Alright, we're all the way up to 2010, and we're running out of time to get this done before this weekend (which was my goal, after all). So ... we'll shoot the entire year down in one attempt. That's right, a marathon post looking at Noblesville 2010 (nights 1 and 2), Wrigley Field 2010 (nights 1 and 2) and Charlottesville 2010 (nights 1 and 2). I'll give you a bit to consider for each show, to set the mood, but first, as always, our scoring:
1 = A song that I would gladly go to get a beer, use the restroom, or do anything else that I needed to do during.
2 = A song that will make me want to stay in place, but that I'll hunt down the beer man during
3 = A song that I'll dance a little to, has moments I'll love, but that I'll talk to The Wiese or text during.
4 = A song I'll be totally lost in, and one which brings me the aforementioned joy and happiness.
5 = Epic; a top ten song, or such a rarity to hear live that I am going to lose control, and might knock someone over I'm dancing in such a crazy way. MJ almost got thrown over a balcony for one of these.
Noblesville 2010 - Night One
To set the mood: we arrived, and it was HOT. I mean, really hot. So hot that breathing took all your energy out of you. So hot that I didn't even want a beer, I just wanted water. Lots of water. Because of the shenanigans which took place the year prior they were limiting the number of cars which could get into the show, so we had to park across the street and WALK our gear into the camp site. We set everything up, and thankfully showtime came. The heat index was around 110 degrees, and we were just ready for nightfall. As the time approached for the band to take the stage we noticed some pretty big clouds on the western horizon. Shortly thereafter, the PA guy came on and announced the show would be delayed, as violent storms were rolling in. He implored us to find shelter. We didn't have shelter, but when the front hit the temp dropped by about 40 degrees (or so it seemed) into the 70s, and we didn't care. With nowhere to go we rode out the intense rain, lightning, and hail (yes ... hail) out on the open. Muddy ... soaking wet ... but no longer hot ... DMB came out with this:
1. JTR - 5
2. Squirm - 4
3. Seven - 3
4. Don't Drink The Water - 5
5. Lying in the Hands of God - 2
6. Shake Me Like A Monkey - 4
7. Break for it - 2
8. Tripping Billies - 5
9. Corn Bread - 4
10. Road - 2
11. Gravedigger - 3
12. #41 - 5
13. Crash Into Me - 4
14. You Might Die Trying - 3
15. Two Step - 5
16. Ants Marching - 5
17. E: The Needle and the Damage Done - 2
18. E: So Damn Lucky - 4
Alright; a short show in numbers, but it went nearly two and a half hours after a two hour rain delay, which was nice. With 18 total songs, and a total score of 67, gives us a concert rating of 3.72. Thus, we have our rankings as such after this show:
1. Noblesville 2009: Night 1 - 4.00
2. Tinley Park 2009 - 3.86
3. Noblesville 2009: Night 2 - 3.77
4. Noblesville 2010: Night 1 - 3.72
5. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
6. Noblesville 2008 - 3.65
7. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
8. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
Noblesville 2010 - Night Two
Night two followed a nice, warm (but not ungodly hot) day (which followed a night of more storms, in which we slept wet in a tent that allowed rain in ... sweet, huh? Still, when we climbed out of the tent in the morning, and everyone else climbed out of their cars, we earned incredible credibility. So we have that. Which is nice). We dried out, we grilled out, and then we saw this:
1. Big Eyed Fish > - 5
2. Bartender - 5
3. Stay or Leave -4
4. Sweet Up And Down - 5
5. Funny The Way It Is - 3
6. Stand Up - 1
7. Recently - 3
8. Sister - 2
9. Dancing Nancies - 5
10. Why I Am - 5
11. Spaceman - 3
12. Warehouse - 5
13. Grey Street - 4
14. You and Me - 3
15. Jimi Thing - 4
16. Stay - 4
17. E: Time Bomb > - 4
18. E: All Along The Watchtower - 5
18 Songs, with a total score of 70, gives us a concert rating of 3.89. This show had a strong start, a week stretch 5-8, and then it rolled to a solid finish. I'm honestly a little surprised that it scores this high, but the numbers don't lie. Our rankings now look like this:
1. Noblesville 2009: Night 1 - 4.00
2. Noblesville 2010: Night 2 - 3.89
3. Tinley Park 2009 - 3.86
4. Noblesville 2009: Night 2 - 3.77
5. Noblesville 2010: Night 1 - 3.72
6. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
7. Noblesville 2008 - 3.65
8. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
9. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
Wrigley Field - Night One
When DMB announced they were going to close out their summer tour at Wrigley Field, and then announced they were taking 2011 off from summer touring (after two decades of doing cross country summer tours) ... well, let's just say that Bows, The Wiese and I were in. We were slightly underwhelmed by our Noblesville experience, and we were searching for a show to get us through the next year (presumably) without DMB. Besides, it was Wrigley Field. How could this not be amazing? Here's what we got night one:
1. One Sweet World - 4
2. Pantala Naga Pampa > Rapunzel - 4
3. Funny The Way It Is - 3
4. Lying In The Hands Of God - 2
5. Crush - 4
6. Burning Down The House - 4
7. Proudest Monkey > - 2
8. Satellite - 5
9. Shake Me Like A Monkey - 4
10. Write A Song - 3
11. Dancing Nancies - 5
12. Why I Am - 5
13. You and Me - 3
14. Sister - 2
15. Don't Drink The Water - 5
16. Everyday > - 3
17. Ants Marching - 5
18. E: The Needle and the Damage Done - 2
19. E: All Along The Watchtower - 5
19 Songs, a total score of 70, gives this show a rating of 3.68. That updates our rankings:
1. Noblesville 2009: Night 1 - 4.00
2. Noblesville 2010: Night 2 - 3.89
3. Tinley Park 2009 - 3.86
4. Noblesville 2009: Night 2 - 3.77
5. Noblesville 2010: Night 1 - 3.72
6. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
7. Wrigley Field 2010: Night 1: 3.68
8. Noblesville 2008 - 3.65
9. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
10. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
Wrigley Field - Night 2
This show was released as a live concert album, marking my first show that went live album on me. Bows and I were on the rooftops across the street (free, unlimited food and beer, with 15 types of drafts ... what a deal). The Wiese was inside. The place was packed. Here's what we got:
1. You Might Die Trying - 3
2. Stay or Leave - 4
3. Seven - 3
4. Crash Into Me - 4
5. Good Good Time - 2
6. #41 - 5
7. Tripping Billies - 5
8. Digging A Ditch - 4
9. Squirm - 4
10. Gravedigger - 3
11. Spaceman - 3
12. Stay - 4
13. Can't Stop - 2
14. Grey Street - 4
15. Jimi Thing - 4
16. Time Bomb > - 4
17. Two Step - 5
18. E: Christmas Song - 5
19. E: Corn Bread -4
20. E: Last Stop - 5
A few notes:
- 1st Christmas Song in full band set outside of November or December since 1995. That Rare.
- My 1st Last Stop was amazing.
- The roll from "Stay" through to the end was insane live.
So 20 total songs, for a total score of 77 gives us a concert score of 3.85. Looking at this set list, it was saved by an incredibly strong finish that just blew everyone's mind. We now have a concert standings of:
1. Noblesville 2009: Night 1 - 4.00
2. Noblesville 2010: Night 2 - 3.89
3. Tinley Park 2009 - 3.86
4. Wrigley Field 2010: Night 2 - 3.85
5. Noblesville 2009: Night 2 - 3.77
6. Noblesville 2010: Night 1 - 3.72
7. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
8. Wrigley Field 2010: Night 1: 3.68
9. Noblesville 2008 - 3.65
10. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
11. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
So, will any show overtake Noblesville 2009, night 1? Only Charlottesville is left.
