Editing Counting Crows (section)

==== 1993–1994: ''August and Everything After'' and popular success ====
[[File:Counting Crows @ Ancienne Bruxelles.jpg|thumb|left|Dan Vickrey, David Bryson]]
The band's debut album, ''August and Everything After'', was released in September 1993.<ref name=RollingStone94/> The album's first single, "Mr. Jones", refers to Marty Jones (Himalayans [[bassist]], and Duritz's childhood friend) and Kenney Dale Johnson (the drummer of Silvertone, [[Chris Isaak]]'s band).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/06/17/090942.php |title=Interview with Drummer Kenney Dale Johnson |website=Blogcritics Magazine |access-date=June 17, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012141254/http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/06/17/090942.php |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> It describes the desire of working musicians to make it big and the fantasies they entertain about what fame might bring.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/countingcrows/articles/story/8719090/adam_duritz_on_mrjones |title=We're gonna be big stars |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=October 31, 2005 |access-date=March 1, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070108012228/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/countingcrows/articles/story/8719090/adam_duritz_on_mrjones |archive-date=January 8, 2007}}</ref> Duritz sang the song in fun, enjoying the fantasy; he did not realize that just months later, in December 1993,<ref name=RollingStone94/> [[MTV]] would begin playing the video for the song. "Mr. Jones" was a breakthrough hit,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/09/09/adam-duritz-interview-counting-crows-new-music/89972088/ |title=Interview: Adam Duritz of Counting Crows on whether fans deserve to hear the hits |work=AZCentral.com |date=September 9, 2019}}</ref> drawing massive radio play and launching the band into stardom. In 2018, the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' described ''August and Everything After'' as follows: <blockquote>"August And Everything After" [launched] the Bay Area septet with its hippie-inspired, roots-rock-infiltrating hits "Mr. Jones", "Round Here", and "Rain King", (ironically, at a time when grunge dominated the charts). Counting Crows eschewed the trend, happily wearing their time-stamped influences like Van Morrison and The Band on their patchwork sleeves, and found an audience who agreed with them. That first album went on to become a seven-times-platinum success in the U.S. alone, at the time the fastest-selling record since Nirvana's ''Nevermind''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/counting-crows-concert-tour-25th-anniversary-adam-duritz/ |title=Counting Crows celebrating everything after 'Everything After' |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=September 7, 2018}}</ref></blockquote>

With "Mr. Jones" propelling the band forward, and with positive reviews from ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' and other publications, it was decided that the band could use a second guitarist, and Dan Vickrey, another Bay Area musician was offered the role as [[lead guitar]]ist, singing [[backing vocals]]. The band toured extensively in 1993 and 1994, both as headliners and in supporting roles with other artists, including [[the Rolling Stones]], [[Cracker (band)|Cracker]], [[the Cranberries]], [[Suede (band)|Suede]], [[Bob Dylan]], [[Los Lobos]], [[Jellyfish (band)|Jellyfish]], and [[Midnight Oil]].<ref name=RollingStone94/> In 1994, the band appeared on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''<ref name=RollingStone94/> and ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]''.<ref name=RollingStone94/> The album sold seven million copies in the U.S.<ref name="mercurynews.com"/> The band received two Grammy nominations in 1994; one for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal (for "Round Here") and one for Best New Artist.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/06/arts/94-grammy-nominations-not-just-the-familiar.html |title='94 Grammy Nominations: Not Just the Familiar |first=Neil |last=Strauss |date=January 6, 1995 |website= [[The New York Times]]|url-access=subscription}}<br>- {{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/counting-crows |title=Counting Crows Grammy Awards |date=February 15, 2019 |website= GRAMMY.com}}</ref>

Success took a toll on Counting Crows; Duritz suffered a widely reported [[mental breakdown|nervous breakdown]],<ref name=NewYorkTimes>{{cite news |last=Strauss |first=Neil |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/15/arts/stars-come-out-from-under.html |title=Stars Come Out From Under |work=The New York Times |date=October 15, 1996 |access-date=March 1, 2007|url-access=subscription}}</ref> which was not his first.<ref name=Guardian>{{cite news |last=Greenstreet |first=Rosanna |url=https://www.theguardian.com/weekend/story/0,,894644,00.html |title=Q&A: Adam Duritz |work=The Guardian |date=February 15, 2003 |access-date=March 1, 2007}}</ref>