This is a
continuation of my concert review for Dave Matthews Band June 6-8, 2013. You
can find part one here:
http://rockandrollguru.blogspot.com/2017/08/concert-review-dave-matthews-band-june.html
The Tale of Night Two
Night two put me in a much better seat location at a
venue I had never been to before with someone that was fast becoming a new
friend. There were a lot of firsts that evening, and I even purchased a new DMB
hoodie for my growing collection.
Snaz and I made the ride to Connecticut from New Jersey
in a huge rainstorm. Our trip was pelted with wet weather the entire time and
that caused even more traffic than usual. Our original plan was to get to the
hotel, check in, relax for a little while, and then head to the venue. That
plan changed when we were barley into Connecticut at 7pm. We opted to get to
the venue and check into the hotel after the show.
Conversation during the ride was friendly enough and we
were both excited to see DMB for a second night in a row. We both had great
seats that evening, although on opposite sides of the venue. I had what could
be the best seat I’ve ever had for a DMB concert. I was 10th row
stage right near the aisle. It was an amazing perspective from which to witness
the band.
As we rolled into the parking lot the skies opened wide.
It was bad enough that it had rained all day, but as we parked the car the rain
came down even harder. I was resigned to the fact that we were getting wet. With
a hard, soaking rain coming down, Snaz and I made our way inside the venue and
went to find our individual seats.
We were fortunate enough to get to our seats before The
Head and The Heart finished their set. I was able to see their last two songs
and I immediately scolded myself for not watching them the night before. I also
made a mental note to get to the venue early enough the next day to watch their
entire performance.
That’s another magnificent enjoyment of live concerts. Sometimes
an opening act is so amazing that they become a favorite band in no time. Such
was the case with The Head and The Heart. Hearing just two songs (one and a
half in all honesty) made me an instant fan. I had to hear more from this band.
I had to hear more of their songs. I wanted to know more about this band.
As The Head and The Heart left the stage and it was
prepared for the headliners, the rain came down even harder. I was so thankful to
have an actual seat under cover for that night’s show. Being on the lawn would
have drowned me in no time. It looked absolutely miserable!
When it came time for Dave Matthews Band to take the
stage, the opening notes of “#34” rang out and the crowd roared. “#34” is a
rare song to hear in concert and it’s almost never played since LeRoi Moore
passed away. To hear it as the opening number was going to be a real treat.
Alas, we would not be treated that night as expected. It was just a tease. The
band segued from the first thirty seconds or so of “#34” into “JTR.” This was
an appropriate opener with the hook of “Rain, rain, rain down on me.” I was
pleased because I don’t believe I’ve ever seen that song in concert (before or
since).
My second of three consecutive nights with Dave Matthews
Band was magnificent. The band performed a cover of Tom Petty’s “Running Down A
Dream” and played an outstanding version of the song. I’m a big Tom Petty fan
and I thought that DMB was true to the original while still adding their own
flavor. It was a nice surprise, and I would welcome seeing them play that song
more often.
Other highlights of the night included “Big Eyed Fish”
(only the second time I’ve seen that live), my first time seeing “Song That
Jane Likes” (a song I absolutely love) and a terrific performance of
“Bartender” which I think is one of the best songs in the DMB catalog.
Another special moment occurred during that concert. It
was once again a situation where a song was played that I either hadn’t paid
attention to, or hadn’t really cared for. In this instance, it was “The
Dreaming Tree.” This is a song that I liked but never thought it was anything
special and never consumed it that often. And then the band played it live in
Hartford. Seeing the live rendition of this song moved it up the chart for me.
I was captivated at how the song weaved in its live setting. By the end of the
performance I was a cemented fan and knew that “The Dreaming Tree” was going to
be in regular rotation a lot more often than it had in the past. It just blew
me away.
The big moment of the night came at the end of the
concert. For those that are not aware, at the end of every concert, drummer
Carter Beauford comes to the front of the stage and tosses drumsticks into the
crowd. It’s been a dream of mine to catch a drumstick from him; a fine piece
that I would have framed and mounted on my wall as the jeweled piece to my
concert memorabilia collection. This was going to be my best opportunity as I
was just a few rows from the stage and well within catching distance.
As Carter made his way to our side of the stage grinning
and full of the happiness that he always has, my heart raced and a smile of my
own crept upon my face. I was getting a drumstick that night. I could feel it.
He tossed a couple of drumsticks to the people in the very front and I watched
and waited. Then he pointed and tossed a couple of drumsticks deep behind me as
I continued to watch and wait. Then the moment happened. Carter pointed a
drumstick in our direction, pulled back, and let the drumstick fly from his
hand. My eyes watched as the world moved in slow motion and the drumstick
headed toward me, spinning and rotating like a well thrown curveball from a
pitchers’ hand. I stretched my right arm up at the exact moment the drumstick
crossed my path and felt it hit my hands. I closed my hand as quick as possible
and when my hand came back toward my body, there was nothing in it. The
drumstick had hit off my hand and landed behind me. I quickly wheeled around
only to see someone else with the drumstick clutched to their chest like the
amazing reward it was. I sighed and let out a laugh of disappointment. Not this
time…
Setilist From
Night Two:
June 7, 2013 (Comcast Theatre)
#34 (tease)
JTR
Warehouse
Squirm
Broken Things
The Idea Of You
Kill The Preacher
Why I Am
Captain
Belly Belly Nice
Big Eyed Fish
Bartender
The Song That Jane Likes
Lie In Our Graves
Running Down A Dream (Tom Petty Cover)
Rooftop
The Dreaming Tree
Rhyme And Reason
Everyday
Ants Marching
Encore:
Drunken Soldier
All Along The Watchtower
1 comment:
Great article indeed!
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