Charlottesville 2010 - Night 1
MJ got his first two shows, as I continued to look for the one show to keep in my mind for a year break. The two of us drove out, and this is what we saw:
1. Squirm - 4
2. Big Eyed Fish > - 5
3. Still Water > - 3
4. Don't Drink The Water - 5
5. Seven - 3
6. Grey Street - 4
7. Spaceman - 3
8. Everyday - 3
9. #41 - 5
10. Shake Me Like A Monkey - 4
11. Spoon - 4
12. Warehouse - 5
13. Jimi Thing - 4
14. Black Jack - 4
15. Christmas Song - 5
16. Lie In Our Graves - 4
17. Time Bomb - 4
18. You and Me - 3
19. Stay - 4
20. E: Sister - 2
21. E: All Along The Watchtower - 5
22. E: Halloween - 5
Wow ... that ending gives me goosebumps just typing it. If there was a way to score higher than a 5, Halloween would have here. Probably would have been a 10. For integrity purposes: 22 songs, a total score of 88(!), gives us a concert rating of 4.00. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a tie atop the rankings. I'll give the tiebreaker to this show because of Halloween. Our scores heading into night two:
1. Charlottesville 2010: Night 1 - 4.00 (Halloween tiebreaker)
2. Noblesville 2009: Night 1 - 4.00
3. Noblesville 2010: Night 2 - 3.89
4. Tinley Park 2009 - 3.86
5. Wrigley Field 2010: Night 2 - 3.85
6. Noblesville 2009: Night 2 - 3.77
7. Noblesville 2010: Night 1 - 3.72
8. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
9. Wrigley Field 2010: Night 1: 3.68
10.Noblesville 2008 - 3.65
11. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
12. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
Charlottesville 2010 - Night 2
Riding high from the Watchtower > Halloween ending to the night before, we were treated with an all time epic, 3 hour and 32 minute set. But can it hang in there or even top the two way tie? Here's what we got. Is it as good as I remember?
1. You Might Die Trying - 3
2. Proudest Monkey > - 2
3. Satellite - 5
4. Say Goodbye - 3
5. Funny The Way It Is - 3
6. Rhyme and Reason - 5
7. Eh Hee - 4
8. Crush - 4
9. Can't Stop - 2
10. Corn Bread - 4
11. Digging A Ditch - 4
12. Lying In The Hands of God - 2
13. The Song That Jane Likes - 4
14. Write A Song - 3
15. Why I Am - 5
16. Dancing Nancies - 5
17. Long Black Veil - 5
18. What You Are - 5
19. Two Step - 5
20. E: Some Devil - 4
21. E: Granny - 5
22. E: #40 - 5
23. E: The Last Stop - 5
24. E: Too Much (Tease) - N/A
24. E: Anyone Seen The Bridge - 4
25. E: Two Much (Tease) - N/A
25. E: Ants Marching - 5
Look at the way this show ends: the last 13 songs include NINE 5s, thre 4s, and one 3. Wow. 25 songs (25! not counting either Two Much tease), with a total score of 101 ... a concert rating of 4.04. The New King ... and, when combined with night one, well worth the travel. Our Final Rankings heading into this weekend in Chicago:
1. Charlottesville 2010: Night 2 - 4.04
2. Charlottesville 2010: Night 1 - 4.00 (Halloween tiebreaker)
3. Noblesville 2009: Night 1 - 4.00
4. Noblesville 2010: Night 2 - 3.89
5. Tinley Park 2009 - 3.86
6. Wrigley Field 2010: Night 2 - 3.85
7. Noblesville 2009: Night 2 - 3.77
8. Noblesville 2010: Night 1 - 3.72
9. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
10. Wrigley Field 2010: Night 1: 3.68
11.Noblesville 2008 - 3.65
12. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
13. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
Man am I ready to get this show on the road. Until next time: Don't burn the day away.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The Best of What's Around - Part 7
And ... we're back, just in time for the seventh (well, sixth) installment of everyone's favorite breakdown of my Dave Matthews Band concert experience. Just for good measure, I'll let you know that the phrase "and they have Soriano picked off" was just uttered on my TV, and I wasn't even remotely frustrated. I'm not sure if that is because A) I've lost all faith in him, B) I've lost all faith in the Cubs, or C) I'm very excited to get to Chicago for something that won't disappoint (unlike the Bears, Bulls and Cubs), but it's probably a combination of the three. Again, to just remind you, we score songs accordingly:
1 = A song that I would gladly go to get a beer, use the restroom, or do anything else that I needed to do during.
2 = A song that will make me want to stay in place, but that I'll hunt down the beer man during
3 = A song that I'll dance a little to, has moments I'll love, but that I'll talk to The Wiese or text during.
4 = A song I'll be totally lost in, and one which brings me the aforementioned joy and happiness.
5 = Epic; a top ten song, or such a rarity to hear live that I am going to lose control, and might knock someone over I'm dancing in such a crazy way. MJ almost got thrown over a balcony for one of these.
Now, to set the mood: in the late summer of 2009 things weren't looking the best for yours truly, so I concocted a plan to see DMB a third time that year in order to raise my spirits. Wouldn't you know, they conspired to help, adding an unexpected tour stop in the Chicagoland area, at Tinley Park, in late September. I was able to get a great crew together (The Wiese, Lis, Aud and company attended with, and Bows was with another group) but the crowned jewel was being able to take my brother to his first DMB show. Unfortunately, they don't allow tailgating at Tinley Park (who knew?) which is stupid ... but we still managed to have a good time. Dave had been struggling with his voice for a bit in the weeks leading up to the show, even having to cancel a show in Utah. So the discussion (after seeing Willie Nelson open for the band) was all about how Dave's voice would be. I opined that we would know how he was feeling by how daring he got with the first song. A tame song like Seek Up would be a good warm up, but if he came out with something intense we'd know he was ready to go. We got this:
1. Don't Drink The Water - 5
2. So Damn Lucky - 4
3. Squirm - 4
4. Gravedigger (w/ Willie Nelson) - 3
5. Shake Me Like A Monkey - 4
6. Seven - 3
7. One Sweet World - 4
8. Funny The Way It Is - 3
9. Lying in the Hands of God - 2
10. Recently - 3
11. The Song That Jane Likes - 4
12. Why I Am - 5
13. You and Me - 3
14. Dancing Nancies - 5
15. Spaceman - 3
16. Jimi Thing - 4
17. So Much To Say - 4
18. Anyone Seen The Bridge - 4
19. Too Much (Tease) - N/A
19. Ants Marching - 5
20. E: Baby Blue - 5
21. E: The Maker - 4
22. E: Grey Street - 4
A few notes:
- My first (and thus far only) Baby Blue was amazing. "Let's see if I can get this right" Dave said at the onset. He did. Tough, emotional song.
- A great mix of the old (One Sweet World, Song That Jane Likes, Recently) and new (all the Big Whiskey songs), with a few standards (Nancies, Grey Street, So Much To Say, Ants Marching)
- The sound system SUCKED at this show; there was feedback all night, and it just seemed like they had cruddy speakers.
So 22 total songs (Wow, long set), not counting the tease, for a total score of 85 gives us a concert score of 3.86. A high score, but it was a good show. If the sound system had been better, or we had been able to tailgate, or both, this show would probably be higher up on the list in my mind. Still, the ratings are what they are, and this show ranks in as such:
1. Noblesville 2009: Night 1 - 4.00
2. Tinley Park 2009 - 3.86
3. Noblesville 2009: Night 2 - 3.77
4. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
5. Noblesville 2008 - 3.65
6. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
7. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
Next up, we'll look at another double header in Noblesville that included a 2 hour delay via hail inducing thundershowers, a few extremely rare appearances from The Lillywhite Sessions, and a lot of hot sun. We are heading into the home stretch: six shows, all from 2010: 2 Noblesville, 2 Wrigley Field (including my first ever live concert release), and 2 Charlottesville, VA, AKA the birthplace of DMB. I know you're excited.
