Dave Matthews, Gomez; me on TV
July 10th, 2008 by Wade Tatangelo in News
After reading the numerous comments on Eric Snider’s controversial Dave Matthews Band post I decided to visit the Ford Amphitheatre yesterday to check out DMB. Maybe magic would occur and I’d be converted. I hoped that would happen. I really did. But no such luck.
My DMB experience lasted exactly 1.75 songs.
The opening number was the hit “Don’t Drink the Water.” Dave’s over-the-top bellowing was barely overshadowed by the dudes (they appeared my age, mid 20s to early 30s) singing along behind me.I didn’t dig the song when it blanketed the airwaves and MTV a decade ago and in concert yesterday it featured some of the most off-putting vocal histrionics that I’ve ever heard.
The next number was an instrumental featuring a Kenny G-ish sax solo that turned my stomach. That was it. Check, please. I’m going home. The mostly fresh faced crowd’s enthusiastic (to put it midly) reaction to the jazz fusion noodling stung me in the same way as seeing Dubya get reelected. But at least I could blame that national blunder on older generations. These were my people truly enjoying music that truly grated. Like soft rock must have hurt people in the 1970s. More than anything, it saddened me, made me feel out of touch with mainstream America, y’know?
I’m appearing THIS MORNING between 10 a.m. and 11 on Tampa Bay’s 10’s Studio 10 (click here and read host Holley Sinn’s humorous post previewing my segment). If time permits, perhaps I’ll discuss my disastrous DMB experience.
Lastly, I like the opener Gomez but yesterday the vocals were muddled in the mix and I just wasn’t feeling the performance. Props to Dave for personally introducing the band but that still didn’t lure the vast majority of pavilion-seat-ticket-holders in to see the British rockers’ set. And I can imagine staring out into a sea of empty seats isn’t exactly inspiring.
Here are some more excellent pics taken by James Ostrand.
Dave Matthews Band:
Gomez:
Send to a friend:
July 10th, 2008 at 9:02 am
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
July 10th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
“seek up” made your stomach turn? How do u have a job as a music critic? amazing
July 10th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
“My DMB experience lasted exactly 1.75 songs.”
Good to see you cover the national scene as thorougly as you do the local scene.
July 10th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
“The next number was an instrumental featuring a Kenny G-ish sax solo that turned my stomach”. The song was not an instrumental. If you would have stayed longer you would have been able to really judge the song. The guy playing the sax solo is one of the best sax players around and he is just filling in for Leroi Moore. Ridiculous review.
July 10th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
dude…where do i start. first you call yourself a music critique i would love to hear what you believe to be “good” music. and good music doesnt have to be the newest song on the radio just because it is catchy. you make fun of kenny g…i hate his music but i respect the guy more then any other musician who trys to touch a saxaphone. (except maybe leroi..holla dave fans!) lol you can not tell me for a second that kenny g sucks or is not a good musician and if u do please give me your job so i can get tickets to his the shows u say u critique.
onto dave…pick up any one of the bands instruments and play their music. carter beaufod (the drummer) has been respected by every drummer in the world including dave weckl. (know who he is… i hope so.) he has also been on every rolling stones list for greatest rock drummer for about the last decade. i could go on about every member and how they are musically beyond their years but i will stop your pain of reading and argue another point.
daves voice…so its not the greatest but whos is now a days. john mayer? kid rock? … daves voice is original and gets the job done. better yet he is one of those rare singer song writers…more props to him just because he writes his own music.
and his lyrics suck? id list off musical rymes that dr suess will have an orgasm over. not only does he rhyme and flow words together he creates another instrument with his voice making him one of the only musicians in the world that can sing all of his songs acoustically. name me another rock band artist who can do that?
look i hate tiger woods because hes cocky, arrogant, and everything else that he does…but i respect him because he is good… and god is he good. when u saw seek up what were u looking for? how the ridiculous sax line lulled you to sleep? how dave forgot the lyrics because hes been on tour for 50 something days now and you didnt even notice that the band picked him up without skipping a beat? did u see how the violinist soloed over the horn lines seemlessly making the riff look planned? did you watch how carter sang the chorus while busting out triplets with his feet and quarters with his hands? did u see dave play an acoustic melody while singing an entire different melody? if you answer no to all these let me know what they guy in front of you was wearing because id love to hear it.
