Crowded House connects in stellar concert at Minneapolis Zoo

So, yes, the guys in Crowded House can flat out play. And yes, Neil Finn remains one of the best pop songwriters out there. But those weren’t reasons why the band’s show at the Minneapolis Zoo on Saturday was so good. Chalk that up to the connection between the artist and the audience. It was that extra element that made the show — despite more than a handful of technical difficulties — one of the best of the year.

I’m a big Crowded House fan, something I didn’t really realize until 1997, when Finn dissolved the band and went solo. I attended my first Finn-related concert that year, catching him on the tour for Try Whistling This. My love of his superior pop soundcraft was amplified by that experience. The performance was so good — pristine playing, tons of energy and full of Finn’s sharp wit — that the connection was forged. I realized Saturday that I’ve seen him on every tour since — a couple of shows during SXSW in support of One Nil, three years ago for Time on Earth (more on that later) and now this.

Each time, it was the connection that made the show transcendent. Which brings me to the Time on Earth tour. My wife and I saw them at the House of Blues in Chicago. Or rather, were in the same room with them. It was a sellout in an otherwise awful room. They were being taped for a webcast, so extra lights and cameras on huge booms swooped in front of the stage. We could hear a bit and see nothing, and actually left early. The problem? There was no connection. It was like sitting in your house trying to hear a loud radio from next door. Determined to see the band, I went to Minneapolis later in the tour to catch them at a theater. I left transfixed.

Which brings me to Saturday. After a short, spirited set from Lawrence Arabia, Crowded House came out to start a set that lasted nearly two hours. They opened with “Private Universe,” a song reliant on atmospherics for its opening hook, and their success with that seemed to bode well for the rest of the show. They went from that right into a bit of a career bookend, with “Saturday Sun” from Intriguer followed by “World Where You Live” from their debut (one of four songs from that album). Next was “Either Side of the World,” the current single, and one of five songs from the new album. I was disappointed not to hear “Amsterdam” (could have switched out “Archer’s Arrows,” which doesn’t do it for me), but the rest of the selections from Intriguer were spot on. A nice cameo from Sharon Finn on “Arrows” and “Isolation.”

The surprise was the lack of material from Time on Earth. I wasn’t sorry, having heard much of that album live a few years ago. They did “Don’t Stop Now” and “Heaven That I’m Making.”

The rest was a nice sampling from the rest of the catalog. “Chocolate Cake” rose above its dated lyrics (with help from a funny Lindsay Lohan reference) to provide a spark, while “When You Come” from Temple of Low Men was a treat.  “Fall At Your Feet,” “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “Weather With You” were predictable singalongs (and the outdoor setting was perfect; everyone could sing along, but our voices rose to the heavens and didn’t drown out the band). The encore was full of hits (at least in the Crowded House universe), with “Locked Out,” “Something So Strong,” “Weather With You” and a closing “Better Be Home Soon.”

So, about that connection thing. Finn and bassist Nick Seymour were witty and chatty as always, playing off of the zoo setting to do animal noises and bird calls, and to speculate about how the animals were responding to the band’s set. Strangely, though, references to the lion’s den in “When You Come” and the entire song “Elephants” were left on the table untouched; too easy, perhaps. The amphitheatre helped with the connection, as it was the most intimate 1,400 seat venue I’ve ever seen. The performance, though marred by a spotty mix at times, was energetic and sounded great. It was more than the reproduction of recorded songs; it was an event.

Regrets are few: I would have loved to hear “Distant Sun,” and seeing the setlist on CrowdedHouse.com that lists “I Got You” and “History Never Repeats” as potential second encore tunes makes me wish the zoo didn’t have a curfew. But those are petty gripes. It was a great show by a great band that, despite a long layoff and a sound far outside the mainstream, is firing on all cylinders.