1 = A song that I would gladly go to get a beer, use the restroom, or do anything else that I needed to do during.
2 = A song that will make me want to stay in place, but that I'll hunt down the beer man during
3 = A song that I'll dance a little to, has moments I'll love, but that I'll talk to The Wiese or text during.
4 = A song I'll be totally lost in, and one which brings me the aforementioned joy and happiness.
5 = Epic; a top ten song, or such a rarity to hear live that I am going to lose control, and might knock someone over I'm dancing in such a crazy way. MJ almost got thrown over a balcony for one of these.
Now, to set the mood: in the late summer of 2009 things weren't looking the best for yours truly, so I concocted a plan to see DMB a third time that year in order to raise my spirits. Wouldn't you know, they conspired to help, adding an unexpected tour stop in the Chicagoland area, at Tinley Park, in late September. I was able to get a great crew together (The Wiese, Lis, Aud and company attended with, and Bows was with another group) but the crowned jewel was being able to take my brother to his first DMB show. Unfortunately, they don't allow tailgating at Tinley Park (who knew?) which is stupid ... but we still managed to have a good time. Dave had been struggling with his voice for a bit in the weeks leading up to the show, even having to cancel a show in Utah. So the discussion (after seeing Willie Nelson open for the band) was all about how Dave's voice would be. I opined that we would know how he was feeling by how daring he got with the first song. A tame song like Seek Up would be a good warm up, but if he came out with something intense we'd know he was ready to go. We got this:
1. Don't Drink The Water - 5
2. So Damn Lucky - 4
3. Squirm - 4
4. Gravedigger (w/ Willie Nelson) - 3
5. Shake Me Like A Monkey - 4
6. Seven - 3
7. One Sweet World - 4
8. Funny The Way It Is - 3
9. Lying in the Hands of God - 2
10. Recently - 3
11. The Song That Jane Likes - 4
12. Why I Am - 5
13. You and Me - 3
14. Dancing Nancies - 5
15. Spaceman - 3
16. Jimi Thing - 4
17. So Much To Say - 4
18. Anyone Seen The Bridge - 4
19. Too Much (Tease) - N/A
19. Ants Marching - 5
20. E: Baby Blue - 5
21. E: The Maker - 4
22. E: Grey Street - 4
A few notes:
- My first (and thus far only) Baby Blue was amazing. "Let's see if I can get this right" Dave said at the onset. He did. Tough, emotional song.
- A great mix of the old (One Sweet World, Song That Jane Likes, Recently) and new (all the Big Whiskey songs), with a few standards (Nancies, Grey Street, So Much To Say, Ants Marching)
- The sound system SUCKED at this show; there was feedback all night, and it just seemed like they had cruddy speakers.
So 22 total songs (Wow, long set), not counting the tease, for a total score of 85 gives us a concert score of 3.86. A high score, but it was a good show. If the sound system had been better, or we had been able to tailgate, or both, this show would probably be higher up on the list in my mind. Still, the ratings are what they are, and this show ranks in as such:
1. Noblesville 2009: Night 1 - 4.00
2. Tinley Park 2009 - 3.86
3. Noblesville 2009: Night 2 - 3.77
4. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
5. Noblesville 2008 - 3.65
6. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
7. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
Next up, we'll look at another double header in Noblesville that included a 2 hour delay via hail inducing thundershowers, a few extremely rare appearances from The Lillywhite Sessions, and a lot of hot sun. We are heading into the home stretch: six shows, all from 2010: 2 Noblesville, 2 Wrigley Field (including my first ever live concert release), and 2 Charlottesville, VA, AKA the birthplace of DMB. I know you're excited.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
The Best of What's Around - Parts Five & Six
You see, I really would like to get all these concert recaps done by Friday, which won't happen. But, if I do the two night shows together in one post, I should be able to make this go by faster. So we'll do both nights of Noblesville 2009 in one post, but still as the separate shows they are. My guess is that night one will score the highest yet, but we'll see. Just a reminder of the scoring system:
1 = A song that I would gladly go to get a beer, use the restroom, or do anything else that I needed to do during.
2 = A song that will make me want to stay in place, but that I'll hunt down the beer man during
3 = A song that I'll dance a little to, has moments I'll love, but that I'll talk to The Wiese or text during.
4 = A song I'll be totally lost in, and one which brings me the aforementioned joy and happiness.
5 = Epic; a top ten song, or such a rarity to hear live that I am going to lose control, and might knock someone over I'm dancing in such a crazy way. MJ almost got thrown over a balcony for one of these.
And now, to set the mood. As I previously mentioned, I learned from my 2007 and 2008 Nobelsville experiences that it's best to do the two night stay, camp out, and enjoy the whole atmosphere. So, in 2009, Bows, The Wiese and I set off to Noblesville for both nights of DMB. The latest album, released that year, was Big Whiskey and the Groo-Grux King, and it was, by all accounts, a toss back to the original three albums in terms of quality (although it is lacking in 5 score songs, at least at this time, when they are all a bit saturated live). We parked the car in the yard at Deer Creek, and set up camp with the usual suspects. We strolled into the show, and as I returned from the restroom the band was just taking the stage. What ensued was an absolutely epic opening, one which had The Wiese, Bows and me going nuts:
1. Bartender - 5
2. Proudest Monkey > - 2
3. Satellite - 5
4. Seven - 3
5. Shake Me Like a Monkey - 4
6. Funny The Way It Is - 3
7. #41 - 5
8. You Never Know - 4
9. Why I Am - 5
10. Crash Into Me - 4
11. Spaceman - 3
12. So Damn Lucky - 4
13. Lie In Our Graves > - 4
14. Shotgun (Tease) - N/A
14. Squirm - 4
15. Alligator Pie - 5
16. Jimi Thing - 4
17. Time Bomb - 4
18. E: Rye Whiskey - 3
19. E: The Maker - 4
20. E: All Along The Watchtower - 5
A few things to note:
- Bartender to open a show should be a 6, not a five, but I'll respect the scoring system and give it the 5 it is.
- I had to adjust scoring for the Big Whiskey and the Groo-Grux King album: Both Alligator Pie and Why I Am moved up to 5s from 4s. This moves it's overall album score up to a 3.67, tying it for fourth with Crash. I did this after reflecting on my attitude when those songs are played.
- This was my first Watchtower ... and it was epic. Only one other song has given me that kind of reaction: the final encore from night one in Charlottesville. When MJ almost got tossed.
Anyway, night one at Noblesville 2009 was a solid 20 songs (one tease), with the always solid, but honestly too slow "Proudest Monkey" as the only two. A total score of 80 gives us an easy math equation to realize this show scores a 4.0. My previous hunch that taking Stand Up out of the rotation (no songs out of this set list were from that album, and none from Everyday, but also none from the highest scoring album, Before These Crowded Streets) would impact the rankings. So, heading into night two, our rankings look like this:
1. Noblesville 2008: Night 1 - 4.00
2. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
3. Noblesville 2008 - 3.65
4. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
5. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
Night two started off with the best song off of Stand Up, and then (as it was an album tour year) some repeats from the night before. It looked a little something like this:
1. You Might Die Trying - 3
2. Seven - 3
3. You and Me - 3
4. Dancing Nancies - 5
5. Lying in the Hands of God - 2
6. Shotgun - 4
7. Say Goodbye - 3
8. Funny The Way It Is - 3
9. Dive In - 3
10. Crush - 4
11. The Stone - 4
12. Shake Me Like A Monkey -4
13. Alligator Pie - 5
14. Burning Down The House - 4
15. Pantala Naga Pampa > Rapunzel - 4
16. E: Don't Drink The Water - 5
17. E: Two Step - 5
A few notes:
- This show had the only "2" off of Big Whiskey (Lying in the Hands of God), which is a great song that is ruined by the slow, sleepy pace and tune, mixed in with a long and often unnecessary jam session. It's not a 1 because the lyrics and vocals are great, but the jam session is an absolute bathroom break waiting to happen.
