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Dave Matthews concert review


vanlatte

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Posted

I wasn't planning on going but a friend had a ticket and called me a couple of days ahead of time so I figured it would be fun, if nothing else just to see Alpine Valley again. Been years since I had been there.

 

Was told to meet said friend at his house at 11:30 am. Concert starts at 7:00 PM. Seems pretty early but I am told we are meeting other car loads and picking people up, etc. So we hook up with some others at a gas station close to the venue around 1:00. The plan was to get everyone together and go in at the same time so we can park near each other for tailgating.

 

Well it turns out that the night before was a Rage Against the Machine concert, and between the muddy conditions and rowdy fans the place was trashed. So as we got close to the arena there were cops driving up and down telling people they cant go in yet, to come back at 4:00. So we round up the wagons and take over a local Sentry parking lot and start tail gating :D

 

About 4 ish we head back and there are cars as far as the eye can see, in all directions. This is when the fun started. Some highlights:

 

- As we got near the gate, traffic was only going one way on the two way street with cops all over directing traffic. Suddenly a bunch of police bikes come roaring past followed by a brown bus. It didnt register with most of us in the van but the guy next to me start shouting "DAVE! Its DAVE!" I look over and sure enough, Dave Matthews is standing right up by the windshield smiling and waving. Everybody starts bolting out of their cars and rushing the bus. Was pretty insane; the cops were trying to get everybody back to their cars to keep the lines moving while Dave was taking pictures with his Iphone. There was a young, wide eyed girl of about 7 or 8 by his side, I assume it was his daughter.

 

I wasnt quick enough on the camera so this is all I got:

 

 

PIC-0087.jpg

 

My blackjack doesnt take very good pics and its hard to use as a camera, so the quality is not all that great.

 

One of the guys with me snapped a really cool pic just a few feet outside of the bus. If he posts it I will add it.

 

- Heading in to the grass area took forever...there was mud everywhere and cars were getting stuck left and right in areas like this:

 

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- Here is a line of cars coming in from the treeline; this went on non stop for hours:

 

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Some shots of the group I was with:

 

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Its hard to tell here, but somebody had a blow up doll tethered to a pole:

 

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This guy next to us punched out his window becuase he thought he locked his keys in the car.

 

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Few minutes later his buddy comes walking up with his keys.

 

Somehow he managed to avoid shredding his hand, but he did get some cuts on his arm:

 

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.. and then proceeds to clean it out with the nearest bottle of fire water:

 

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I tried to take some pics of the show but they turned out pretty bad so I didnt bother posting them.

 

We were really far away, these are "grass" seats, the cheap ones at $60. About all I could hear was echoes of a snare drum and an occasional vocal or two. Was pretty horrid.

 

Now Alpine Valley is a ski resort with a stage; its a huge place surrounded by hills. The grass seats are on these ridiculous slopes that are hard enough to navigate when it's dry. Add weeks of rain and hilarity ensues as thousands of drunks topple left and right.

 

I tried to take some pics of the mud soaked grounds but it was too dark and they didnt come out. I wish they had, because it was hilarious: this place looked like Woodstock: people covered in mud, soaked to the bone but loving every minute of it. Somehow I managed to avoid falling, I must be part mountain goat because everybody I was with took a spill at one point or another. Our first venture back to the restrooms was insane: there was about a 30 yard stretch where nobody could seem to make it up, so of course we all just had to try it. The line of fans at the top on the safe pavement were cheering and laughing as people sloshed around in the mud.

 

The show itself was ok...not great and not terrible. The set list was pretty weak IMHO, too many slow ballads and not enough energy. Also lots of dead time between songs.

 

The events leading up to the show were more fun than the show itself. Being the designated driver and staying sober, it was pretty entertaining watching the sights and not only being able to remember them, but waking up without a hangover was worth it.

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Posted

 

The set list was pretty weak IMHO, too many slow ballads and not enough energy. Also lots of dead time between songs.

 

 

That was my problem with him the two times I saw him live. Never again.

 

Sounds like an experience. Reminds me of the 3 days i spent at Coventry for the last Phish show.

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Posted

I have to admit that Dave Matthews concert ranks as one of the top MOST BORING shows I've ever attended. I saw them at Riverbend in Cinci a few years back. Music was good (altho not a big fan) but they just stood there and played. Woopdee F'ing Doo!

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Posted

That was my problem with him the two times I saw him live. Never again.


Sounds like an experience. Reminds me of the 3 days i spent at Coventry for the last Phish show.

 

Ah, so it wasnt an isolated incident. Its really a shame, with so much talent on that stage. When they did let loose it was phenomenal; I dont know what song it was but they busted into a wicked latin type thing and those few minutes were some of the best in live music I ever heard.

 

Too bad that was only three minutes out of 180 of :bor:

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Posted

Cool review.

 

It reminds me of a similar nightmare concert at Alpine.

