173 -- Dave Matthews Band -- Saturday, May 13, 2015 -- Jiffy Lube Live -- Bristow, VA

Dave Matthews is a big reason I started this blog.  During elementary school, middle school, and high school, I did not listen to music.  It was embarrassing.  Sports, films, and shows, I devoured, and became an expert, but I knew close to nothing about music. 

Part of it was my family never got MTV – back when it stood for Music (not Mediocre) Television.  Part of it was the minimal music my family did play was Gershwin, not Green Day; Nat King Cole, not Nirvana.

The turning point in my musical life was a speech a fellow student, Jim Lynch, gave senior year of high school.

I had not even been friends with him, but seeing and hearing the passionate, specific way he described what it was like to attend was inspiring.  I vowed to discover music in college and concerts after that.  Thanks to the huge iTunes playlist provided by my college roommate Mike Schobel and the huge variety of concert venues in the DC area after college, I was able to fulfill this vow.

It took me 12 years from the time the speech to actually attend a Dave Matthews show, but one Saturday this May, I did.  In honor of the Lynch speech, I will do my best to be specific…

--- I start the concert in a good mood because I showed up five minutes before the set yet ended up with the best parking in all of Jiffy Lube.  Seriously, I could have crawled from my car to the seat and still would have made it on time.  Procrastination pays off! 

--- Walking up those 1000 Jiffy Lube steps is a trip.  Speaking of a trip, is this concert being held in Colorado...

--- Great seats.  Row 300, but dead center stage!

--- Heh, apparently they're going to have an intermission after a little less than an hour so people can go to the bathroom.  That's a first.

--- “The Song That Jane Likes” and “Recently” meander, but they fit the breezy May weather.  The fact that the crowd's all into them all helps.  “We've been traveling around telling the audiences they look good.  But you guys -- you guys look GOOD.”  HA.

--- “What Would You Say”!  Okay, that was legit.  I like that the part I most remembered, the “birthday” part, was the crowd's favorite as well.  The flute(?) solo at the end made the song.

--- Intermission.

--- “Big Dead Fish” has a cooler, bluer, Quentin-Alexander vibe to it.  I prefer this to the opening set.

--- “Lie in Our Graves” has a great violin solo.  Hehe at the "splish splash" line.  Take that back, multiple great violin solos.  What an enjoyable song.  Took me totally by surprise!!  There's room for “Impossible Germany,” Morello's “Tom Joad,” AND this.  [Revision: The subsequent guitar section turns super indulgent – still dig the violin though.]

--- “Crazy” starts as a strong Dave-driven performance.  It devolves a bit into a haphazard jam, but in the moment, it felt good.

--- “Black and Bluebird,” a new song about flying at the speed of light, is meh.

--- Odd, cool scifi intro to “Corn Bread.”  The rest is fast paced -- hahaha at the near-rap part. Worthy sax section -- everything's unified!  They've earned another jam.

--- “If Only” I'd heard this slow song before.  It might have more meaning.

--- Moody, intriguing intro to "Don't Tread The Water."  Love that it transitions into a soaaaring vocal.

--- When filled, Jiffy Lube is better than Merriweather.  MASSES of people.

--- “Long Black Veil,” a warm, slow, audience-participation song, makes me consider a second DMB show.  Those woman soloists have soul.  Aww at the whole crowd easing into the melody!

--- “Save Me” and “Baby” are solid.  I like “Be Yourself”’s Latin flavor and sentiment.

--- Lol at DM and these gospel singers going back and forth on “Rooftop.”  A trumpet then starts to come in, and it's awesome.  Literally made me say Brucccce at the end.  The show itself did not approach Springsteen, but that’s an impossibly high bar.  I’ll end by attempting to pay it forward for Jim and other big DMB fans.  If you love Dave, you could love Bruce…

Grade: A-