Sorry Yall

2 posts in a month? I know...pathetic. But I work all the fucking time now and when I'm not working I'm spending time with my lovely girlfriend. So ya know what you lazy fucks...go find your own music! I'm only kidding...I know that is impossible for you. Here is the BIG Update...it's just gonna be one huge post so I don't have to come around here for another month ;) Actually I'm going to try to post more this month, because as we know...summertime = outside time. I really should throw my xbox out too, but I <3 Netflix. Okay, music time.

We have officially ended the first quarter of 2011 and there are three albums I am obsessed with. Smith Westerns absolutely nailed it with their sophomore effort 'Dye It Blonde'. Cut Copy with 'Zonoscope' and the new Fleet Foxes album, 'Helplessness Blues' which has not been released yet sounds amazing. I really can't stop listening to it (just got BNM on pfork) and is already pre-ordered it on wax. If there is anything you HAVE to have so far this year, it's these three albums. I did just get the new Antlers album (winner of OA's first album of the year award) 'Burst Apart'. I am looking forward to diving head first into that album but I need to have a really bad day first.

Again, like most summers, this summer is jam packed with concerts. It already kicked off with seeing Tim Reynolds at Infinity Hall. That's right, my hero in my hometown. Here is a sick video I took of it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWUMizcU7b8 We are going to keep it going with what was the summer kick off last year, and the true summer kick off...Wesleyan's Spring Concert. This year we have the show STARTING with Wavves. Then...The Walkmen will jam out...this years headliner..mothafuckin Wu-Tang, well 2/9 of Wu-Tang. Red Dogz all around, we can only hope it will be as good as last year.

Amanda and I will be attending Childish Gambino in Boston halfway though May and then BOMB Fest at the end of the month. If you don't know about http://www.bombfest.com/ then you are dumb. This is going to be the sickest party EVERRRR. The line up is out of this world, it's just too bad they had to move venues. June is looking quiet as of now, but there will be tons of local shows going on at venues like Daniel St. The Space Toads Place BAR Cafe9 Bridge St. Hartford Party Starters and always be checking in with Manic Productions.

July starts out with http://www.superballix.com/ A 3 day festival all dedicated to Phish. It's being held in upstate New York at Watkins Glen and I honestly don't know what to expect, but I know I will not return home the same person. Either way, it's going to be an incredible way to spend the 4th this year. I'm pretty open from then until the end of August, so I'm looking forward to just doing whatever pops up. I'm sure there will be a lot of great shows that I will want to get to in Boston and NYC.

Then we end the summer the way that I usually start my summers, Dave Matthews Band. They typically tour the East Coast at the beginning of summer, they started their tour here in Hartford last summer, which was pretty epic. This year, they are bringing the Caravan to NYC, Governors Island. The lineup is only half out of the bag and it already blew my mind. Just look at it, it's amazing!! The perfect way to end summer before starting the longest fall of my life...seriously dreading it.

2011 is still just getting started, it's been a weird first quarter in my opinion. A lot going on in the world right now, I'm kind of nervous for what is going to happen soon... I just have a bad feeling about things and where human kind is going. But enough negativity...I can not wait for this summer, just look at that list..it could be the most epic summer yet....But it will be really hard (twss) to top last summer. Cheers!

DMB WILL Play in 2011

It's official folks, DMB will be playing music for their fans in 2011. They will not be touring the country, but according to DMB's Website they will play shows this year. Here is what we know so far.

'2011 is our 20th anniversary as a band and we want to celebrate by playing music together.  While we are still taking the year off from touring, we have decided to plan four multi-day, multi-artist music events that will take place this summer.  We will be sending out save the date emails and announcing more information soon but we wanted to share the news with our fans first.'

HALLELUJAH! Looks like this could be a mini DMB festival. The rumored venues are SPAC, Alpine, WPB, and The Gorge...See you this summer yall!

DMB - The Last Stops - MSG

MSG is a special place to see DMB. They play killer shows and the crowd is electric! Walking around the city before the show started really got me excited. I love being in NYC... I think I belong there. I saw the little red guitar which signals a Squirm opener which did happen. Whenever that song opens I find that things get off to a slow start and the crowd is not very into it. That's exactly what happened. The show picked up after they jammed the hell out of LITHOG, I don't think I've ever seen Jeff and Carter push that song like that, I needed to catch my breath during Eh Hee. Once that song ended and I heard the opening chords to LIOG I literally jumped out of my seat for joy. No reprise and it went right into YMDT which is at it's peak right now, I used to hate this song but currently am loving it. The next song totally shocked me. Lover Lay Down is the song that made me fall in love with this band. I bought RR95 because it was the only CD that had LLD on it. Finally after 25 shows I got to hear this song. I got a little emotional...in fact I could hardly sing the song. I'll never forget finally being able to hear it. I did ask Fonz in Boston for Lover Lay Down, and I told him that I would be at MSG and Cville in case they needed to practice it. He said I'll see what I can do...' Well thanks Fonz! even if I had nothing to do with it. The rest of the show was what I excpected from MSG! Warehouse followed and this song is always spot on. I love what the horns have added to this one and the salsa jam was out in full force. I felt like it was my first show again, I was enthralled by the band and how they were playing. The crowd was nice and loud on Jimi Thing which Dave let us sing the first two versus of. What you are was a treat to hear, it was the first time in a while for me, and it was the first time it closed a main set since 2005. It had a really slow bluesy intro that went into the normal start of the song. I loved how they did it. The encore was really nothing special, I guess Dive In solo is cool because it has never happened before, but i was expecting another full band song before they went into AATW, like sayyyy Granny! Granny is the perfect encore song. But little did we know what we had in store for us N2...

