Saratoga Performing Arts Center
My first DMB show; after missing N2 of this weekend I would rarely miss another DMB show at SPAC.
Dave Matthews Band
My first DMB show; after missing N2 of this weekend I would rarely miss another DMB show at SPAC.
The words Lie In Our Graves and Boyd summarized this show for me.
This show featured The Stone as a rare opener, and had an intense energy throughout. Montage Mt is an unusual venue with a white tent covering the orchestra section. My seat was in 102 Row CC and I was able to stand straight in the middle of the orchestra section and see everything on stage with perfect sound about 35 yards back from the stage. Only my third DMB show and by the end of it I was then hooked for life. This show was released as Live Trax Vol. 22, representing one of the great live performances the band thought was worthy of releasing.
Friday night (N1) of what was to be a 3-night run, but the other shows were cancelled due to the hurricane. Fans were transported back and forth by ferry to lower Manhattan. By the time the show ended, Manhattan was largely evacuated and it was quite erie coming to the docks on the ferry from the Island, seeing lower Manhattan so dark and empty.
The folks who originally purchased a 3-night pass got one Governors Island show and all three rescheduled Randall’s Island shows out of the deal when the hurricane caused two of the first shows to be cancelled. So I saw four shows with one ticket stub.
After Hurricane Sandy devastated the Jersey Shore the band announced that this would be a benefit concert. The band focused on the Away from the World material at these shows, which were quite excellent.
The warehouse provided me with the same seat locations on consecutive nights, excellent seats just off the floor on the side. Nice going back to the exact same seats on the second night!
No digital video screens at this show, apparently the regular setup for the large venues would not fit in this arena.
One of my favorite shows, a wonderful performance for this tour closer right before Christmas. A classic Copperpot video is online, which I have watched so many times, especially the #41 and Best of What’s Around sequence, which contains a Jeff Coffin sax solo at the end that can’t be beat.
Following an event at Sandy Hook too horrible to describe in the week before this show, this version of Christmas Song is especially beautiful, and sang so intensely and poignantly by Dave.