Friday, May 20, 2005 | 8:31 a.m.
When the Counting Crows were offered the opening slot for this year's "Tiger Jam" concert headlined by Stevie Wonder, frontman Adam Duritz didn't hesitate.
He simply had to glance at his CD racks.
"I'm not sure any artist has ever had a five-album run like he had -- 'Music of My Mind,' 'Fulfillingness' First Finale,' 'Innervisions,' 'Talking Book' and 'Songs in the Key of Life,' " Duritz said from his Manhattan home. "That's a five-album run right there."
Wonder released those five classics during a five-year span, from 1972 to 1976. Duritz's Counting Crows have been around for 14 years, and have released four studio albums.
But the 40-year-old Baltimore native said he's in no hurry to up that total.
"We're not really working on a record," said Duritz, whose last Counting Crows CD was 2002's "Hard Candy." "I've tried never to be in a rush to do anything with our career. I don't see the point."
The band's best-known disc is 1993's debut, "August and Everything After," which included the hits "Mr. Jones," "Rain King" and "Round Here."
The Crows also won't be touring any time soon, says Duritz.
"We just came off of five years on the road a little while ago," he said. "There will be no tours for a while. We've only been playing private shows and charity events."
In other words, "Tiger Jam VIII" might be Counting Crows' fans last chance to catch the band in action for a while.
Saturday's show begins at 8:30 p.m. Tickets cost $52.50 to $105 and were still available at press time. Proceeds from the concert will go to the Tiger Woods Learning Center in Southern California, along with several Las Vegas-area charities.
So with new album or tour on the immediate horizon, what has Duritz been up to lately?
"Mostly I've been walking around New York and spending time at home," he said. "I'm enjoying seeing my friends and family and going to a lot of theater."
Duritz also found time to get into a war of words on the Crows' official Web site, www.countingcrows.com.
An excerpt from his latest journal entry: "Did you ever wonder what it's like to have a Web site filled with fans who love you and your work and are genuinely decent caring people? Me too."
The online diary post gets more confrontational from there.
"You're such snotty little condescending (expletives)," Duritz wrote.
Duritz said the hostility stems from fans' message-board attempts to derail efforts to get actress Mary Louise-Parker -- a close friend of Duritz's -- a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
A posting on the Web site offered Counting Crows fans a chance to make a donation on Parker's behalf to help finance a star on the Walk of Fame. Some fans responded angrily to the posting, lead to Duritz's own harsh words.
"I have a very communicative relationship with our fans, good and bad," Duritz said.
But the vocalist makes no apologies for his part in the feud.
"When I started writing on our Web site, I decided it was gonna be a very honest version of a guy in a band and his fans, for better or worse," Duritz said. "So half the time they love me and half the time they (expletive) hate me."
On sale
Velvet Revolver rocks the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts on Aug. 20. Tickets are $35 to $57.50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Aladdin box office, at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 474-4000 and at www.ticketmaster.com.
Hank Williams Jr. performs at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts on Aug. 6. Tickets are $35 to $65 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Aladdin box office and through Ticketmaster.
Billy Idol returns to The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on July 3. Tickets are $50 and go on sale at noon Saturday at the Hard Rock box office and through Ticketmaster.
Boyz II Men plays the Mandalay Bay Beach on May 21. Tickets are $38.50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Mandalay Bay box office and through Ticketmaster.
John Hiatt and Shawn Colvin team for an Aug. 10 show at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Tickets are $25 to $47 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the House of Blues box office and through Ticketmaster.
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