There was a really big buzz in the building as everyone got to their seats. At first we tried to fit five people in one seat because we all wanted to sit together but that didn't work out. We did get to chat with Danny before the show. Finally! We had been trying to meet up with him for a while now. After chatting for a few minutes our group had to split up. Jamie and Sally sat together and I sat with Amanda and Brittany. It was Brittany's first show! The show started with the band building up, I thought it would lead into DDTW for sure...it was something far better. The #41 opener is tooooo good! It's the perfect way to start a show. You could tell it was going to be a special night. Then it went right into Say Goodbye...ala the Crash album. I thought I was going to faint. It was the first time since '96 they opened a show that way. MSG was on fire after these two songs. Funny was a decent BW tune to follow, but Dave's voice was shot...he couldn't even finish the song, we had to. Pig was cut the night before, so there was a feeling from the fans it would show its head on N2. I'm glad it did so early in the set because it kept the crowd pumped. That's one thing I noticed from that night, the crowd was so passionate. It was the most connected and loud crowd I have ever been apart of. Even more then Cville N2. Nancies was the perfect song to play after Write A Song because it let Dave rest his voice. He asked us to yet again help him sing along. We sang most of Nancies ourselves. This show was a lot of fun but I was a little disappointed at this point that Dave's voice was shot. Then out of nowhere, his voice came to life during DDTW and was fine the rest of the night.

The next part of the set was hilarious. Dave messed the the lyrics to Christmas Song giving Jesus two mothers. He started laughing and stopped the song. Carter started a beat, Tim joined in and Dave scatted a little improv. I thought they were going into Cornbread with the way Carter was playing, but thankfully they went back into Christmas song after the jam and the crowd went crazy! The first midset Christmas Song since 1995! Check it out HERE. 'I gotta little sister named Jane'...those words are like gold, it's the best when Dave introduces the song that way. Classic DMB, Jane should be played all the time! Crush is another classic that tends to follow me around. It's one of my favorites though, and one that Amanda and I love to see together. Boyd and Jeff are so tight on this song! Everyone was feeling the groove on that one. Once BOWA started my night was made. Jeff Coffin makes the outro his bitch! What a killer set so far. Pig and BOWA sum up my philosophy on life, so thankful that I got them in the same night. During BOWA I mentioned how badly I wanted to hear Rhyme and Reason and Brittany said she did too, it was one of her favorites. Sure enough, next tune was Rhyme and Reason, it's first play in over a year. All we could do was laugh. Then the band brought out Vusi Mahlasela for Everyday. I am not a huge Everyday fan at all, in fact after the intro I ran to the bathroom. Good thing I was only gone for a minute because this jam was the highlight of the night. I never thought it could be, but Everyday was unreal at MSG. In fact it ruined all future performances of it because this was too perfect. I can't even describe the pure feeling of joy in the room. Vusi has the most positive presence and you can't help but smile. Watch it HERE, when the house lights go up on the crowd around 7min...goooooosebumps! What an unreal moment. Then they wasted two spots with Time Bomb and You and Me. Two Step was a great closer. It was the best one I have ever heard. Carter pushed his solo longer and further (TWSS) than I've ever seen! My mind was fully blown after this main set. I'm glad to see this version getting the respect it deserves because it should be released. This is what keeps me going to shows, this is DMB at it's best!

The encore was not as jam packed as I expected. I thought there was a shot of #40 or IBYU. Instead he played Sister for his sister Jane. I was thinking there would be one more song before the closer, maybe So Right, but I saw the 12-string coming out and everyone knew that Last Stop would close out MSG. The band explodes right into this song. The crowd goes crazy, Carter goes crazy. The build up right before the reprise is so intense between Carter and Tim. The slow outro to close the show out and Dave thanked us all and that was the end. It was a quiet ending to the show, I loved it. Its a tough call between this and SPAC N2 '09 for the best show of my life. I want to call it a tie, both shows were basically perfect. I'm really happy that I got a poster from because this show is one that I want to remember forever. Everyone there will agree that this was one of the best shows the band has ever played and by far the best of 2010. I wouldn't trade this one for anything.

DMB - The Last Stops - Boston

Phew, I have finally re-cooped from the most amazing November of my life. 7 DMB shows in a little over two weeks, including the final two shows until further notice. A dream come true! A lot of memorable moments happened during the fall tour and I want to thank everyone that I came in contact with on my trip. So, Thank You! Lets get right into it...in my previous post I summed up the Albany show in detail...I want to touch on the other six shows but I will not be talking about every song. I know some of you were not huge fans of me writing about every single song and how many times I've seen them...so I won't do that, as much.

 The story of Boston starts the night before. I was working...my cell phone rings and its a random number, it's Cali from 104.1 Boston...he had some good new for me. I won the opportunity to meet Stefan Lessard and watch the Cali interview with Stefan, which you can listen to right here! This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I can't believe I was one of the few winners chosen. Pete and I got up to Boston nice and early hit the Volcano and then headed to Ben and Jerrys. The interview as you can hear, is very well done. Cali is a real DMB fan that asks questions that the true hardcore fans want to ask. Not to mention being 3 feet away from Stefan the entire time was unreal.

After the meeting Fonz and asking for Lover Lay Down there was about two hours before we wanted to head into the venue. We had floor seats and wanted to get close to Fonz and see if he would remember us. We settled at around 10th row. Great views of everyone all night long. The people around us were really cool too. There was this crazy bitch that made her way in and we all got her the boot and the whole crowd was singing good bye, it was priceless. The show started with Proudest Monkey into Satellite which is not the most energetic combo to open with...but they are two familiar songs that everyone in attendance knew and the crowd was into it right off the bat. After some Big Whiskey, they played DDTW, Last Stop, then Seek Up. That was one of my favorite runs of the tour. What a powerful three songs to play in a row. I was thinking Grey St. when I saw the 12-string, but a mid-set Last Stop is always a treat. Then I was floored after I heard the start to Seek Up. When Boyd is going crazy and Dave is wailing, I get goosebumps just thinking about it. The downfall in this part of the set was when two people right next to us passed out on the floor. It was way too hot and people were so dehydrated. Pete missed most of Gravedigger because he ran to get help for the people that fell.

