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.