- "The Stone" was rated as the number one DMB song of all by antsmarching.org, but I can't give it more than a 4. It's a great song, and I'm excited to hear it, but there are other songs which get me much more excited. It is about Judas, however, which makes it sneaky deep in its lyrics.
- This was my first two step, and a two song encore is usually a disappointment, but with two songs which bring down the house, nothing was lost.
So, 17 songs, and a total score of 64, for a concert score of 3.77. When put up on our big board, my sixth career show stands up like this:
1. Noblesville 2009: Night 1 - 4.00
2. Noblesville 2009: Night 2 - 3.77
3. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
4. Noblesville 2008 - 3.65
5. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
6. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
A couple trends:
- It seems as if we are trending upwards, although I doubt the next few sets will top 4.00.
- It appears my theory about ditching Stand Up material for Big Whiskey material inflating scores has held
- My memory served correct thus far: I would have ranked night one at Noblesville 2009 as my favorite show to that point. In fact, this looks pretty accurate thus far. I'd have to say that moving forward I'd expect the 2010 Charlottesville shows to outscore 2009 night one, but everything else should be close. We are over half way done now ... at least until this upcoming weekend adds three more (maybe a fourth) show to my resume.
- I'm not sure if I should count the ten song (or there abouts) set that Dave and Tim will do Saturday afternoon. I'll have to mull that over.
1 = A song that I would gladly go to get a beer, use the restroom, or do anything else that I needed to do during.
2 = A song that will make me want to stay in place, but that I'll hunt down the beer man during
3 = A song that I'll dance a little to, has moments I'll love, but that I'll talk to The Wiese or text during.
4 = A song I'll be totally lost in, and one which brings me the aforementioned joy and happiness.
5 = Epic; a top ten song, or such a rarity to hear live that I am going to lose control, and might knock someone over I'm dancing in such a crazy way. MJ almost got thrown over a balcony for one of these.
And now, to set the mood. As I previously mentioned, I learned from my 2007 and 2008 Nobelsville experiences that it's best to do the two night stay, camp out, and enjoy the whole atmosphere. So, in 2009, Bows, The Wiese and I set off to Noblesville for both nights of DMB. The latest album, released that year, was Big Whiskey and the Groo-Grux King, and it was, by all accounts, a toss back to the original three albums in terms of quality (although it is lacking in 5 score songs, at least at this time, when they are all a bit saturated live). We parked the car in the yard at Deer Creek, and set up camp with the usual suspects. We strolled into the show, and as I returned from the restroom the band was just taking the stage. What ensued was an absolutely epic opening, one which had The Wiese, Bows and me going nuts:
1. Bartender - 5
2. Proudest Monkey > - 2
3. Satellite - 5
4. Seven - 3
5. Shake Me Like a Monkey - 4
6. Funny The Way It Is - 3
7. #41 - 5
8. You Never Know - 4
9. Why I Am - 5
10. Crash Into Me - 4
11. Spaceman - 3
12. So Damn Lucky - 4
13. Lie In Our Graves > - 4
14. Shotgun (Tease) - N/A
14. Squirm - 4
15. Alligator Pie - 5
16. Jimi Thing - 4
17. Time Bomb - 4
18. E: Rye Whiskey - 3
19. E: The Maker - 4
20. E: All Along The Watchtower - 5
A few things to note:
- Bartender to open a show should be a 6, not a five, but I'll respect the scoring system and give it the 5 it is.
- I had to adjust scoring for the Big Whiskey and the Groo-Grux King album: Both Alligator Pie and Why I Am moved up to 5s from 4s. This moves it's overall album score up to a 3.67, tying it for fourth with Crash. I did this after reflecting on my attitude when those songs are played.
- This was my first Watchtower ... and it was epic. Only one other song has given me that kind of reaction: the final encore from night one in Charlottesville. When MJ almost got tossed.
Anyway, night one at Noblesville 2009 was a solid 20 songs (one tease), with the always solid, but honestly too slow "Proudest Monkey" as the only two. A total score of 80 gives us an easy math equation to realize this show scores a 4.0. My previous hunch that taking Stand Up out of the rotation (no songs out of this set list were from that album, and none from Everyday, but also none from the highest scoring album, Before These Crowded Streets) would impact the rankings. So, heading into night two, our rankings look like this:
1. Noblesville 2008: Night 1 - 4.00
2. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
3. Noblesville 2008 - 3.65
4. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
5. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
Night two started off with the best song off of Stand Up, and then (as it was an album tour year) some repeats from the night before. It looked a little something like this:
1. You Might Die Trying - 3
2. Seven - 3
3. You and Me - 3
4. Dancing Nancies - 5
5. Lying in the Hands of God - 2
6. Shotgun - 4
7. Say Goodbye - 3
8. Funny The Way It Is - 3
9. Dive In - 3
10. Crush - 4
11. The Stone - 4
12. Shake Me Like A Monkey -4
13. Alligator Pie - 5
14. Burning Down The House - 4
15. Pantala Naga Pampa > Rapunzel - 4
16. E: Don't Drink The Water - 5
17. E: Two Step - 5
A few notes:
- This show had the only "2" off of Big Whiskey (Lying in the Hands of God), which is a great song that is ruined by the slow, sleepy pace and tune, mixed in with a long and often unnecessary jam session. It's not a 1 because the lyrics and vocals are great, but the jam session is an absolute bathroom break waiting to happen.
- "The Stone" was rated as the number one DMB song of all by antsmarching.org, but I can't give it more than a 4. It's a great song, and I'm excited to hear it, but there are other songs which get me much more excited. It is about Judas, however, which makes it sneaky deep in its lyrics.
- This was my first two step, and a two song encore is usually a disappointment, but with two songs which bring down the house, nothing was lost.
So, 17 songs, and a total score of 64, for a concert score of 3.77. When put up on our big board, my sixth career show stands up like this:
1. Noblesville 2009: Night 1 - 4.00
2. Noblesville 2009: Night 2 - 3.77
3. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
4. Noblesville 2008 - 3.65
5. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
6. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
A couple trends:
- It seems as if we are trending upwards, although I doubt the next few sets will top 4.00.
- It appears my theory about ditching Stand Up material for Big Whiskey material inflating scores has held
- My memory served correct thus far: I would have ranked night one at Noblesville 2009 as my favorite show to that point. In fact, this looks pretty accurate thus far. I'd have to say that moving forward I'd expect the 2010 Charlottesville shows to outscore 2009 night one, but everything else should be close. We are over half way done now ... at least until this upcoming weekend adds three more (maybe a fourth) show to my resume.
- I'm not sure if I should count the ten song (or there abouts) set that Dave and Tim will do Saturday afternoon. I'll have to mull that over.
The Best of What's Around - Part Four
Hello, and welcome back to my retroactive look at my Dave Matthews Band Con
cert experience. I hope that you all had a great 4th of July, and that your summers continue to go well. Before we dive in too far, click here if you haven't caught up on the first three parts of this series, and let's review the rating system for the songs:
1 = A song that I would gladly go to get a beer, use the restroom, or do anything else that I needed to do during.
2 = A song that will make me want to stay in place, but that I'll hunt down the beer man during
3 = A song that I'll dance a little to, has moments I'll love, but that I'll talk to The Wiese or text during.
4 = A song I'll be totally lost in, and one which brings me the aforementioned joy and happiness.