The next four songs were a bit slow, I figured Big Whiskey was going to get played and here it was. I really do love Stay or Leave..it was just in the wrong spot. LITHOG is a real monster now...it's the best song from Big Whiskey by far. I really enjoyed the next four song run of #41, Grey St, Il Back You Up, and Crush. That's the kind of stuff I like to see. Crush was a good one! It was one of the highlights in the set in my opinion. However the ending run was just pathetic!!! Ants Marching was the only saving grace...but I was a little disapointed. It was just such a boring finnish. You and Me in the second to last slot is awful...and don't get me started on Can't Stop. The encore was okay. I love Some Devil, it's my favorite Dave E1 solo song. It's just so emotional. Everyday was meh, it did have a nice little #36 reprise which was a cool change of pace. PNP Rapunzel is a great closer. I prefer it to open but it works in the closing roll too. They always push it on that song every time. Too bad Boston was the only time they brought it out all tour. All in all it was a decent set and I had a great time on the floor. I was expecting a lot for N2. 

Night two started off with meeting up with my friend Ryan and his friend Jessie who we got floor tickets with us for N2! We had drinks at Boston Beer Works, which was a stones throw away from the venue. It was great to catch up with Ants and chat before n2. We left early again to get in for decent floor spots. John Butler Trio were the openers again, they are very impressive. I enjoyed watching their set for all four opening acts they played. The show started out perfectly with The Stone. There is no better opener in my opinion...The Stone is my favorite song. However the crowd could not sing the outro to save their lives! Squirm works out much better in the two slot but imo doesn't translate well live. After a killer What Would You Say, I looked at Pete and said this was going to be a fun show. Sadly I was escorted out of the building during Crash because someone else handed me a J and a cop saw...I missed the rest of the show. Highlights were Cry Freedom into Granny and then Lie In Our Graves. I was really bummed to miss that run. But shake it off, still got 4 more shows to get to and they were killer! MSG review will be posted tomorrow!

Dave Matthews Band Weekend @ SPAC

SPAC weekend is unlike any other weekend of the year for me. Hartford was fun, but SPAC is where you go if you want to see dmb on the east coast. It's more then just going to a concert. It's about meeting up with people that have a common love for one thing, music.The place you see friends you have not seen in a year, and make new friendships that last for life. So this write up will be more of a weekend recap then just a show review. Expectations could not have been higher with the way last year went in Saratoga. It would be impossible for them to top SPAC N2 of last year, but Dave and company did their best. SPAC weekend should always start on a Thursday. I had gotten tickets to a Surfer Blood concert for Thursday night, so early Friday morning I took the 2.5 hour trip north to our campgrounds at Moreau State Park. Getting there around noon, my pal Jesse who I have now seen 6 shows with was already packing the vape. Home sweet home. I was also meeting up with three jersey girls (no not like Snooki jersey girls). We have been friends for a year, but were finally meeting up for the first time. It was great to see everyone, set up tents, smoke a bit...I mean a lot...and then walk from campsite to campsite talking with other dmb fans. By then it was 3:30 and time to get to the venue. Now...we got off exit 15 to a police check point. Of course we smoked a J on the way to the show and the car smelled. He asked us to give him what we had. A sad sacrifice, but a necessary one. Laura...RIP...but he didn't get the 8 joints we had! We paid to park in a private lot that allowed tailgating and set up shop for a few hours.

We got into the venue in time to walk around, check out the posters, and found our seats. Then I got a txt from Amanda. 'Save us from the lawn'. Okay, I rushed to stub them in, we had aisle seats it wasn't too much of a squeeze. All four of us got to sit together for both shows, it all worked out exactly the way we planned. The band came on at 8:30...Big Eyed Fish into Bartender...just like Hartford, but I liked this Bartender much, much more.  It was Stefan's birthday that night, there was a huge Happy Birthday chant after Seven. Nancies was better then Hartford too. The crowd still fucked up the lyrics, but Dave saved it by coming back in before the second verse. During Boyd's solo the entire band stopped and it was just Boyd center stage ripping it up...one of those spine chilling moments. Dreamgirl got it's first play since 07...I don't know why, but whatever, Dave. Crush followed after, and it was hands down the best Crush I have ever seen performed (might say that about a lot of these songs). Jeff and Tim traded solo's for a good five minutes... Tim was laughing with Jeff the entire time, and then Carter just drums the hell out of the outro. It's one of the bands best live songs. I just can't help shouting the lyrics to this one. The band went on a Jam spree with the Crush, So Damn Lucky and then Grace is Gone...all clocking in at almost 15 mins each! So Damn Lucky had a different Thank You outro, and they took the Grace is Gone jam to a new level, I was really digging it. Cornbread into Recently was cool, I would have rather just heard the entire Recently instead, but I'll take it. Jimi Thing was amazing. Everyone took their turn soloing during this 16 minute monster. Jeff played two sax's again and they went into the Sexy Mother Fucker outro. The encore found a Last Stop tease that I didn't' even hear before going into the high energy perfect E1 song, So Right. It was followed by Ants Marching the perfect song to close out a concert with. You know how I feel about this song it's their anthem.

