So Much to Say...

...about the Dave Matthews Band concerts

I almost forgot how good live music can sound. I have seen Dave Matthews Band a few other times and it was always amazing, but not like the two shows we saw in California. And they had the most creative lighting display I have ever seen at a concert.

Friday in Irvine, Dave opened with Pantala Naga Pampa then played Rapunzel, just like the start of the Before These Crowded Streets album. The entire show was like a crab leg buffet for my ears, I just wanted to take it all in and savor every note. Hearing Boyd Tinsley jam on Lie in Our Graves was a definite highlight, so was Sister, a song Dave played alone on stage with beautiful lighting that created a city scape backdrop. Toward the end of the song lights appeared to stream down like rain. They played plenty of new songs, and dug deep into their repertoire for others. They even played a new, unreleased track called Break Free. Butch Taylor's trumpet added a lot of depth to the music, and Louisiana Bayou, not my favorite Dave song, was brought to life with Robert Randolf on the slide guitar. Then they ended with my favorite, Ants Marching.

And the Saturday show in Chula Vista was even better. The sound system was superior to the previous venue and we liked the set list better. They opened with Jim's favorite, Don't Drink the Water. And the list included many Dave classics like Jimi Thing, So Much to Say, Too Much, Two Step, What Would You Say and Tripping Billies. An unforgettable show! I only wish we could go again!

On the mainland I was a concert fanatic. For several summers my goal was to either attend a concert or go to an amusement park at least once a week. And I just about achieved that goal. Those are two things I miss in the islands.

Coming soon...a top 10 list of the best concerts I have ever been to.