5 = Epic; a top ten song, or such a rarity to hear live that I am going to lose control, and might knock someone over I'm dancing in such a crazy way. MJ almost got thrown over a balcony for one of these.
Now to set the mood. The previously reviewed Noblesville 2007 show was night one of a two night stay. It was good, but night two was much better according to all reports. So, for Noblesville 2008, Holly and I decided we'd do night two, which was "always" the better night. I picked her up on my way down to Indy, and we made our way over to the show. Of course, night one had been great, and night two wasn't as good. Although, upon further review, this show was absolutely solid, and I'd be pretty happy with a set like this on any given night. This taught me an important lesson: never try to out guess DMB. Also, do the full set of shows. It's worth it. At any rate, we got there, and here's what we saw:
1. Seek Up - 5
2. One Sweet World - 4
3. Granny - 5
4. Grey Street - 4
5. Old Dirt Hill - 2
6. Pantala Naga Pampa > Rapunzel - 4
7. What Would You Say? - 4
8. Rhyme and Reason - 5
9. Out of My Hands - 1
10. Everyday - 3
11. Crash Into Me - 4
12. Lie in Our Graves - 4
13. Money - 4
14. Money That's What I Want - 3
15. Crush - 4
16. Anyone Seen The Bridge - 4
17. Too Much (Tease) - N/A
17. Ants Marching - 5
18. E: Sister - 2
18. E: Little Thing (Tease) - N/A
19. E: Gravedigger - 3
20. E: Thank You - 3
Okay, this was a nice long set of songs, going 20 deep (if you don't count the two teases in the count). It had a nice cover (Money) and a rock solid start with the three oldies (Seek Up, One Sweet World, Granny) and the always dynamic Grey Street. Honestly, I think the main reason that I discounted this show so much looking back on it was that the encore just left a lot to be desired. There wasn't one song in there which added to the show in my opinion. I know there are a lot of people who love "Sister," but I've seen it six times in concert and am not impressed. I'd take a "Baby Blue" any day. Still, 20 songs, a total score of 73 give us a show score of 3.65. So putting that up against my first three shows we see the following results:
1. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
2. Noblesville 2008 - 3.65
3. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
4. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
In other words, this was the best full band show yet (as I discussed last time, Dave and Tim shows set up different and might be tough to take down), and the low scores were again largely from the Stand Up album (my least favorite). My guess is that the 2009 shows, which we'll look at next, will score 3.7 and above, based almost entirely on substituting the solid Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King album for Stand Up. In fact, just to see if that thesis holds through, here are the average scores that each album gets, giving each song on the album a score from our aforementioned scale:
1. Before These Crowded Streets - 4.45
2. Under The Table and Dreaming - 4.36
3. Busted Stuff -4.09
4. Crash 3.67
5. Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King - 3.50
6. Everday - 2.17
7. Stand Up - 1.92
So, using our aforementioned scoring system, you'll see that both Everyday and Stand Up rank FAR below the other five albums. Accordingly, it stands to reason that moving away from the weakest album to an album that score 1.58 higher as a whole, on the scale, will drive the score of 2009 and beyond score up. I did not do a full ranking of Dave's solo album, Some Devil, as there are only a handful of songs he plays live from it. It is also impossible to score covers and unreleased songs, due to the large number of potential songs you could hear, but both of those categories score in the same range as the top five here. So, until next time (moments from now), only four days until DMB takes the stage.
cert experience. I hope that you all had a great 4th of July, and that your summers continue to go well. Before we dive in too far, click here if you haven't caught up on the first three parts of this series, and let's review the rating system for the songs:1 = A song that I would gladly go to get a beer, use the restroom, or do anything else that I needed to do during.
2 = A song that will make me want to stay in place, but that I'll hunt down the beer man during
3 = A song that I'll dance a little to, has moments I'll love, but that I'll talk to The Wiese or text during.
4 = A song I'll be totally lost in, and one which brings me the aforementioned joy and happiness.
5 = Epic; a top ten song, or such a rarity to hear live that I am going to lose control, and might knock someone over I'm dancing in such a crazy way. MJ almost got thrown over a balcony for one of these.
Now to set the mood. The previously reviewed Noblesville 2007 show was night one of a two night stay. It was good, but night two was much better according to all reports. So, for Noblesville 2008, Holly and I decided we'd do night two, which was "always" the better night. I picked her up on my way down to Indy, and we made our way over to the show. Of course, night one had been great, and night two wasn't as good. Although, upon further review, this show was absolutely solid, and I'd be pretty happy with a set like this on any given night. This taught me an important lesson: never try to out guess DMB. Also, do the full set of shows. It's worth it. At any rate, we got there, and here's what we saw:
1. Seek Up - 5
2. One Sweet World - 4
3. Granny - 5
4. Grey Street - 4
5. Old Dirt Hill - 2
6. Pantala Naga Pampa > Rapunzel - 4
7. What Would You Say? - 4
8. Rhyme and Reason - 5
9. Out of My Hands - 1
10. Everyday - 3
11. Crash Into Me - 4
12. Lie in Our Graves - 4
13. Money - 4
14. Money That's What I Want - 3
15. Crush - 4
16. Anyone Seen The Bridge - 4
17. Too Much (Tease) - N/A
17. Ants Marching - 5
18. E: Sister - 2
18. E: Little Thing (Tease) - N/A
19. E: Gravedigger - 3
20. E: Thank You - 3
Okay, this was a nice long set of songs, going 20 deep (if you don't count the two teases in the count). It had a nice cover (Money) and a rock solid start with the three oldies (Seek Up, One Sweet World, Granny) and the always dynamic Grey Street. Honestly, I think the main reason that I discounted this show so much looking back on it was that the encore just left a lot to be desired. There wasn't one song in there which added to the show in my opinion. I know there are a lot of people who love "Sister," but I've seen it six times in concert and am not impressed. I'd take a "Baby Blue" any day. Still, 20 songs, a total score of 73 give us a show score of 3.65. So putting that up against my first three shows we see the following results:
1. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
2. Noblesville 2008 - 3.65
3. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
4. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
In other words, this was the best full band show yet (as I discussed last time, Dave and Tim shows set up different and might be tough to take down), and the low scores were again largely from the Stand Up album (my least favorite). My guess is that the 2009 shows, which we'll look at next, will score 3.7 and above, based almost entirely on substituting the solid Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King album for Stand Up. In fact, just to see if that thesis holds through, here are the average scores that each album gets, giving each song on the album a score from our aforementioned scale:
1. Before These Crowded Streets - 4.45
2. Under The Table and Dreaming - 4.36
3. Busted Stuff -4.09
4. Crash 3.67
5. Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King - 3.50
6. Everday - 2.17
7. Stand Up - 1.92
So, using our aforementioned scoring system, you'll see that both Everyday and Stand Up rank FAR below the other five albums. Accordingly, it stands to reason that moving away from the weakest album to an album that score 1.58 higher as a whole, on the scale, will drive the score of 2009 and beyond score up. I did not do a full ranking of Dave's solo album, Some Devil, as there are only a handful of songs he plays live from it. It is also impossible to score covers and unreleased songs, due to the large number of potential songs you could hear, but both of those categories score in the same range as the top five here. So, until next time (moments from now), only four days until DMB takes the stage.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
The Best of What's Around - Part 3
After a long day at work ... I'm back for a third post in a single day! And all about DMB. I'm sure that most of you are sick of this already, but just remember that I'll get busy again and this will fall off to the side, just like my breakdown of the new 50 greatest players in NBA history (I'm currently holding at #40). But for now, properly motivated and psyched about my upcoming weekend, here's my third Dave show, which was my only Dave and Tim set thus far (I'll add a second one in this Saturday). First, remember the song ratings:
1 = A song that I would gladly go to get a beer, use the restroom, or do anything else that I needed to do during.