I think N1 was a good show. The only things I didn't agree with was Funny The Way It Is being played after Dancing Nancies, it just killed the energy...and Dreamgirl hasn't been played in three years for a reason, it's not good. Getting back to the campground was interesting, but when we finally did get back, we made a fire and stayed up all night talking about how we never wanted this weekend to end. The next day found us waking at noon after a horrible storm that I thought was going to kill us and spending the afternoon at the beach. Quality time spent with quality people. After some frisbee tosses and sun soaking, we headed back to camp for food and showers. Of course us stoners forgot a grill, but our good friend Mitch who was staying a few sites over was kind enough to let us cook up our dogs and burgers on his grill. By the time we were done eating, it was about time to head to the venue for N2. No issues with cops this night, only a car battery dieing in the lots due to too much partying.

With the Last Stop tease the night before, we were expecting it tonight. It didn't happen, but dmb did put on one hell of a set. Lots of debut's for the Saturday show...some were reallllly good, some...not so good. Squirm in my opinion should not have been the opener. Don't Drink The Water would have been a much more fitting first song. The beauty ballad Stay or Leave followed, it is the perfect #2 song to hear at a show, perfect placement Dave. Then Carter got the crowd pumped during Hello Again. This was my second time hearing it, and it was way better then Hartford. Cater took it to another level on the outro. I think The Idea of You is a guilty pleasure of mine. It's not really a dmb classic, but I love singing it once in a while so it was a treat to hear. After Don't Drink The Water, Cry Freedom got its first play since 2005. This song is pinnacle dmb. The horns sat this one out, an ode to Roi I would like to think. It was a blessing to see this song live. I will never forget hearing this song. Right after they went into a mid-set Tripping Billies. This song is a regular set closer, but to hear it in the first 1/3 of the concert is a great surprise. This is by far the best version I have ever seen or heard of this song. Seriously Boyd was on fire. He was all up in Stefan's face, dueling with Dave...he was right up in the crowds face too working the entire stage, stopping his feet. 'Tequila drinking oh our minds will wonder to wondrous places' (we had some tequila in the lots) The four of us looked at each other and shared a huge hug...it was my most memorable moment of the weekend. Check out the video below, it was so tight.

'I hope we get it right for yall this evening'...then they went into Can't Stop...no not Last Stop, the song that the entire crowd was shouting for...Can't Stop, one of dmb's worst songs in my opinion. This song should have been anything but this one. Really put a damper on what could have been a really epic show. Just put Crash in that spot and the crowd would have loved it. The only redeeming quality of Can't Stop was a bluesy Tim solo at the end. They got back on track with Granny. It was never put on a record, but Granny is a staple live song. So much energy and a lot of crowd interaction. The crowd chanted, loud for Last Stop. Dave teased it and the crowd went insane. Even I thought we may have a chance of hearing it in the encore. The tease went Straight into #41. I didn't have enough time to be pissed at Dave, I fucking love #41. Jeff+Carter going back and fourth, I thought Jeff was going to explode at one point. Amanda called Spaceman as the next tune, she was right...and the Neil Young cover was after that. Cornbread was a repeat that was completely unnecessary. This was my 20th dmb show and like 13th Cornbread, but it is better then Sister. Timebomb-->Two Step is such a sick combo. Obviously Carter killed Two Step. He makes that song his bitch. The encore break had the crowd chanting for Last Stop again. Dave came out running shaking his head no. The encore started with Some Devil. Such a beautiful, sad song...I love hearing Dave perform it solo, and this was only the second time I've seen it live. They close with Watchtower a lot, they do a really good job on it... but the fans wanted Last Stop. To say we were not disappointed about that would be a lie. The rest of the show was nearly perfect, another great two shows at SPAC.

So many memories were made this weekend. New friends were made for life and I have the itch to get to two more shows this tour. SPAC was everything I could have asked for. My only complaint was that it went by too fast, way too fast. It was a stoned haze, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. Thank you all for making this weekend so special, you guys are the best fans on the planet!

DMB Hartford Weekend

Wow. This weekend was perfect in every way possible. The weather was amazing minus a 10 minute shower on Saturday afternoon, everyone was in good spirits at the motel 8 parking lot both nights, and I got to see dmb shows with a group of friends I have never seen a show with. What a memorable weekend, life changing honestly. It makes you realize what is really important in life. Just being alive!

Friday night I had pit tickets. The first pit show for dmb at Hartford, I was a little nervous about how it would work out. It was quite the pleasant experience. There was no sitting down or arm crossing in the pit, everyone was energetic and border line going insane for the tour opener. I had three other good friends with me in the pit Friday night. Pete, a writer for OA (it was his first dmb show) and 2 other friends who have only sat lawn before. Seeing their faces as everything unfolded 4 rows away from us was priceless. The set list, arguably the greatest tour opening set list in the history of this band. Show Stats See those big numbers under last? That's how many shows it has been since those songs have been played.

JTR to open the tour. Are you kidding me?! Wow, I was thinking Bartender because, well Dave plays Bartender to open. Nope! They killllled it with JTR! Blew me away right off the bat. Hello Again was the third song played, the only Stand Up song I like, first time in five years! After a few new tunes, and Rye Whiskey solo, Busted Stuff started. This song was last played in 2002, it marks the 3rd longest return of a song in dmb history... I never thought I would hear this song. Jeff Coffin jazz's the fuck out of the end of this song. Then they went right into Kit Kat Jam!!!! Another song they have not played since 2003! These two songs back to back were the highlight of the weekend. The surprise factor was even more then Halloween last year at SPAC...well maybe not, but on that same level. After that song...right into #41. Arms went straight up in the air and shivers down my spine. There was no other place in the world I would have rather been. They jam the hell out of #41, Jeff and Rashawn play the Sojourn of Arjuna interpolation then Jeff and Carter go back and fourth for aboot five minutes followed by a nasty solo from Tim. The next two songs were the classic Grey St. and their current single You and Me. Dancing Nancies was a lot of fun, the crowd sang 3/4 of the song as Dave just walked around the stage checking the crowd out. This is Boyd's jam, he solo's pretty much the entire song and his last solo near the end was energetic. Boyd and Dave were face to face, Dave was cheering Boyd on just like the rest of us.

