlist across two hours.

After settling into a groove with two vintage tracks (“Recurring Dream” and “World Where You Live”), Neil introduced the new “Teenage Summer” as a song about bad ideas. It received a solid reception from an audience that probably had not heard it.

Just about every song that evening featured very fluid vocals and consequent lush harmonies from the four signers. About half of the evening’s songs were extended by 30%, which was generally a satisfying way for the band to explore the original excellence of the melodies. In several instances, Neil got the audience to take over vocal chores in the coda. That was especially evident when Neil moved to electric piano and a couple tunes soared into the song extensions we love by War on Drugs. Neil has quietly drawn the attention of many thoughtful observers for his poignant songcraft.

A few other new Crowded House tracks were sprinkled through the evening (“Thirsty” and “The Howl”), but the most favorable response was understandably elicited from a clutch of wonderful songs like “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “Four Seasons in One Day.” Reaching deep into their past, they assayed “Message to My Girl” by Split Enz.

After decades of gigs (including a stint in Fleetwood Mac when the skills of Neil and Mike Campbell were needed to replace Lindsay Buckingham), Neil is comfortably in control on stage. When not center stage, he dabbled on the piano and the drums.

The main set glided to a satisfying finish with lustrous versions of “Something So Strong” and “Weather With You.” For the encore, the band teed up “Distant Sun” and “Into Temptation.” It seemed that Neil called an audible and added the appropriate “Better Be Home Soon” as a reminder that this was the band’s last stop in the US.