The Best of What’s Around

I love the Dave Matthews Band. You will hear no apologies from me about this, you cannot convince me otherwise. These guys just plain kick ass. I know there are plenty of skeptics out there; I realize some of you may think that DMB is just the group that filled the void for all those half-baked white guys who had nowhere to go or nothing to bob their heads to once Phish stopped touring. I realize that DMB’s fan base has been largely infiltrated by frat boys in their identical polo shirts (or “vintage” t-shirts), cargo shorts and baseball caps who raise their plastic cups of beer and chant “Daaaaaave, play What Would You Say!!!” I could care less about all that, I’ve loved this band since the 8th or 9th grade, and my kids will undoubtedly think I’m lame because I’m still listening “that one band.” I’m not a stoner or a frat boy, but this girl from small town America loves her some Dave Matthews Band.

Last night, after waiting since I was 14, I finally saw DMB in concert. Jenn, Phill and I tried to get tickets last year at one of their three shows at Red Rocks, but the tickets sold out in 11 minutes. We didn’t have a chance. This year, playing at a larger venue—The Pepsi Center—Jenn, Phil and I managed to get decent seats.

I won’t go on and on about this concert like I did the Paul McCartney concert, but I can’t end this post without saying a couple of things:

• I now understand why people love to see these guys in concert. They are tight, one second they’ll be 10 minutes into a crazy jam (but still maintaining the integrity of the song) and in the span of a couple beats, if that, they’re back into the melody of the song, even if it includes switching time signatures or musical styles. They were completely together, 100% of the time. Amazing.
• As a result of the previous statement, I now have to go buy every live CD they have released. Listening to the studio albums is no longer enough.
• If one can rock out on a violin, Boyd Tinsley did it.
• Watching Carter Beauford play the drums makes me wish I could play the drums, or at the very least, have half of his rhythm.
• It’s amazing you can understand Dave Matthews when he sings, because you can hardly understand one word when he talks.
• I’ve now heard my favorite song of all time played live. Yeah, I realize the song is about a peeping Tom, and I feel a little skeezy singing along to it, but the guitar combined with the violin, percussion and upright bass, I get goosebumps every time I hear it. I actually let out a squeal when they started to play it. Yeah, that’s right, I squealed.

Okay, so I think my brief recap ended up being just as long, or longer than the other post, but I’m done gushing about my one concert outing of the year, seriously. I’m done now.

You may return to your regularly scheduled program.