Too Much got it's first full time play since I last saw it last year in Charlottesville, it is beastly with Tim on electric and it went right into their anthem, Ants Marching. Boyd again tore up this song center stage, the entire band centered around Carter while he counted down. It's the best moment at any dmb show, the last 30 seconds of Ants Marching, there really is no better moment in music. The encore heard a newish song, Break For It. I really like the harmonizing parts on it, but I don't think the song has any real staying power. You Might Die Trying should never close concerts, but nothing could spoil this show. As of now, I would say this was the third or fourth best dmb show (out of 18).

Saturday night started the same, tailgating in the Motel 8 parking lot with Ants friends. I had a new crew with me, we were sitting lawn that night due to our larger group. It was another one of my friends first dmb shows, and another great night we had. We headed in to catch the last few tunes of Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, they kicked all sorts of ass. DMB band started out with Big Eyed Fish, another song that I have never seen in concert before. It was of course followed by Bartender, one of their best live songs. Starting off the show with a solid 18 minutes of straight music, no stopping. Lying In The Hands of God, my favorite song off Big Whiskey has turned into a jam and a half. The song clocked in at almost 12 minutes, and Jeff Coffin owns this song. Near the end it was like Carter and Jeff were both soloing at the same time, just amazing musicianship.
I saw the black electric and I heard So Right was sound-checked, and there it was, they played So Right for the first time since 2006. This song is my favorite off of Everyday, and again, Jeff blows me away every time he plays sax. Crowd pleaser Everyday followed. Then the highlight of the night for me, Sweet Up and Down. This song (another one I thought I would never see..it has only been played 30 times) was dusted off for the first time since 2007. It is a powerful energetic song that feature a lot of Tim and Boyd.
Jimi Thing rocked the house, everyone soloed and Jeff played 2 saxophones at the same time, just insane. Crash had the entire crowd singing, that is a dmb classic and I would love to hear it at every show I go to, sorry haters. The rest of the show was very up beat, as much as I don't like Cornbread, it is fun to dance to and only a halfy of Stand Up, I'll take that. The Neil Young solo cover of The Needle and the Damage Done sent chills down my spine, he actually sounded like Young. Don't Drink The Water into Shake Me Like a Monkey was sick, and Two Step to close out the show is the best closer they have going right now. Carter absolutely fucking kills this song. His solo at the end was jaw dropping, I will post video when I can...but you should really download these tapes, they are must have for people in attendance and hardcore fans. The encore was pretty standard, Baby Blue was good to hear for the first time closed by the classic All Along the Watchtower.

All in all this weekend I got to see nine songs for the first time live. That just doesn't happen over a two show span. They only repeated one song, Shake Me Like a Monkey, the song I would want to hear twice. The band really loves Hartford, they give the fans a hell of a show here year in and year out. One thing I really like about this year, Fonz is loud! The bass is ridiculously loud and I love it! They won't be back to Hartford until 2012, but they sure did leave Hartford with a bang. Well done boys, I can't wait to see what you have in store for us this weekend at SPAC. See yall there!!

How 2 Survive Your DMB Show

Lets get one thing straight. As indie as this blog tends to be, it's roots are Dave Matthews Band. At least 5 shows are on the schedule for me this summer. Hartford is the tour opener, which I have never attended before...so I'm really pumped for that. Fuck you if you think they are lame. You don't know what good music is if you think Dave Matthews Band is a talentless band. You suck, sorry...just stop reading. Now that I got that out of my system, lets go over some basic pointers to have the best DMB experience possible. These tips can be used at almost any venue but, I will naturally be focusing on The Meadows... yes I still call it that, in Hartford.

If you have been to Hartford before, you know that the tailgating scene is second to none. We know how to pre-game better then anyone in the country. I advise getting there early to enjoy the entire day. The Meadows parking lots won't open until at least 3, and probably not until 4-4:30. If you show up early, you might be able to hang at Burger King for a while. Also, I placed a call to the popular Goodyear parking lot, they will NOT be parking cars this year...as well as some, but not all private lots. I guess the cops asked business to not allow private parking because of so many people showing up just to tailgate, with no tickets. Some lots have cooperated, some have not. So, parking will be a tad different this year. No word on what the Mercedes lot will be doing. If this is your first time, the show Friday starts an hour later the usual. The reason for this is the interchange of 84/91...its gridlock on a Friday afternoon...mix that with DMB traffic, and Memorial Day weekend traffic...things will be getting hectic fast.

If you are coming with a group of cars, it's going to be hard to park together unless you pull in at the same time to a private lot and pay to park. It just gets too congested when you are parking at Expo or the dirt lots at The Meadows. Everything will be found on Weston St. that turns into Reverend Moody's as you cross the bridge. From Carmax to to Market Street, there will be parking and partying on both sides of the road.So once you get all settled, it's time to get down to the party. All the action will be going down in The Expo lot and the dirt lots. That's where you will find all the people. Other popular spots include Hotel lots on the main drag, free parking over the bridge, strip club (not kidding). If you parked private, you can pretty much do as you please. The cops don't have a right to go in there unless something bad happens. If you park for free, you need to be a little more careful. They usually allow tables. If you are a group of teenagers bring 100 solo cups for booze/beer (never be caught with a can), but also a few jugs of juice that you can put on said table when the cops show up. The cops do not like the tables being used for beer pong, but it's not hard to get around that. As long as you act respectful when they are around you, they will leave you alone. They will have plenty of drunk frat boys to arrest, just be cool when they are around and you will be fine.