yes you can guess…i love dave. and yes i fit between your 20-30 age range. but let me tell u this, no other band has been able to relate so many songs to moods and moments that dave has done for so many people. we ( i speak for all dave fans) have used his songs like a drug and thats why he has the following he does. each song he plays relates to our lives so personally that we love him for playing it…and we cant wait to hear the next song. whether death, love, or hate dave has the right words to say for any mood and the way that the music hits you is like no other band. if u dont like dave…thats fine. u have to appriciate good music when u see good music, just like you appriciate good art when you see good art even though its just colors. hey and all the colors mix together to grey! (you wouldnt get it)
July 10th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Andrew, well said and so right. Is their any other band out there right now that has such a mix of unique and magical musicians like DMB? I think not. And, this band lays it all out their for the world to love or hate just so they can do it for what it is…music. That is what they got in it for, the love of music. Do you really think that any of the members of the band care what a low level music critic from where? the Tampa Calling thinks. The guy couldn’t hold a jock strap to any REAL music journalist in todays media. Go back to school Wade and learn the basics of what music is…
July 10th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
10-4 Joey….you are spot on
July 11th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Andrew, are you eating retard sandwiches? And sharing them with your frat bros Scott, Joey, Rick, Nick and Doug?
“…and his lyrics suck? id list off musical rymes that dr suess will have an orgasm over.
dave has the right words to say for any mood and the way that the music hits you is like no other band.”
Are you sure you’re in age range?
You make DMB sound like a collective of rock and jazz titans.
Have you ever listened to Gene Krupa (drums), Wayne Shorter (saxophone), Robert Plant (vocals), Bob Dylan (lyrics) or Allman Brothers Band’s At Fillmore East (the definitive jam band document)?
You want some jazz fusion, trade in your DMB discs for some Weather Report.
As for contemporary acts making meaningful music, please read:
http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/radiohead_leads_the_way/Content?oid=438580
July 11th, 2008 at 11:51 am
andrew,
“he creates another instrument with his voice making him one of the only musicians in the world that can sing all of his songs acoustically. name me another rock band artist who can do that?”
you should check out Jud Jud, acapella hard-core.
http://www.myspace.com/judjud
July 11th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Whoa, dude. The frats found the blogosphere!
I actually respect DMB for his uniqueness and musicianship and I went to the show (er… made to go to the show by a friend) last time he was in town. I even had a good time. He put on a fairly good show with a lot of energy. But he did lull me to sleep a few times. (I think he played the Kenny Gish song last time too). sure, while it’s more than I can do on a sax, i wouldn’t exactly call it inspiring.
I’ve been a much bigger fan of DMB’s less radio friendly hits that show his breadth as a musician and he rarely does these in concert. I also agree with my frat brother Andrew up there — the drummer is extremely talented and is partly what makes DMB a force besides Dave’s vocals. But rhymes that make Dr. Suess orgasm? Now that’s ridiculous.
“we ( i speak for all dave fans) have used his songs like a drug and thats why he has the following he does.”
that’s classic.
July 11th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
You should not be a music critic. The reason so many have been converted is because these guys are the best band going right now; bar none. I have seen almost every rock band over the last 25 years, most several times and DMB is definitely the best in concert ofany band I have seen. What other band has 25 year old fans that have seen them 20 times or far more?
July 11th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
What a joke. you call yourself a music critic, but you only stayed for “1.75 songs”
You’re terrible. This “review” wasn’t even a professional critique, it was a joke.
And it was boring, so quit blogging, and go work in a file room where you don’t have to interact with anyone or anything interesting.
July 11th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Wow! Ya know, Hellboy came out today. You should go see the opening credits and give it a review. What a douche…..
July 11th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Ok this is the worst review i’ve ever seen in my life. My dmb experience lasted 1.75 songs. Yea if you had stayed for the whole concert you would have seen magic. Why waste your time writing this awful review.
July 13th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Saying you lasted 1.75 is an overstatement if you thought seek up was an instrumental, you lasted 1.15 songs, and didn\\\’t even try to have a good time. You went in expecting to hate it without even giving it a real chance and that is exactly what happened. You could have written this about a band that I don\\\’t like and I would still have no respect for your opinion if you only stuck around for ten minutes. Kindof hard to judge a two and a half hour concert in only ten minutes.
July 14th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Brad,
“What other band has 25 year old fans that have seen them 20 times or far more?”
sonic youth.