Crowded House: as Potent as Ever

Comments (0) By Lee Zimmerman Thursday, Jul 29 2010

Thanks to their rebirth in 2007, it’s nice to find Crowded House fully occupied once again. Formed from the ashes of a quirky combo from New Zealand that cleverly dubbed itself Split Enz, Crowded House was Neil Finn’s attempt to strip away the theatrics and further the Enz’ more melodic sensibilities. He subsequently enticed former bandmate and drummer Paul Hester to join him before recruiting Nick Seymour on bass, and the three then spent the latter half of the ’80s and the early part of the ‘90s creating four albums of smartly tailored, radio-ready pop rock while scoring a trio of chart topping hits in the process: “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” “Something So Strong,” and “Weather With You.” Hester abruptly quit the band midway through a U.S. tour, helping convince Finn to call it quits in 1995. (Hester, a victim of chronic depression, committed suicide in 2005.)

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Happily, then, Crowded House MK II is every bit as formidable as the band’s initial incarnation. With guitarist Mark Hart back in the fold (he originally joined the trio in 1993) and new drummer Matt Sherrod, combined with founding members Finn and Seymour, the band’s proving that, unlike the plunging worth of our real estate here in South Florida, some Houses, those that are Crowded in particular, can actually hold their value — just look at the newly released and critically acclaimed album Intriguer. Crowded House performs at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Fillmore at the Jackie Gleason Theater (1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach). Tickets cost $37.50 and $47.50. Call 800-745-3000, or visit ticketmaster.com.
Thu., July 29, 8 p.m., 2010