This is a
continuation of my concert review for Dave Matthews Band June 6-8, 2013.
The Tale of Night Three
The third and final night of my birthday weekend with
Dave Matthews Band was observed from the lawn once again. Snaz had a good seat
up close to the stage, but I had opted to stand on the lawn for my final night.
Once we got to the venue and went our separate ways, I staked my claim to a
spot on the lawn. Then I settled in to watch the world around me and wait for
the opening act. After seeing their last two songs the night before, both Snaz
and I agreed that watching the entire set from The Head and The Heart was in
our best interest. I even went to the Best Buy that afternoon and bought their
lone studio album, a purchase I still cherish to this day.
As I waited for The Head and The Heart to walk onstage, I
watched some young college kids around me stagger and sway. It was obvious they
already had too much to drink and I had a feeling they were not going to survive
to the end of the evening. Then the inevitable happened. A girl in front of me fell
to her knees, threw her head forward and unleashed vomit all over the lawn.
Puking before the opening act while the sun was still up---what a way to start
a show. I still don’t understand why people come to a concert and drink to the
point where they won’t remember much of the show at all. Wouldn’t it be wiser
(and cheaper) to just do that at home?
Shortly after the vomit incident, The Head and The Heart began
the night of music. I watched their entire performance with glee and knew that
I had found a new band to fall in love with. While their songs sound great in
the studio, the live performance enhances their music tenfold. The Head and The
Heart have a great stage presence and know how to produce a live performance.
Their short opening set was magnificent, well crafted, and well received. By
the end of their opening presentation most of the crowd had found their seats
and the lawn was near full. Everyone wanted to see at least some of this band’s
set and I could understand why. Their live performance was magical and worth
seeing.
And while I would have loved to watch them perform
longer, the main event was coming up next, and that was the real reason we were
all there. Night three lacked the weather issues of night two and the surprises
of the previous two concerts, but it was still a solid show put out by the Dave
Matthews Band. They opened with a magnificent version of “Seek Up,” which was
followed by “Proudest Monkey” and “Satellite.” When “Satellite” played, I
texted Rick to let him know what he was missing. It was the one song that he
wanted to hear two nights prior and I was getting to hear it for him.
Other highlights of the night included a terrific “Don’t
Drink The Water” which I sang along to at the top of my lungs, a hard rocking
“Seven,” a beautiful “Best of What’s Around,” a tremendous version of “Spoon”
(which was the first time I got to see that song live), and a tremendous “Two
Step” as the final song of the night. It was possibly the best version of “Two
Step” I’ve ever seen the band perform. And it was a spectacular way to end the
three nights. By the end of the night I was exhausted but also jubilant. It had
been an incredible way to usher in my 40th birthday.
Setlist From Night Three:
June 8, 2013
(Comcast Theatre)
Seek Up
Proudest Monkey
Satellite
Don’t Drink The Water
Seven
Spoon
Shake Me Like A Monkey
The Riff
Grey Street
Mercy
So Right
Jimi Thing
Gaucho
Best Of What’s Around
Recently
Funny The Way It Is
Pantala Naga Pampa
Rapunzel
Encore:
Blue Water Baboon Farm
Two Step
The Tale of New Friends
Serious question. Have you ever tried Vegemite? It’s an
Australian thing that the folks on the other side of the world seem to
absolutely love. And being that Snaz was from Australia, she brought plenty of
it with her and was handing it out to anyone brave enough to try it.
On the morning of my 40th birthday, Snaz and I
stopped to have brunch on our return trip to New Jersey. We were weary but also
joyous. We had just seen three great evenings of Dave Matthews Band, formed a
new friendship, and were looking forward to future DMB adventures together. The
only thing we hadn’t done was bond in a way that would cement our friendship
for eternity. That was about to change over a brunch with Vegemite.
Once we were seated at the restaurant, Snaz insisted that
I try Vegemite. Seeing that it was a milestone birthday, I figured what the
heck. She even told me I could keep the bottle and let others enjoy it too.
What she didn’t tell me was how interesting it was going to be.
For those not in the know, which means almost anyone from
the USA, Vegemite is an Australian food spread made from leftover yeast extract
with various vegetables and spices added into the mix. The ingredients form a
rather short list. There’s yeast extract, salt, malt extract, flavor enhancer,
spice extract, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and folic acid. All of this is
combined to make what Australians insist is a delightful spread for toast or
bread.
Snaz placed the jar on the table and we waited for the
toast to arrive. She had the video camera on her phone ready to capture the
moment. The toast arrived and Snaz held the camera up. I placed the toast in
front of me and opened the jar of Vegemite.
“How much should I put on?” I asked. “Is it like Peanut
Butter? Should I spread it thick?”
She shook her head. “No, you don’t want too much,” she
insisted. “Just a little will do.”
I nodded and spread a very small amount of vegemite over
my toast. I held the jar in my hand and sniffed at its contents. The smell
almost knocked me off my chair. “That smells horrible!” I informed her. “Are
you sure you really eat this?”
Snaz laughed and urged me to go on. Citing that I only
live once, I took the vegemite toast and had myself a nice mouthful. When the
vegemite hit my taste buds I gagged so hard that I almost spit everything out.
This was without a doubt the most awful thing I have ever tasted in 40 years. Somehow,
I managed to chew and swallow the monstrosity that I had placed in my mouth. My
whole body shook and I immediately downed the water glass in front of me.
“What the hell was that?” I asked. “That had to be the most
disgusting thing I have ever tasted! You actually eat that and like it?! What’s
wrong with you?”
Snaz laughed so hard she had tears coming out of her
eyes. It turns out she laughed so hard that she was never able to film me
eating vegemite. She accidentally turned the camera off when trying to film. So,
my moment of vegemite ingestion was not documented for posterity. And seeing as
how I was never going to put that awful stuff in my mouth ever again, it never
will be.
Noting how hard she was laughing, I insisted that I was
being duped. “You don’t really eat that!” I exclaimed. “This is some kind of
Australian trick that you play on dumb Americans.”
She laughed harder and then helped herself to some of the
vegemite toast. I looked on in disgust as she ate it and appeared to enjoy it.
I wondered if she had some mental problems that were not disclosed to me.
Snaz and I finished out brunch and took the long drive
back to New Jersey. I dropped her off at her hotel and we said our goodbyes. We
were both happy to have made a new friend, a fellow DMB fan that understood and
appreciated the joy of their music and the effect it had on our lives in the
same way. It was nice to make a new friend even if it is one that lives
thousands of miles away.
Snaz and I have remained friends to this day and have
seen each other a few times. We even visited The Gorge together (LINK) to see
DMB in that historic venue. And while I haven’t made the trek across the ocean
to Australia, I haven’t ruled it out of my future. It’s nice to know that I
would have somewhere to crash and someone to guide my wife and I through all
the sites and attractions that the land down under has to offer. I’m sure that
one day I will find myself in that sunburn of a country, but I can guarantee that
I won’t be eating the local favorite spread for toast. That’s just not going to
happen.
