VALLEJO, CA -
Most anyone that stumbles upon this blog will know that I have attended a few Dave Matthews Band shows in my day. Since I saw them perform at Comerica Park back in the early 00's I was hooked on the bands ability to translate wind, string, percussion and voice into an almost tangible groove that requires the listener to tap their feet.
Over the past several years life has got in the way and I haven't been able to attend every year like I used to. Occasionally I would put on a recorded version of a show on YouTube and play it in the background while working on something else. This was still enjoyable, but it never really managed to capture the full environment of a concert. That is until recently.
Last night the
DMB YouTube channel aired a full concert to celebrate their new album (Come Tomorrow). I caught the tail end of it - enough to stoke the jam band fire of days past - and so after making dinner I decided to restart the concert right around the time a show in my timezone would start. What a fantastic decision.
It's incredible with today's technology (I am using a 4k TV with the Chromecast Ultra) and the quality of the YouTube production... It brought me right to Philadelphia and front row to a fantastic show (Full disclosure: I lit some candles to give a little more depth - #wouldrecommend). Link here:
6.16.18
Quick review has me pumped to try and catch them when they come out this way at the end of summer:
The new songs are great additions to the sets (Away and Away, Samurai Cop, Come Tomorrow), while the old stuff (#41, LIOG) hits just as hard as it used to - especially now that it's infused with some new blood in Buddy Strong (that Shotgun riff in Stand Up was 🔥). Also, Jeff Coffin now feels like he has a full grasp of the weight of the songs and he brings an energy with the sax that would make LeRoi smile.
Watching it in the setting was just as enjoyable as many of the shows I have been too. The biggest thing missing is getting to know new people - something I have always enjoyed at DMB concerts.
[Sidenote: I see a path forward with the live-stream feed: While there were too many people to make any real connections in the general comment section, a chat room (like the old days in AOL) where you could spin off and have more topic-driven conversations would make it a little more personable. Plus you could connect with people all over the world that share your passion.]
Even waiting for the show to start and the encore breaks listening to the crowd screem for Halloween (lol) brought helped place me back in that familiar setting.
So DMB fans out there... Does it count that I saw this show now? Does seeing a show virtually qualify me to add it to my list? In all honesty, I watched this show more intently than a number of the previous shows I attended in person. True, I didn't have to deal with the traffic, but is that badge of honor necessary?
I think there is a strong case for it.
