There is nothing more rewarding than watching your child
have the same reaction to their first experience of a particular band live that
you did many years earlier. I was blessed and thankful to be able to share that
interaction with my daughter, which happened on a gorgeous Saturday night in
Hartford, Connecticut. The band was Dave Matthews Band and we made a three-hour
journey to see them in concert. It was her first time and my 20th.
So, while I knew what to expect and the grand time we were going to have, she
had no clue the joyous occasion that would unfold before her.
Standing in the pit watching the instruments be tuned and
set left me with a lot of exciting anticipation. Was my daughter going to love
this band as much as I did? Was she going to be enthralled to the point where
they became one of her favorite bands as they had for me years earlier? Would she
leave with the same feelings of euphoria that I had?
Sure, I had concerns going into the show. Boyd Tinsley
was out and DMB had decided to tour with no violin for the first time since
I’ve been seeing them live (maybe for the first time ever). I didn’t know if
the essence was going to be the same as I had grown accustomed to. We had pit
tickets, so that was certainly going to help improve the vantage point, but I
love Boyd Tinsley and knowing that he wasn’t going to be on stage hurt a
little.
My big issue with the new incarnation of Dave Matthews
Band (version 3.0 if you will) was that the setlists did not vary much for this
trek across the US. The same songs were being played multiple times, which is unlike
a normal DMB tour. Part of that could be because new addition organist Buddy
Strong was still getting up to speed on the entire DMB catalog, but part of
that could be for a different reason (although a reason that I can’t quite
figure out). They stayed with the same group of songs for most of the tour. Although,
we did get three tour debuts (“Stay or Leave,” “Captain,” and “Black and Blue
Bird”) but everything was standard, especially the encore.
There’s a certain amount of magic in the air anytime the
Dave Matthews Band takes the stage. Even in the absence of Boyd Tinsley on the
violin, I knew this was going to be another special night. The weather was in
our favor, the crowd was large but peaceful and loving, and of course the music
was going to be magnificent. Standing that close to the stage also added to the
experience. I had not been in the pit for a DMB show since my trip to The Gorge. That
experience had not been the best, so there were concerns going into this show,
but when the opportunity to get pit tickets came up for my daughter’s first
experience, I had to grab them. Standing there as the pit filled and the clock
ticked closer to showtime, I was a little nervous. Thankfully, we had a grand
pit experience this time around. Maybe it’s because we stood by the horns---who
can say for sure? All I know is that this was a much more relaxed experience
than my last one. And for that I am eternally gratefully.
I was able to guess the opening song, but I don’t take
great pride in that, as the setlists were predictable. That is something I’ve
never been able to say about a DMB tour before, but it’s true for 2018. There were
only three songs they opened with for most of that leg and one of them was the
opener the night before, so I had a pretty good feeling that “That Girl Is You”
was going to kick off our night. Fortunately, it is a favorite from the new
release for both my daughter and myself.
All these items did not make it a bad show. I don’t
believe that I’ve ever witnessed a bad DMB show and judging by my daughter’s
gleeful outbursts it was the best concert ever performed in the history of
music. Yet, perhaps since I’ve been to 20 of these shows now, I’ve grown jaded
and hopeful. There are always songs I am chasing (“The Last Stop” in
particular) and songs that I want to hear that I’ve only heard once (“Lover Lay
Down”), but the band has so many songs they could pull out and they are touring
behind a new record. I understand that the new songs are going to take
precedence. And they have to balance deep cuts with fan favorites. I get all of
that. And look, when it comes to a DMB show, their setlist is a million times
more varied than a KISS show. But I think I’ve raised my expectations because
the band raised the bar the first time I saw them in concert. I’m like a
junkie. I want every concert to be as tremendous as that first one was. I’m
chasing the high.
Prior to the show, I even had a list of songs in my head
that I wanted to hear. I know it was a stretch for several reasons, but I want
to hear the songs I don’t hear live too often. Which may be part of my problem.
I need to enjoy the show for the show and if the rare songs are played,
consider that a blessing. I was hoping to hear any of the following: “#27,”
“Say Goodbye,” “Break Free,” “Come On, Come On,” or “Minarets.” I thought I had
the best chance with “Come On, Come On” because it was a new song. The others I
knew were a longshot at best. Sadly, none of those songs were performed, but I
should have expected that anyway.
Out of the songs that did get played, there were some
real highlights for me. I was overjoyed to hear “Crush” and “Jimi Thing” (two
of my favorite songs by this band.) I was also glad to get “Stand Up” and
“Louisiana Bayou” which is an unpopular statement with most purists. However,
these two songs hold a special place in my heart as they were the songs that
locked me into being a fan for life the first time I saw the band live. Robert
Randolph guested on Bayou the first night I saw DMB and that just blew my mind.
So, I will always love most of the songs from the Stand Up album. They will
always remind me of when DMB moved into the top five of my all-time favorite
bands.
The best part about being in the pit was the opportunity
to get a drumstick from Carter Beauford. I’ve had opportunities to get a
drumstick before and I’ve come extremely close once, at that same venue. The
stick went off my fingertips and flipped behind me. SO CLOSE! With that in
mind, I told my daughter that if she got a stick from Carter it was mine. I had
come too close to let her get one on her first night. Unfortunately, Carter did
not take the usual time to toss sticks into the audience. Not at the end of the
main set and not after the encore. What the heck, Carter? I had informed my
daughter what a big part of the show experience it was going to be and you
tossed nothing! What a let down!
As for my daughter, I had never seen her so happy in her
entire life. The joy that overwhelmed her with infectious. She was so
enthralled and she could not stop talking about what an amazing time she was
having. She told me repeatedly that she had no idea the band was this good in
concert. That made me made me laugh. I had only been telling for the last ten
years she should think about attending a show with me. In her wise wisdom
though she pointed out that she may not have been mature enough in her musical
tastes to enjoy the band until now. Out of the mouths of babes… I was ecstatic
by her happiness and so glad that we had gotten to see this show together. And
now I have a permanent partner to attend all future shows with. She’s already
told me that she can’t wait to see the band again and asked if we can do
multiple shows next time. As long as they tour in 2019, my dear daughter, yes,
we can.
SETLIST
That Girl Is You
One Sweet World
Granny
Crush
Samarai Cop
Stay Or Leave
What Would You Say
Can’t Stop
Jimi Thing
Captain
Warehouse
Black and Blue Bird
The Song That jane Likes
Lying in the Hands of God
Funny The Way It Is
Come Tomorrow
Stand Up
Louisiana Bayou
ENCORE
The Space Between
The Space Between
Tripping Billies
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