Work did it again; and graciously hooked me up with some tickets to see the one and only, Dave Matthews Band.
So, I put on my cool pineapple outfit, and as usual, I invited one of my close friends. This time I switched it up and asked a sister of mine who was down for the week from Pennsylvania if she wanted to go. She happily said yes, and we were on our way to see one of the biggest worldwide ticket sellers of all time. It was my (And my friends) first Dave Matthews concert, so we were both very excited to experience the energy and overall atmosphere the show would have.
Unfortunately, since Dave is so widely known and loved, the traffic was insane. So, after hitching a ride with a few friends as far as we could get, we hopped out of the back of the truck we were riding in and ventured on foot towards the venue.
When we finally got there, after a good fifteen-minute walk, it was just how I pictured it. INSANE. But a good insane; filled with a lot of rainbow attire, band memorabilia, and a lot of people. As we soon found out, the concert was sold out (Not unlikely for Dave) and thankfully Dave waited till 7:30 pm to play because the line to get in was almost a mile long.
As the first half of the show began, Dave played a very intimate set; with songs like “Bartender” and “Spaceman” that were played in an acoustic style. The crowd was loving it. There were fans left and right who were singing every word, doing some interesting dance moves, and even had the infamous ‘dancer’ logo tattooed on them.
One of the funny moments during the show, besides the classic drunk people watching, was when Dave talked about how his son was with him at the show in Charlotte. He said, “He came along with Dad today, but was probably out driving around on a golf cart with the arena staff.” I’m guessing he’s probably seen Dad play a little too much already in his lifetime…But as I came to learn, Dave sounds incredible life as he does on record. The sound was simply amazing. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard anyone sound so similar on stage as to their recordings, but no doubt he was!
As we walked around during the set break, we were able to find some other people we knew and stayed with them during the second half. After the set break, Dave opened back up with “You Might Die Trying” followed by one of my newly discovered favorites, “Down By The River.”
It was certainly a treat, to not only enjoy the fact I was at a Dave Matthews concert for the first time but being able to share the experience with some great friends. The songs all had a great variety of them and, if you ever get the chance, I recommend going to see the Dave Matthews Band 100%!
With Love,
Lex Paige
