My DMB resume pales in comparison to some fans - like my cousin Nick, who’s been to 83 shows, or my friend Drew, who has seen them so many times that he has lost track.īut whether it’s 25 shows or 250, I think many enthusiastic DMB fans (or fans of Phish or any group with a dedicated following) would say the music is a fraction of what makes the band a meaningful part of life. ![]() Rock concerts aren’t usually known for bringing out the best behavior in some people, but there’s a ton of good that has come from the band (like this and this and this) and the community that has been fostered through their music. They make mistakes on and off the stage, and some would say they’re a nostalgia act whose biggest hit came more than 20 years ago. From listening to live streams and planning tailgates, to group texts with friends, my brothers, and cousins, the band has been a part of my summers for the past 13 years, not unlike Fighting Irish football each fall.ĭave and his band are far from perfect. ![]() I didn’t anticipate it at the time, but that one performance and one concert was the start of what has now been more than a decade of fandom. ![]() Remember, this was long before the iPhone 11. If you’re interested, the video exists on YouTube, but it looks like it was filmed from a spaceship. At my first show, they played a particularly inspired version of the song featuring Trey Anastasio, the frontman of Phish, another group with a devoted following. I had listened to Live at Red Rocks, and I had heard so much about their concerts, that when DMB came to town that summer before college, it was time to see what I had been missing.Īt that time, my favorite DMB song was “ Lie In Our Graves,” one of the band’s seize-the-day anthems. Like many DMB fans, I began listening to the band in high school, and I may or may not have quoted “The Best of What’s Around” in my graduation speech ( “Turns out not where, but who you’re with that really matters”). Instead of wins and losses, there are classic, unforgettable shows - and others when the band simply had an off night. Instead of box scores, there are set lists. In many ways, following a band closely is like having another favorite team. From the time I was young, Saturdays in the fall were about the Fighting Irish, and activities like yard work, dinner, and even which Mass we would go to were often planned around game time. When I was a kid, my dad and uncle introduced me to Notre Dame football. So I understand if you want to stop reading, but I hope you’ll stick with me for a few minutes as I share how this band has brought so much joy to me. Despite being one of the most successful acts of the last three decades - and recently being named a 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee - they are also one of the most polarizing bands of this era. Maybe I would feel differently if it was someone near universally acclaimed, like Paul McCartney, or someone as American as apple pie, like Bruce Springsteen, but my favorite band is the Dave Matthews Band. I can’t begin to count how often I have responded to a puzzled friend or colleague asking, “But don’t they play the same songs each night?” (Answer: They don’t.) To many people, seeing the same artist that many times sounds crazy. While we’re always on the lookout for new bands, there is one I am sometimes reluctant to admit I have seen 27 times. We even made it a fun challenge to try to see one per month this year. My wife and I are constantly chasing our next concert.
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