A tribute to Dave Matthews Band

At some point during a Dave Matthews concert you get the feeling of  I don't want this to end. The feeling is sheer joy masked as dread. Only those people who love the band (or any other musician) with the same intensity understand that. But it's factual. I've realized that these concert weekends have become my very favorite days of the year. Yes, there are other amazing days in my life. There are birthdays and Christmas mornings and unplanned spontaneous wonderful days that become one of life's best. But overall, the sheer bliss, excitement, giddiness I feel at the DMB shows each year...they are my favorite.


What started as a fun concert to attend of a band whose music I really enjoyed, has become a spiritual experience. It's silly; I know. I'm an easy target for mockery. It's just a band, for God's sake. It's a concert. Why the importance? Because it makes me feel wholly alive. It makes me feel like I'm present, living, feeling Life. I'm surrounded by other people who feel, either to a lesser or even greater degree, the same power of a great setlist or a song that's rarely played live.

And then there are the lyrics. I'm more moved
by the words of a song than the melody--always--not just with this band, but with any musician. And Dave Matthews's words are poetry...and therapy. His lines make me feel understood. Yes, I am aware that a statement like that makes me sound like a teenager filled with angst talking about Nirvana in the 90s. But let's face it: life gets harder as you get older. Real Shit starts happening. And if you happen to have a head as intense and noisy as I do, then sometimes you need someone else to put into words what you're feeling or have felt or are afraid of admitting you feel.

"Celebrate we will for life is short but sweet for certain."

Thanks, Dave, for making it that much sweeter.