As far as grilling, I think you can...I'm not sure on the whole open flame policy, but I know I've seen people grilling. As far as smoking goes, I recommend packing bowls in the parking lot..and smoking them in the car. Blunts are not a great idea for the parking lot because they last like...20 minutes and cops will probably stop by within that time period. So just smoke up fast and bring in a bunch of joints to the show. So...now you are good and buzzed up, the show starts at 8. I recommend checking out the opener Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings but if you must keep partying, DMB will take stage at roughly 9:20 on Friday night and 8:20 on Saturday.

Do not underestimate traffic getting into the venue, it's like a bunch of fucking sheep...but with Whalers/Redsox/Yankee chants. Stay close, have a buddy system and then meet up with everyone once you get into the venue. Cell service will be limited. If you have lawn, I recommend taking the stairs up to the backside of the lawn, it's much easier to walk down and find a spot then climb up the mountain that is The Meadows lawn. Now, when it comes to drinking and smoking in the Lawn/Pav...lots of different rules. It's easier to smoke in the lawn, but easier to drink in the pav. Always have someone on the lookout. The Meadows workers will be walking around the lawn and will be looking for drinkers without wristbands...there is gonna be so much weed going around that it will be almost impossible for you to be singled out, unless you go walking up to a security gaurd with a fatty. If you are inside, the lights are dark, and you are in rows...they wont be looking for your wrists, just the cloud of smoke that is coming from your seat. Be courteous to those around you, ask them and make sure it's okay for you to smoke near them...and take BIG hits, also share it! If you are in the lawn, I don't recommend going to the bathroom, it's like a 20 minutes journey. You could always chance it at the fence, but get caught there and you will be thrown out.

So the show went great, and none of your friends died (hopefully)...now it's time to get back to your car. If you parked in the free parking, it's going to be a long wait...may I suggest going back to your car and opening up the grill for a little late night snack before getting out of the lots? There is no need to rush, it will be gridlock for a least an hour after the show...but I hope this post helped you get ready and get excited for the summer tour ahead. Since the boys will be taking 2011 off, I hope they treat this year as something special. See yall next week in Hartford and then the following week up at SPAC. Here are three of my favorite moments from last years tour.

NO DMB in 2011

 

As we feel the excitement building for this summer, we wanted to let everyone know that after twenty years of consecutive touring, Dave Matthews Band will be taking 2011 off. We feel lucky that our tours are a part of so many people's lives, and wanted to give everyone as much notice as possible.  We're excited to make this summer one of our best tours yet, and look forward to returning to the road in 2012.

Not something you want to wake up to 2 weeks before the summer tour starts in Hartford. This band has been touring non-stop for 20 years. They deserve the break, there is no doubt about that...am I disappointed? Yes, obviously, this band has been one of the most important things in my life for the past 8 years. The people I have met, the experiences I've had, memories made for a lifetime....all over some silly music. I am hoping that this will open up the song selection for this tour. 

I originally thought that this would be a 'Big Whiskey' heavy tour...but with the news of 2011 being a no-go, I really hope that the band will expand their catalog and include some rare songs that the fans really want. 2011 will be a weird summer, DMB @ the meadows has been a tradition for a long time. A lot can happen in a year, I hope the band is serious about 2012. I would hate for them to get involved with other things and this be the end of DMB as we know it. I hope the band returns to form AS IS in 2012. Enjoy the time off boys, I hope you use it for the right reasons.

Haters gonna hate...fuck em

Green Music Group Kicks Off w/ DMB

Green Music Group is a coalition of musicians, industry leaders, and music fans using our collective power to bring about widespread environmental change within the music industry and around the globe. Every two weeks, a GMG Artist will challenge YOU to make an eco-friendly change in your life.
We start off with our very own Dave Matthews Band, the challange: sign up to volunteer in your community, and make your world a better place. In order to prove it: snap a creative shot of the logo of the organization with which you are volunteering. The winner will recieve a specialized bike AND a Rossignol Dave Matthews Band Limited Edition Stefan Lessard Signature Snowboard. Here is Stefan with some more info. Also sign up HERE

DMB Tickets On Sale/No Tickets Seen

Well, 10am was a bust, per usual. However I scored 1 pit ticket for the tour opener, plus another mid level seat that I will use to bargain with. Absolutely nothing was available for SPAC. The band really should do something about this Ticketmaster monopoly that is going on. The fans should be the ones getting these tickets, and to only have lawn seats available as soon as the tickets go on sale is pretty unfair. But don't worry, you can get tickets @sites that I will not name. Prices are over 1000 dollars, I paid 80 for the same seat.

I don't make the kind of money to pay at that much for one show, let alone four. But there are the forums, and I will be scouting them daily for seats. If you are trying to sell your tickets please offer them HERE. You need to register for Ants Marching first. Very fan friendly, and you can buy tickets for face value. Keep checking Ticketmaster too, that is the only outlet site where tickets are face value, they do release more tickets. /Rant.


Very pumped to get a pit seat for N1. Front row for the tour opener will be insane!!!

Dave Matthews Starts Youtubing

Dave is a weird guy. People always think he's high, or drunk...but really, he's just odd. He likes to draw, and it looks like he enjoys playing with his iphone. He made a cool little video to introduce the band to Bonnaroo's lineup. You can watch that below. His user name is a2s7g7 (august,stella,grace) his children and their ages. He made a few other videos you can watch too.

The band kicked off their European tour today, in Germany.

DMB Vday

It's a Dave Matthews Band Valentines Day. All videos should be shared with your lover. The last video is for all those who hate this holiday.