2 = A song that will make me want to stay in place, but that I'll hunt down the beer man during
3 = A song that I'll dance a little to, has moments I'll love, but that I'll talk to The Wiese or text during.
4 = A song I'll be totally lost in, and one which brings me the aforementioned joy and happiness.
5 = Epic; a top ten song, or such a rarity to hear live that I am going to lose control, and might knock someone over I'm dancing in such a crazy way. MJ almost got thrown over a balcony for one of these.
Now, to set the scene. On a beautiful spring day in Bloomington, with my parents in town for an awards banquet, I received a hurried call from a roommate telling me to go a few blocks over, get in line, and I would get free Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds tickets. Dave and Tim tickets are generally expensive and hard to get, and the shows are a different but yet satisfying experience. So, naturally, I left my parents at the bar drinking Old Style and watching the Cubs, and went over to wait in line. Dave and Tim were coming in to do a "rally the vote" show for Obama, as the Indiana Democratic Primary was coming up, and at the time it seemed like Indiana's opinion was going to matter for the first time since RFK (as it would turn out, Indiana's opinion didn't matter; Obama had it wrapped up by then. Still, it was a nice fantasy while it lasted).
So, two tickets in hand, Holly and I went to THE Assembly Hall ... and man did she find a way to push through the crowd when the opened the door. I mean, we got right down by the floor, and had amazing seats. This show involved a number of good songs, but one super epic song which made the day. If I were to rate songs 1-6, with a 6 being saved for songs so unexpected, rare and good that I almost peed myself when they started, Dreaming Tree would be a 6. But, having already evaluated two shows, I'm going to stick with my current system and give it a five. The show went a little something like this:
1. Bartender - 5
2. Save Me - 3
3. Stay or Leave - 4
4. Satellite - 5
5. So Damn Lucky - 4
6. The Dreaming Tree - 5
7. Smooth Rider (tease) - N/A
7. Corn Bread - 4
8. Smooth Rider -1
9. Old Dirt Hill - 2
10. Crush - 4
11. Stream - 2
12. Sister - 2
13. Lie in our Graves - 4
14. Gravedigger - 3
15. Dancing Nancies - 5
16. E: #41 - 5
17. E: Ants Marching - 5
A few things of note:
- this was my first #41, which has a unique double quality: it is a song that I love, and am in total bliss when they start ... which then merges into the greatest restroom break opportunity ever because they jam for a solid 10-15 minutes after the song is over. I rate it a 5 because I love it, but it's a weird mix of a 5 and a 1.
- This show had it's ups and downs as well, including a really weak middle section that involved a 1 (Smooth Rider) and three 2s in a five song run. Still, the set ended with three consecutive 5s, and had SIX 5s over all, with an amazingly solid opening, and a good ending.
-The first time I ran the scores I had "Save Me" down as a 2, when it should have been a 3. That one point difference created a .06 difference in the score, which is pretty substantial for a 1 point difference over the course of a show. It just goes to show the impact of having a "1" song over, say, a "3."
The results are a 17 song set (I didn't count the tease of Smooth Rider, only the full song, so there are two 7s in the list), with a total score of 63, giving us a concert score of ... 3.71. This show was clearly carried by a strong start, a strong end, and six songs which score in the top echelon. Thus far, then, our standings look like this:
1. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
2. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
3. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
I have to say that I'm not surprised this show scored this much hirer than the other two. Dave and Tim shows tend to be an opportunity to hear rarer songs and crowd pleasing songs, and if this show hadn't been close enough to Stand Up's release to influence its' set list it might have come close to scoring a 4. I'll be interested in seeing if any of the other shows come close to that score, given the large amounts of songs they have to deal with. Although, getting away from Stand Up's songs, and closer to Big Whiskey will probably serve to drive the scores up. Time will tell. Next up we have Noblesville 2008, followed by the first year I learned that doing both nights of a show was vastly superior to one night: Noblesville 2010, nights one and two. Until next time...
1 = A song that I would gladly go to get a beer, use the restroom, or do anything else that I needed to do during.
2 = A song that will make me want to stay in place, but that I'll hunt down the beer man during
3 = A song that I'll dance a little to, has moments I'll love, but that I'll talk to The Wiese or text during.
4 = A song I'll be totally lost in, and one which brings me the aforementioned joy and happiness.
5 = Epic; a top ten song, or such a rarity to hear live that I am going to lose control, and might knock someone over I'm dancing in such a crazy way. MJ almost got thrown over a balcony for one of these.
Now, to set the scene. On a beautiful spring day in Bloomington, with my parents in town for an awards banquet, I received a hurried call from a roommate telling me to go a few blocks over, get in line, and I would get free Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds tickets. Dave and Tim tickets are generally expensive and hard to get, and the shows are a different but yet satisfying experience. So, naturally, I left my parents at the bar drinking Old Style and watching the Cubs, and went over to wait in line. Dave and Tim were coming in to do a "rally the vote" show for Obama, as the Indiana Democratic Primary was coming up, and at the time it seemed like Indiana's opinion was going to matter for the first time since RFK (as it would turn out, Indiana's opinion didn't matter; Obama had it wrapped up by then. Still, it was a nice fantasy while it lasted).
So, two tickets in hand, Holly and I went to THE Assembly Hall ... and man did she find a way to push through the crowd when the opened the door. I mean, we got right down by the floor, and had amazing seats. This show involved a number of good songs, but one super epic song which made the day. If I were to rate songs 1-6, with a 6 being saved for songs so unexpected, rare and good that I almost peed myself when they started, Dreaming Tree would be a 6. But, having already evaluated two shows, I'm going to stick with my current system and give it a five. The show went a little something like this:
1. Bartender - 5
2. Save Me - 3
3. Stay or Leave - 4
4. Satellite - 5
5. So Damn Lucky - 4
6. The Dreaming Tree - 5
7. Smooth Rider (tease) - N/A
7. Corn Bread - 4
8. Smooth Rider -1
9. Old Dirt Hill - 2
10. Crush - 4
11. Stream - 2
12. Sister - 2
13. Lie in our Graves - 4
14. Gravedigger - 3
15. Dancing Nancies - 5
16. E: #41 - 5
17. E: Ants Marching - 5
A few things of note:
- this was my first #41, which has a unique double quality: it is a song that I love, and am in total bliss when they start ... which then merges into the greatest restroom break opportunity ever because they jam for a solid 10-15 minutes after the song is over. I rate it a 5 because I love it, but it's a weird mix of a 5 and a 1.
- This show had it's ups and downs as well, including a really weak middle section that involved a 1 (Smooth Rider) and three 2s in a five song run. Still, the set ended with three consecutive 5s, and had SIX 5s over all, with an amazingly solid opening, and a good ending.
-The first time I ran the scores I had "Save Me" down as a 2, when it should have been a 3. That one point difference created a .06 difference in the score, which is pretty substantial for a 1 point difference over the course of a show. It just goes to show the impact of having a "1" song over, say, a "3."
The results are a 17 song set (I didn't count the tease of Smooth Rider, only the full song, so there are two 7s in the list), with a total score of 63, giving us a concert score of ... 3.71. This show was clearly carried by a strong start, a strong end, and six songs which score in the top echelon. Thus far, then, our standings look like this:
1. Assembly Hall 2008 - 3.71
2. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
3. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
I have to say that I'm not surprised this show scored this much hirer than the other two. Dave and Tim shows tend to be an opportunity to hear rarer songs and crowd pleasing songs, and if this show hadn't been close enough to Stand Up's release to influence its' set list it might have come close to scoring a 4. I'll be interested in seeing if any of the other shows come close to that score, given the large amounts of songs they have to deal with. Although, getting away from Stand Up's songs, and closer to Big Whiskey will probably serve to drive the scores up. Time will tell. Next up we have Noblesville 2008, followed by the first year I learned that doing both nights of a show was vastly superior to one night: Noblesville 2010, nights one and two. Until next time...
