Music in my life

July 11, 2001. I was at Folsom Field with my father, sister, brother and sister-in-law for the best concert I will ever attend. Too soon to say? Not on your life. I may be the only one who would say that out of our group, but it's my story and my experience was otherworldly.

The song embedded above provided the most vivid moment for me. I know it's a long song, but it simmers until the 3:55 mark and does not calm down until the 7:15 mark. The song is deep and, as of this performance, yet-to-be-released. It also prominently features Leroi Moore on the saxophone. Moore died last summer after an ATV accident last summer.

I have been to four Dave Matthews Band concerts in my life (two of them released as DVDs), but only this one featured 3/4 of the rest of my family combined with a transcendent experience.

Music has played a big role in my life. That is mostly due to the fact that my father made sure music of all kinds echoed in the house as we grew up. His diversity of music taste is at least part of the reason my i-pod play list makes no sense except to me (it features everything from Mozart to Jay-Z and Rammstein... Paul Simon and the Beatles to Dr. Dre and The Killers).

Although the Dave Matthews Band is my runaway favorite band of all time, the right song from any era sends me back in time and starts the memories flowing. And, that often takes me back to Boulder, Colorado.

On July 11, 2001, rain greeted us at our seats. Although the rain was steady, it was tolerable and almost pleasant. The opening acts were good if not memorable (I only remember Wyclef Jean, but the others are hazy). The concert started at 8:00 and the rain stopped on a dime.

You can't make this stuff up.

I remember taking that as a sign not to let anything ruin the experience. I proceeded to have a blast until the final encore. My experience featured singing along, dancing and basically blocking out my surroundings. The concert went overtime by 15 minutes, but it could have lasted another hour and I'd have been fine.

I first heard of DMB from friends back in Virginia who told me about this great band playing in Charlottesville (where I used to live) at a local bar called Miller's. When "Under the Table and Dreaming" was released I about burned out my copy. The album flowed wonderfully and seemed to tell a story. DMB became a constant companion for me in college.

I can't really explain why they are my favorite. I guess, if pinned down, I'd say because of DMBs unique combination of instruments, their amazing improvisation as a live band and because, in a world full of formulaic canned pop music, DMB seemed deeper and more original. I have also consistently appreciated singers with unique-sounding voices, including Dylan, Paul Simon, Matthews, and even Elton John among many others.

After the concert ended, we stopped at a Denny's-type restaurant outside of Boulder for a snack. No one must have noticed the concert on the schedule when they made staffing arrangements because there were about two waitresses and one cook. We were not the first there, but by the time we were finished, the line for tables was out the door and the three workers were calling for reinforcements and in full-panic mode.

It was at the table when my dad stated that this concert had surpassed his experience seeing the Rolling Stones live in 1967 as the best concert he had ever attended. I remember being profoundly impressed by that statement and spent the rest of the night reflecting on my experience. I don't remember sleeping much that night.

And THAT is what makes a concert great. When a performance grabs you, the experience is special. There are countless examples, and I suppose the circumstances vary for each person. But, when you experience the "perfect storm" as I did in 2001, it's magical.

My dad provided an anecdote for the clip blow. Queen, live from "Live Aid" in 1985. He described watching Freddie Mercury take hold of the audience. I found the clip on Youtube and posted it below. No matter what you think of Queen, there is no denying that Mercury took command of the audience and absolutely touched them. He sent everyone home talking about the experience, and I have since discovered that his performance is widely considered one of the best of the 20th Century.



Jacob has taken a special fancy to some of the Muppet Show DVDs my mom owns. The series is a collection from the shows that aired when I was about his age. They feature guest stars such as Harry Belafonte, Linda Ronstadt, Paul Simon, Elton John, John Denver and others. His insistence on watching those DVDs whenever he earns a movie has brought back so many memories for me.

I remember those artists and others playing throughout my childhood, adolescence and early-adulthood. Once upon a time, I was up on all the new music and always on the lookout for good groups or albums. Unfortunately, I've become more and more detached from the music scene. I don't buy cd's hardly ever anymore.

Although it still didn't lead to a CD purchase, I did buy and download the soundtrack from Slumdog Millionaire via I-tunes after seeing the movie tonight. The music made a wonderful movie into a special experience much like John Williams did for Star Wars. Music doesn't usually break a movie, but it can absolutely make a movie.

I am going to try to update my music collection and get back to my old practice of listening to music around the house. Although I resisted my father's attempts to make me memorize the composer by sound as a kid (something I regret now), I don't want Jacob to miss out on a soundtrack to his life.

In a related note, Jacob, Year 3, begins production this week.