by Lisa Pickering

Created on: January 19, 2009

I used to be pretty obsessed with the Dave Matthews Band. Over time, my obsession has significantly lessened and I have moved on to other things. However I still hold a special place in my heart for this debatable jam band and I have been to a handful of their shows. Whether you love them or hate them, there is rarely any middle ground; you can't deny the sheer talent of the band. Their musicianship is impeccable and their ability to write songs is rarely matched in my opinion, by other artists.

It is hard to consider a summer without the Dave Matthews Band going on tour a summer at all. Hardcore jam band fans will argue but I consider Dave to be kings of the festival circuit and about as jam band as you can get. They may not be the Grateful Dead, but they could possibly be the hippie band of my generation and possibly the biggest college band of all time. At one show I went to they played The Dreaming Tree for literally about twenty minutes to the point that I now don't think I ever want to hear that particular song again. Don't get me wrong, I love that kind of music and the vibe it brings, but over ten minutes to me is rather extensive.

I have seen the Dave Matthews Band four different times; two were at the Saratoga Performing
Arts Center
in Saratoga, NY. Our seats weren't very good but the music always is. They play songs from across the spectrum of their long and successful career and don't shy away from playing their hits which gave them so much success. I enjoyed both of those shows but the other two I went to were exceptionally great. I saw Dave play at Farm Aid about a year ago. They only played for about thirty or forty minutes but they filled up that short span of time with excellent music. Not too mention seeing DMB in the festival setting is really the only way they should be seen. There is nothing like enjoying some good tunes with a bunch of drunk, stoned hippies dancing in circles around you. The last time I saw DMB, I actually went to the show by myself. My friend scored me a ticket to see them perform a private show at West Point Military
Academy. It was a pretty random event but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Robert Randolph and the Family Band opened for them and they were massively impressive. DMB performed a majority of songs off of Before These Crowded Streets, which is my favorite album of theirs and when Robert Randolph jammed onstage with them I definitely got chills.

I will stand by my opinion that the Dave Matthews Band is worth seeing as many times as you can. Their set list is never the same and the songs are never performed in the same way. Although my taste in music has somewhat changed I will always consider DMB up there in my esteem and definitely one of the best live performers of all time.

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