The Best of What's Around - Part 2
If you missed part one of this series, click here. Otherwise, you'll know that I'm going to be spending some time breaking down my experience as a DMB concert goer, looking at each show to determine which were the best, and which were the worst. My first DMB show was at Tinley Park, IL in 2006. We now flash forward to 2007, Noblesville, and the last year I only saw DMB once. Again, we will use the following breakdown to evaluate the show, although it occurs to me that this limits it to just songs played, and not macro-level ambiance. I'll take that into account when I put all the scores against each other. Anyway, the scoring system:
1 = A song that I would gladly go to get a beer, use the restroom, or do anything else that I needed to do during.
2 = A song that will make me want to stay in place, but that I'll hunt down the beer man during
3 = A song that I'll dance a little to, has moments I'll love, but that I'll talk to The Wiese or text during.
4 = A song I'll be totally lost in, and one which brings me the aforementioned joy and happiness.
5 = Epic; a top ten song, or such a rarity to hear live that I am going to lose control, and might knock someone over I'm dancing in such a crazy way. MJ almost got thrown over a balcony for one of these.
Now to set the mood: 2007, summer. I was on my way to Chicago Bears training camp with my girlfriend, Holly, and we were stopped in our tracks by a phone call that my roommate found out we were being kicked out early. So we turned around and went on our way to Bloomington to move into our new house on super short notice. Thanks goodness our land lord was cool, otherwise we would have been screwed. Anyway, we were met by The Wiese in Bloomington, and he helped us move. Then, tired from the move, and exhausted by the intense heat, we packed in The Wiese's car, and prepared to drive up to Noblesville. He promised me that he'd drive back if I drove up, a deal which I gladly took him up on. We made it in plenty of time, and went into the show, The Wiese, Holly and me. Here's what we got the chance to see:
1. Seek Up - 5
2. #27 - 2
3. Hunger for the Great Light - 2
4. When The World Ends - 2
5. You Might Die Trying - 3
6. Grey Street - 4
7. Corn Bread - 4
8. Sweet Up And Down - 5
9. Sister - 2
10. Still Water (tease) - 2
11. Don't Drink The Water - 5
12. The Maker - 4
13. Louisiana Bayou - 1
14. Anyone Seen The Bridge > - 4
15. Too Much - 4
16. Shotgun - 4
17. Warehouse - 5
18. Stay - 4
19. E: Gravedigger - 3
20. E: Dreamgirl - 2
21. E: Tripping Billies - 5
Okay ... 21 songs, one 1 (Louisiana Bayou again) a handful of 2s, and then a bunch of 4s and 5s. This show was up and down for sure. Only two 3s in the entire show, indicating it was pretty hit or miss. So 21 songs, 72 total points, for an overall concert average of 3.43. With Tinley Park 2006 ranking in at 3.32, our standings look like this so far:
1. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
2. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
Next time, we look at the Obama Benefit at Assembly Hall that Dave and Tim played, and then Noblesville 2008. Until then, just know that I'm finalizing plans to go to NYC to see DMB this summer playing Governor's Island. Yeah.
1 = A song that I would gladly go to get a beer, use the restroom, or do anything else that I needed to do during.
2 = A song that will make me want to stay in place, but that I'll hunt down the beer man during
3 = A song that I'll dance a little to, has moments I'll love, but that I'll talk to The Wiese or text during.
4 = A song I'll be totally lost in, and one which brings me the aforementioned joy and happiness.
5 = Epic; a top ten song, or such a rarity to hear live that I am going to lose control, and might knock someone over I'm dancing in such a crazy way. MJ almost got thrown over a balcony for one of these.
Now to set the mood: 2007, summer. I was on my way to Chicago Bears training camp with my girlfriend, Holly, and we were stopped in our tracks by a phone call that my roommate found out we were being kicked out early. So we turned around and went on our way to Bloomington to move into our new house on super short notice. Thanks goodness our land lord was cool, otherwise we would have been screwed. Anyway, we were met by The Wiese in Bloomington, and he helped us move. Then, tired from the move, and exhausted by the intense heat, we packed in The Wiese's car, and prepared to drive up to Noblesville. He promised me that he'd drive back if I drove up, a deal which I gladly took him up on. We made it in plenty of time, and went into the show, The Wiese, Holly and me. Here's what we got the chance to see:
1. Seek Up - 5
2. #27 - 2
3. Hunger for the Great Light - 2
4. When The World Ends - 2
5. You Might Die Trying - 3
6. Grey Street - 4
7. Corn Bread - 4
8. Sweet Up And Down - 5
9. Sister - 2
10. Still Water (tease) - 2
11. Don't Drink The Water - 5
12. The Maker - 4
13. Louisiana Bayou - 1
14. Anyone Seen The Bridge > - 4
15. Too Much - 4
16. Shotgun - 4
17. Warehouse - 5
18. Stay - 4
19. E: Gravedigger - 3
20. E: Dreamgirl - 2
21. E: Tripping Billies - 5
Okay ... 21 songs, one 1 (Louisiana Bayou again) a handful of 2s, and then a bunch of 4s and 5s. This show was up and down for sure. Only two 3s in the entire show, indicating it was pretty hit or miss. So 21 songs, 72 total points, for an overall concert average of 3.43. With Tinley Park 2006 ranking in at 3.32, our standings look like this so far:
1. Noblesville 2007 - 3.43
2. Tinley Park 2006 - 3.32
Next time, we look at the Obama Benefit at Assembly Hall that Dave and Tim played, and then Noblesville 2008. Until then, just know that I'm finalizing plans to go to NYC to see DMB this summer playing Governor's Island. Yeah.
The Best Of What's Around - Part One
Next weekend I'll be in Chicago, standing in the sun for three straight days. Next weekend I'll be sunburned, dehydrated, and I'm almost sure that I'll not smell too great. I'll be down by the lakefront, and I'll be wearing a wristband. Next weekend I get to avoid the terror that would be a year without Dave Matthews Band. Originally scheduled to take the entire year off from touring, the band decided to do four three-day "festivals" this summer. At each stop they would bring in a variety of bands, large and small, to do the full summer concert festival thing. And, at the end of each of the three nights, the band would do a full set.
When the news of their plans broke I mentioned it to Bows and The Wiese. Both were in without hesitation. We eagerly awaited the announcement of where the shows would be held. We knew there would be four, and the speculation on the internet settled on 1 east coast show (believed to be Atlantic City), 1 midwest show (rumor had it placed at Grant Park), 1 southwest show (rumors placed it anywhere from Texas to LA, with Red Rocks being a popular guess), and 1 west coast show (rumors placed it at The Gorge Amphitheater). We put our hopes in the Chicago show, and sure enough they announced that Chicago would be the second stop (although not in Grant Park; lakefront will have to do). As soon as the rumors of the shows started I joined The Warehouse, the DMB fan club, so that I could pre-order tickets. It only logically followed that these tickets might be hard to come by since DMB sells out cross country, and this would be only 12 shows total in 4 locals. So I signed up, then ordered the tickets the day they were available for the pre-order. All things told it was pretty affordable ... just shy of $200.00 for three days worth of music ... and our plans were set.
Now, next weekend, DMB comes to Chicago. And here I am, wondering a few things about my history enjoying the Band. I know that I've listened to DMB since 1994. I know that my first live show didn't happen until 2006, and I know that I've seen DMB 12 times and Dave and Tim once, for a grand total of 13 concerts. I know I went six times last year to three different locals (Noblesville, Wrigley Field, and Charlottesville). But I'm curious ... upon further review, which show was the best, and which was the worst? Which songs have I had the chance to hear live, and which songs am I still looking for? I don't know how many more times in my life I'll go see DMB live, but I suspect I'll go every summer as long as I can, because I know one thing about DMB: seeing them live makes me totally happy. And you can't put a price on happiness.
So here is a breakdown of my very first DMB show. I'm going to rate each song, on a scale of 1 - 5, based on the following breakdown:
1 = A song that I would gladly go to get a beer, use the restroom, or do anything else that I needed to do during.
2 = A song that will make me want to stay in place, but that I'll hunt down the beer man during
3 = A song that I'll dance a little to, has moments I'll love, but that I'll talk to The Wiese or text during.
4 = A song I'll be totally lost in, and one which brings me the aforementioned joy and happiness.
5 = Epic; a top ten song, or such a rarity to hear live that I am going to lose control, and might knock someone over I'm dancing in such a crazy way. MJ almost got thrown over a balcony for one of these.
With that defined, here is the breakdown of my first DMB show, which was at Tinley Park, IL on September 15, 2006. The Wiese was along for the ride, and we had the Murto Bros as special guest stars. We drove up from Bloomington for the first DMB show of my and The Wiese's life, and got stuck in traffic. We were cutting it close, I was getting pissed, and we could not stomach the idea of being late. After agreeing we'd split a ticket/tow cost four ways if either happened, we abruptly pulled into a residential neighborhood that said "no event parking" and parked. We then ran a few miles to the concert. RAN. The Wiese fell off first, as he was by far in the worst shape. The Murto Bros both ran Cross Country in high school, and left me in the dust. As I struggled to breath, I head my name yelled loudly. I figured The Wiese had just caught up to me. As I turned around I saw, in disbelief, that he had commandeered a vehicle that had A) attractive girls in it, and B) free beer. I quickly joined him. We walked into the show, met up with the Murto Bros, and got to our seats just in time to enjoy the following (all songs in order of play):
1. Pantala Naga Pampa > Rapunzel - 4
2. Everyday - 3
3. Proudest Monkey - 2
4. Satellite - 5
5. Bartender - 5
6. Hunger for the Great Light - 2
7. Louisiana Bayou - 1
8. Can't Stop - 2
9. Dream Girl - 2
10. The Idea of You - 2
11. So Much To Say > - 4
12. Anybody Seen The Bridge > - 4
13. Too Much - 4
14. Jimi Thing - 4
15. You Might Die Trying - 3
16. Ants Marching - 5
17. E: Sister - 2
18. E: Granny - 5
19. E: Stay - 4
If you didn't follow, > means that the song went right into the next, and "E" means Encore. Okay, this show wasn't too bad. Only one song that would have had me running to the rest room (Louisiana Bayou), and a handful of 2s. A total of 19 songs, with a total score of 63 results in an average score for this show of 3.32. I bet that I will end up remembering this show for the fact that it hit my all time top two right out of the gate (Satellite > Bartender) and for the fact it was my first show ... and that probably skews the memory. All told, a solid show. Next, we'll break down my first Noblesville experience, my only Dave and Tim show thus far, and the second Noblesville show, which taught me never again to go to only one of the two nights (camping is a must).
When the news of their plans broke I mentioned it to Bows and The Wiese. Both were in without hesitation. We eagerly awaited the announcement of where the shows would be held. We knew there would be four, and the speculation on the internet settled on 1 east coast show (believed to be Atlantic City), 1 midwest show (rumor had it placed at Grant Park), 1 southwest show (rumors placed it anywhere from Texas to LA, with Red Rocks being a popular guess), and 1 west coast show (rumors placed it at The Gorge Amphitheater). We put our hopes in the Chicago show, and sure enough they announced that Chicago would be the second stop (although not in Grant Park; lakefront will have to do). As soon as the rumors of the shows started I joined The Warehouse, the DMB fan club, so that I could pre-order tickets. It only logically followed that these tickets might be hard to come by since DMB sells out cross country, and this would be only 12 shows total in 4 locals. So I signed up, then ordered the tickets the day they were available for the pre-order. All things told it was pretty affordable ... just shy of $200.00 for three days worth of music ... and our plans were set.
Now, next weekend, DMB comes to Chicago. And here I am, wondering a few things about my history enjoying the Band. I know that I've listened to DMB since 1994. I know that my first live show didn't happen until 2006, and I know that I've seen DMB 12 times and Dave and Tim once, for a grand total of 13 concerts. I know I went six times last year to three different locals (Noblesville, Wrigley Field, and Charlottesville). But I'm curious ... upon further review, which show was the best, and which was the worst? Which songs have I had the chance to hear live, and which songs am I still looking for? I don't know how many more times in my life I'll go see DMB live, but I suspect I'll go every summer as long as I can, because I know one thing about DMB: seeing them live makes me totally happy. And you can't put a price on happiness.
So here is a breakdown of my very first DMB show. I'm going to rate each song, on a scale of 1 - 5, based on the following breakdown:
1 = A song that I would gladly go to get a beer, use the restroom, or do anything else that I needed to do during.
2 = A song that will make me want to stay in place, but that I'll hunt down the beer man during
3 = A song that I'll dance a little to, has moments I'll love, but that I'll talk to The Wiese or text during.
4 = A song I'll be totally lost in, and one which brings me the aforementioned joy and happiness.
5 = Epic; a top ten song, or such a rarity to hear live that I am going to lose control, and might knock someone over I'm dancing in such a crazy way. MJ almost got thrown over a balcony for one of these.
With that defined, here is the breakdown of my first DMB show, which was at Tinley Park, IL on September 15, 2006. The Wiese was along for the ride, and we had the Murto Bros as special guest stars. We drove up from Bloomington for the first DMB show of my and The Wiese's life, and got stuck in traffic. We were cutting it close, I was getting pissed, and we could not stomach the idea of being late. After agreeing we'd split a ticket/tow cost four ways if either happened, we abruptly pulled into a residential neighborhood that said "no event parking" and parked. We then ran a few miles to the concert. RAN. The Wiese fell off first, as he was by far in the worst shape. The Murto Bros both ran Cross Country in high school, and left me in the dust. As I struggled to breath, I head my name yelled loudly. I figured The Wiese had just caught up to me. As I turned around I saw, in disbelief, that he had commandeered a vehicle that had A) attractive girls in it, and B) free beer. I quickly joined him. We walked into the show, met up with the Murto Bros, and got to our seats just in time to enjoy the following (all songs in order of play):
1. Pantala Naga Pampa > Rapunzel - 4
2. Everyday - 3
3. Proudest Monkey - 2
4. Satellite - 5
5. Bartender - 5
6. Hunger for the Great Light - 2
7. Louisiana Bayou - 1
8. Can't Stop - 2
9. Dream Girl - 2
10. The Idea of You - 2
11. So Much To Say > - 4
12. Anybody Seen The Bridge > - 4
13. Too Much - 4
14. Jimi Thing - 4
15. You Might Die Trying - 3
16. Ants Marching - 5
17. E: Sister - 2
18. E: Granny - 5
19. E: Stay - 4
If you didn't follow, > means that the song went right into the next, and "E" means Encore. Okay, this show wasn't too bad. Only one song that would have had me running to the rest room (Louisiana Bayou), and a handful of 2s. A total of 19 songs, with a total score of 63 results in an average score for this show of 3.32. I bet that I will end up remembering this show for the fact that it hit my all time top two right out of the gate (Satellite > Bartender) and for the fact it was my first show ... and that probably skews the memory. All told, a solid show. Next, we'll break down my first Noblesville experience, my only Dave and Tim show thus far, and the second Noblesville show, which taught me never again to go to only one of the two nights (camping is a must).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)