The 2010 Bonnaroo Lineup

The lineup to the 2010 Bonnaroo Festival is being announced today, but not all at once. Bands playing the the festival will each be announcing it themselves one by one through means of social media (websites, email, twitter, myspace)...sooooo keep checking in for updates.
Also for the first time ever, tickets will go back on sale the same day as the announcement. The festival will be held from June 10-13, 2010 on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee.

The announcements have been made! Roo '10 is on! Here is your featured lineup...

• Dave Matthews Band
• Kings of Leon
• Stevie Wonder
• Jay-Z
• Tenacious D
• Weezer
• The Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs perform “Dark Side of the Moon”
• The Dead Weather
• Damian Marley and Nas
• Phoenix
• Norah Jones
• Michael Franti and Spearhead
• John Fogerty
• Regina Spektor
• Jimmy Cliff
• LCD Soundsystem
• The Avett Brothers
• Thievery Corporation
• Rise Against
• Tori Amos
• The National
• Zac Brown Band
• Les Claypool
• John Prine
• The Black Keys
• Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers
• Jeff Beck
• Dropkick Murphys
• She & Him
• Against Me!
• The Disco Biscuits
• Daryl Hall & Chromeo
• Jamey Johnson
• Clutch
• Bassnectar
• Kid Cudi
• Baaba Maal
• Kris Kristofferson
• Medeski Martin & Wood
• The xx
• GWAR
• Dan Deacon Ensemble
• Tinariwen
• Wale
• Deadmau5
• The Melvins
• The Gaslight Anthem
• Miike Snow
• The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
• Dr. Dog
• They Might Be Giants
• Punch Brothers
• Isis
• Blitzen Trapper
• Blues Traveler
• Miranda Lambert
• Calexico
• OK Go
• Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
• Martin Sexton
• Lotus
• Baroness
• Dave Rawlings Machine
• Mayer Hawthorne and the County
• Japandroids
• Jay Electronica
• Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
• Ingrid Michaelson
• The Dodos
• Manchester Orchestra
• The Temper Trap
• Cross Canadian Ragweed
• Big Sam's Funky Nation
• Carolina Chocolate Drops
• NEEDTOBREATHE
• Tokyo Police Club
• The Entrance Band
• Local Natives
• Brandi Carlile
• Mumford & Sons
• Rebelution
• Diane Birch
• Monte Montgomery
• Julia Nunes
• The Postelles
• Lucero
• Here We Go Magic
• Hot Rize
• Neon Indian
• B.O.B
• More Artists to Be Announced!

Grammy's Rant

Honestly I'm not upset that DMB didn't win any awards last night, I didn't expect them to win. But I am shocked by who did win the categories in which DMB were nominated for. Rock Album Of The Year...Green Day. Are you kidding me? Green day is the biggest sell out band I've ever seen in my life. They used to be a punk band that kicked ass in Seattle, now they have a musical, a fucking musical. Their performance last night was cheesy as hell. I hear them everywhere I go and it pisses me off!

Now on to Album Of The Year. In my opinion the band never had much of a chance from the start. Gaga or Beyonce is who I thought would win, but Taylor Swift? Are you fucking kidding me? This girl is the biggest joke in the music business right now. She writes her own songs? Who gives a shit, that should be a GIVEN with any musician! She is the complete teen money making project with no vocal talent what so ever. Did you watch her performance with Stevie Nicks? Taylor Swift couldn't stay in key to save her life!(watch it here) I get it, she won Best Country Album...no one cares about that, but Album Of The Year? really? reallly??

I guess I'm most upset that John Legend couldn't take the five fucking minutes to learn how to say all the albums titles the right way. GrooGroo? are you serious? Dave said himself how proud he was of this album. They worked very hard on it, and it was all for Roi. Roi is the GrooGrux, he's the king, and the Grammy's disgraced him for the 2nd year in a row. It's a real shame, and I WILL be boycotting the Grammy's from now on. But whatever, when he fucked up the name, they showed the band and Dave was laughing and pointing down to Carter, it looked like he just won a 50 dollar bet on if he would screw up the name or not.  /rant

But on to the good stuff. Phoenix did win an award last night, for Best Alternative Music Album, and should have performed. However, DMB did perform, they played 'You and Me' and it was kickass! This is not one of my favorite songs, but this was by far the best version of this song ever! It started out with just the boys, and as the first chorus came in, so did the rest of the 40 piece orchestra. Dave looked sharp in a 5 piece suit and Fonz was sporting some crazy hair. Everyone was having a blast! Dave was a dancin fool! I think it was the second best performance of the night behind Mary J. Blige and Bochelli.

The best story of the night was what I heard about Adam Sandler introducing the band. As he stated, Adam showed up rather casually...he wasn't going to be there at all. The man who did the boring speech before DMB, he was going to bring them on, but Dave wanted to have Adam do it. They are very good friends,(Dave has been in two of Adams movies) So when Adam showed up and came out wearing jeans and a DC teeshirt (at least he decided to borrow Dave's jacket)...he spoke from the heart. Gave a shout out to Roi, said a little diddy about the band. He wanted to make a point to get out there and speak for Roi, because he was upset about what happened in 2009.

 

DMB Grammy Performance & Haiti Relief Project

The Dave Matthews Band will be performing at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards this Sunday night. The band is nominated for two awards: Album Of The Year, and Best Rock Album. They will be competing against the likes of Beyonce, Lady GaGa, Black Eyed Peas, and Taylor Swift. Good luck boys! As nominees, they will be performing their 3rd single from 'Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King' 'You and Me'. By the snap shot of rehearsals, it looks like they will be performing the song much like the way they made the music video (see video at bottom). Be sure to tune in Sunday night at 8!