 

Boston was touring with their third LP.

 

The sound was awful the material sounded to me like one big intro and ending with nothing but wanking in between. The hill was a muddy mess, fights broke out everywhere!

My G/F at the time was a royal pain and we were filthy wet and very grumpy.

Plus, on the way out I hit a broken bottle and cut a tire.

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Posted

I have to admit that Dave Matthews concert ranks as one of the top MOST BORING shows I've ever attended. I saw them at Riverbend in Cinci a few years back. Music was good (altho not a big fan) but they just stood there and played. Woopdee F'ing Doo!

 

Hey! I saw him there a few years ago, too. Government Mule opened. Kinda made Dave's stage show seem like Circ du Soleil by comparison. :bor: Dave played well and it sounded good. But I was on the lawn. I hate the lawn. Probably wouldn't pay money to see him again.

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Posted

Hey! I saw him there a few years ago, too. Government Mule opened. Kinda made Dave's stage show seem like Circ du Soleil by comparison.
:bor:
Dave played well and it sounded good. But I was on the lawn. I hate the lawn. Probably wouldn't pay money to see him again.

 

Never seen DM. Hopefully, never will either. Great band behind him though. I just can't stand his boring ass.

 

Govt. Mule OTOH..................:thu::thu::thu:

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Posted

you are better off not hearing the "music" that the band was attempting to play. it would have been far worse if you were closer and had to listen to his crap for 2+ hours. DMB sucks so bad.

 

i love the make believe hippies that attend dave matthews shows, along with the combination of frat boys and angry drunk college football players it is a guarenteed awful show. $60 for a lawn seat is a little much.

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Posted

I've never seen Dave, never really cared to, although I do like some of his music. My bro was at the RATM concert the night before-he said it was an absolute disaster. The concert got out at midnight and because of the rain, there were mudslides and people stuck everywhere. They didn't get out of the actual lot until 4 am.

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Posted

I've never seen Dave, never really cared to, although I do like some of his music. My bro was at the RATM concert the night before-he said it was an absolute disaster. The concert got out at midnight and because of the rain, there were mudslides and people stuck everywhere. They didn't get out of the actual lot until 4 am.

 

On the way in we saw the attendants actually pushing people into the mud! :eek:

 

Ugh. We left at about 11:00, before the encore. Pulled out of the lot about 2:00. :mad: Reminded me of everything I hate about big name venues/bands.

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Posted

I saw DMB in San Antonio about 3years ago. The flyer said DMB with special guest but didn't say who...then he comes on to open show, it was friggin Victor Wooten. Not a bad show, great way to start it off.

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Posted

Did he do that song that sounds like that other song he does? You know, the one that sounds like the others he plays?

 

For the finale did he bring his tour buss on stage and dump the raw sewage all over the crowd? Thats a mighty fine finale...love when he does that.

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Posted

Hey! I saw him there a few years ago, too. Government Mule opened. Kinda made Dave's stage show seem like Circ du Soleil by comparison.
:bor:
Dave played well and it sounded good. But I was on the lawn. I hate the lawn. Probably wouldn't pay money to see him again.

GREAT WHITE HAS A LOT BETTER PYRO SHOW

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Posted

I like the music. Carter Beauford is one of my favorite drummers, and I like the mix of instruments in DMB. That said, I've seen them live twice and left early both times. They just don't do it for me. :(

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Posted

I like the music. Carter Beauford is one of my favorite drummers, and I like the mix of instruments in DMB. That said, I've seen them live twice and left early both times. They just don't do it for me.
:(

 

Yea Carter is awesome; I have the "Under the table and drumming" video with Vic Wooten, it's incredible.

He is ambidextrious, he was talking about when he was young how it just seemed natural to play with either hand keeping time and thought everybody could do it!

 

I actually like quite a few DMB tunes: too bad I didnt hear a single one at this concert! The group I was with seemed to know every stinking one of them, so I was a bit of an oddball.

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Posted

Nice review and thanks for posting. I can't think of any group I would want to go through that for.

 

I can't think of any group that I would go through that for either :D It was more of a social thing for me, but it was a good reminder of what I am not really missing with these insanely priced and poorly managed shows. $60 so I can wait in line 2 hours to get in, walk for 45 minutes and spend the concert on a hill so far away I cant even hear the music? Then look forward to 3 hours of trying to get out of the parking lot :rolleyes:

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Posted

I saw DMB last summer and it was a great show.

 

Was sold out at the Woodlands Pavilion, and I'll be back again this year. The crowd was insane, and everyone was dancing and jumping around and stuff. Was a blast if you're into the music.

 

DMB is probably my 2nd fave band, so any Dave is good Dave. :) Plus they had a kickass setlist last year. The ones I've seen for this tour seem a little more mellow however, which isn't necessarily a great thing.

 

I'll be seeing them September 21st.

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