The End of an Era

On Sunday night Liz took in a Dave Matthews Band concert in Toronto. This marks the fifth, and most likely, final time I will see the band in concert. In fact, the last time I saw them I thought to myself "If only they'd played "#41" I would have no official reason to see them again next year." Well, they played it. It was the second song. Here's the setlist:

Don’t Drink the Water
#41
Granny
Louisiana Bayou *
Crash
Hunger For The Great Light *
Seek Up
Grey Street
Old Dirt Hill +
All Along The Watchtower +
Dream Girl
Stand Up
Crush
Don’t Burn The Pig
Stay *
__________________

Christmas Song
Ants Marching

Show Notes:
* Rashawn Ross (trumpet)
+ Eric Krasno (electric guitar)

Not bad, but they peaked early. By the end of "All Along the Watchtower" there was nothing left that I wanted to hear. Although I think I pinpointed what might be my favourite song; one that has resonance to me personally no matter which incarnation it takes. And that song is the above Watchtower. Kudos Bob! You did it!

I used to be a hardcore Dave-o-phile in my high school years. These guys were the first band I ever really clinged to, and thanks to no rent or living expenses I could afford their entire catalogue. Now I'm a little bitter towards them. I don't know why. I don't want to be one of those people that I was at the concert last night who sits there and says "Oh he said something! Let's cheer!" and then gives a golf clap (Truth be told, I didn't golf clap). The most memorable moments from the night weren't in the form of music. One such moment was having a hideous pun-off with Liz before the show started.

I think what might have happened is that I'm fully aware of their showmanship. When Boyd starts peeling out a wicked solo, I can't help but notice that he positions himself right in front of the camera. Between songs the band would wait until the applause swelled before they started another tune. I wanted to yell "Quit dicking around and play something!" I think I did yell that. Everything seemed so planned. I was once enraptured by the idea that the band improvises the songs every night, but when I can predict every wail in "Don't Drink the Water" and that sounds just like the live album they put out a year ago, which sounds suspiciously like the live album from 1998, well.... you get my point.

I think I can trace the start of the decline to the third time I saw them. I was at the Molson Amphitheatre with a group of fellow Dave-o-philes, and being such we naturally freaked out when Dave announced that the band had written "this next song about Canada."

"Stay (wasting time)" is not about Canada. When you hear the following lyrics,

It was so hot outside
You could fry an egg

do you think of Canada? I don't like stereotyping Canadians as igloo-dwellers, but this is not a hot country. It was a lie! How dare he! And just to get applause! And it's not just that I'm just picking apart the one line, because I'll grant that there have been days that have been hot enough to melt your winnebago. The whole song is about fooling around with a girl and not wanting to leave.

All bitterness aside, the first half of the show was pretty good. The second half gave me the impression of a good bar band. So long, and thanks for all the fish.

By the way, the pun-off was closed with one about ordering a meal of goat's meat which had been naturally killed. The restaurant just picked up the ones who had tumbled down the mountain, hence calling the dish "Tripping Billies."

p.s. Thanks a lot for the ticket, Liz!