The Dave Matthews Band 'Haiti Relief Project' EP, is now available for download. It includes the rare 'Butterfly' and a great 'Cry Freedom' The live performances from the disc are as follows:

• "Butterfly" (8/28/07) KC!
• "Cry Freedom" (7/31/04) WPB!
• "Out of My Hands" (7/19/09) Alpine!
• "Lying in the Hands of God" (6/12/09) SPAC!
• "Dive In" (9/10/09) Greek!

It only costs $5 and the money goes to the Haiti Relief. You can download it Here

DMB Summer 2010 Schedule

It's that time of year again! The Dave Matthews Band has announced their 2010 Summer Tour. Best of all, they are opening the tour right here in Hartford! I am so pumped that Hartford gets to play host to the tour opener. It will be my first time attending the first show of the year and I'm excited to see what it feels like. Everything will be seen for the first time all year, and anticipation will be sky high.

DMB is also changing up their seating arrangements for 2010. Concerts held in arenas and stadiums will have general admission standing on the floor. Dave Matthews Band concerts in arenas and stadiums have always had assigned seating on the floor, but that will change this year, according to new Warehouse ticketing guidelines. The guidelines state, "In all arenas there will be GA floor standing on the arena floor, with reserved seating in the lower and upper arena seats." For stadiums, the guidelines say, "For concerts held in stadiums there will be GA field standing and reserved grandstand seating."

I'm not really sure how I feel about the new seating. I know for a fact that I don't feel like going into a show 4 hours early and not being able to take pee breaks...anywhoooo, here are the rest of the summer dates! Look for me to be at Hartford, Spac, Citifield, maybe Mansfield, and Scranton. And if DMB plays Roo.. I'm there!

Tickets are $40 for lawn seats + fees. Seats inside will run you $70 + fees. I'm thinkin Friday night on the lawn....Saturday night floooo seats.

DATE	CITY	VENUE	SUPPORT
05/28	HARTFORD, CT	Comcast Theatre	Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
05/29	HARTFORD, CT	Comcast Theatre	Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
06/01	TORONTO, ONTARIO	Molson Amphitheatre	The Felice Brothers
06/02	DARIEN CENTER, NY	Darien Lake Performing Arts Center	The Felice Brothers
06/04	SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY	Saratoga Performing Arts Center	The Felice Brothers
06/05	SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY	Saratoga Performing Arts Center	The Felice Brothers
06/07	MANSFIELD, MA	Comcast Center	Yonder Mountain String Band
06/08	MANSFIELD, MA	Comcast Center	Yonder Mountain String Band
06/15	CINCINNATI, OH	Riverbend Music Center	Robert Earl Keen
06/16	MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO	Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre	Robert Earl Keen
06/18	NOBLESVILLE, IN	Verizon Wireless Music Center	Robert Earl Keen
06/19	NOBLESVILLE, IN	Verizon Wireless Music Center	Robert Earl Keen
06/22	COLUMBUS, OH	Huntington Park	Robert Earl Keen
06/23	CLARKSTON, MI	DTE Energy Music Theatre	Martin Sexton
06/25	CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH	Blossom Music Center	Martin Sexton
06/30	CAMDEN, NJ	Susquehanna Bank Center	Martin Sexton
07/01	CAMDEN, NJ	Susquehanna Bank Center	Martin Sexton
07/03	EAST TROY, WI	Alpine Valley Music Theatre	Zac Brown Band
07/04	EAST TROY, WI	Alpine Valley Music Theatre	Zac Brown Band
07/09	HERSHEY, PA	Hersheypark Stadium	Zac Brown Band
07/10	PITTSBURGH, PA	PNC Park *VIP Packages Available	Zac Brown Band
07/13	BETHEL, NY	Bethel Woods Center for the Arts	Amos Lee
07/14	SCRANTON, PA	Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain	Amos Lee
07/16	NEW YORK, NY	Citi Field *VIP Packages Available	Zac Brown Band
07/17	NEW YORK, NY	Citi Field *VIP Packages Available	Zac Brown Band
07/20	VIRGINIA BEACH, VA	Virginia Beach Amphitheater	Amos Lee
07/21	CHARLOTTE, NC	Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte	Amos Lee
07/23	WASHINGTON, D.C.	Nationals Park *VIP Packages Available	Zac Brown Band
07/25	LOUISVILLE, KY	HullabaLOU Festival	Tickets On Sale Now
07/27	ATLANTA, GA	Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood	Gov't Mule
07/28	TAMPA, FL	Ford Amphitheatre	Gov't Mule
07/30	WEST PALM BEACH, FL	Cruzan Amphitheatre	Gov't Mule
07/31	WEST PALM BEACH, FL	Cruzan Amphitheatre	Gov't Mule
08/14	WICHITA, KS	InTrust Bank Arena	Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
08/17	WEST VALLEY CITY, UT	USANA Amphitheatre	Brett Dennen
08/20	CHULA VISTA, CA	Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre	Brett Dennen
08/21	IRVINE, CA	Verizon Wireless Amphitheater	Brett Dennen
08/23	LOS ANGELES, CA	Hollywood Bowl	Raphael Saadiq
08/25	CONCORD, CA	Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord	Raphael Saadiq
08/27	MARYSVILLE, CA	Sleep Train Amphitheatre	Raphael Saadiq
08/28	MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA	Shoreline Amphitheatre	Raphael Saadiq
08/31	BOISE, ID	Taco Bell Arena	SUPPORT TBA
09/03	GEORGE, WA	Gorge Amphitheatre	Ben Harper & Relentless7
09/04	GEORGE, WA	Gorge Amphitheatre	Ben Harper & Relentless7
09/05	GEORGE, WA	Gorge Amphitheatre	Ben Harper & Relentless7
09/10	WOODLANDS, TX	Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion	Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
09/11	DALLAS, TX	Superpages.com Center	Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
09/14	OMAHA, NE	Qwest Center	Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
09/15	St. PAUL, MN	Xcel Energy Center	Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears