Dave Matthews Band, Part 2: THE MUSIC

This post will likely be shorter than my last post. I'll have less complaining to do and I might run out of things to say before I get into 'I-just-plain-love-this-band' territory. Let's begin at the beginning.

The Dave Matthews Band consists of five full members (all original). They are: Dave Matthews, Carter Beauford, Boyd Tinsley, Stefan Lessard, and LeRoi Moore. I'll deal with them each in turn.

Dave Matthews is one of the most underrated songwriters of our generation. I say that not only as a huge fan but also as someone who can appreciate a good song in general. I say underrated because this band's albums are never huge commercial successes. I'm not sure how the band chooses the singles but it's impossible to judge the full might of DMB just by their radio singles. That, unfortunately, is what happens in the current market and so this band cannot be rightly judged by the record buying public. No matter, the live shows are what drive this band anyway, not the records. It's in the live shows that they thrive musically. If, as I said, you were to judge this band only by singles you'd miss the impressive range and depth of Matthews' song writing ability. Yes, he writes about drugs, but he also writes about far more important topics in cleverly disguised ways. God is one of his favorite subjects. 'Save Me', one of Dave's "solo" songs, is about a conflict between god and the devil. Sex, too, is a another big topic. "Two Step' is about having sex. Lately though, from Before These Crowded Streets Onward the albums themselves have been getting more political. 'Don't Drink the Water' is about the devastation that humankind has wrought on the earth out of greed. Think about Manhattan Island and what has become of it. It was sold for about $22. That's it, and look what has become of it. Some people love NYC, including Dave Matthews, but you can love that city and still recognize it as a blemish on the face of the earth...compared, at least, to what was once, and could have remained, natural beauty. Consider the Grand Canyon as well...there is a McDonalds there. 'Seek Up', too, is a social commentary that borders on activist anthem. That song literally changed my life. It's about, basically, how when you die you have nothing left because you can't take your stuff, and so a life spent accumulating stuff is wasted. Of course, this is sort of silly coming from a huge rock star, but what makes the music more interesting is the relationship between Dave and his topics. I have a feeling that a lot of things in the life of the singer are on a love-hate basis. Alcohol, politics, everything seems to have a good bad dichotomy. But isn't that how life is? Dave's a great writer...plus he can play the strings off a guitar. However....

You will not find a better drummer than Carter Beauford. He is, without a doubt, the best drummer ever. He can sing, chew gum, smile, and still play the drums. He's got the most drums of any set I've ever seen and they all get used. His solos are incredible, varied, eclectic, and clever. There is a sense of playfulness that accompanies every solo. His drumming is always present but never bogs down, blemishes, or ruins a track. Essentially, every DMB song is four instruments and singing over Beauford's playing. He can do so much while the normal song is going on, and he changes everything up so much, that it's almost as if everything were designed around him and every minute of every song is a solo for him. The best songs happen when Carter is free to do his thing.

Boyd Tinsley, at first glance, is a very odd edition to this band. First off, a violin? I remember thinking, when I was young, what kind of band has a violin in it? But then I realized, that these songs really did need a violin to sound right. It's the perfect instrument to compliment Moore's wind instruments. If you want to see a kick ass violin solo, go to a DMB show. Boyd dresses like a model, in designer jeans and cut-off shirts, and dances around the stage playing the violin and it's just a sight that will make you happy. Boyd, in my mind, can do no wrong.

Stefan Lessard is a natural on the bass. His riffs are, sadly, not noticed very often by the casual listener. He's known mostly for the opening of 'Crush', but every other song bears his mark as well. Stefan, like the rest of the band, likes to change up the licks during live shows but he is the master out of the band. Just one little note can make all the difference and Lessard is genius when it comes to making little changes for big effects.

LeRoi Moore is the "quiet one". He almost never speaks and occasionally sings during live shows...backing vocals of course. His 'trademark' squeaks from his collection of woodwinds separate him from every other rock-winds player. Moore, more than any other band member, has a distinctive sound that is easily distinguishable before the others. His tunes flow beautifully in smooth hills and valleys and usually culminate in a few blaring, screechy, high notes that the casual listener would deem "mistakes". No, he meant to do that, and that's why he's the greatest.

And now to the music in general. First the songs and then the performances. DMB, more than any other band ever, requires a sense of history to fully appreciate. Matthews' lyrics are often cryptic, self-referential, and prescient. So, in order to full understand what's going on, you'd need to have known what just happened. There's essentially no coming in "in the middle of the show". Fans whose first exposure to the band was Crash, Everyday, or even Busted Stuff have missed quite a bit already. For instance, 'Halloween' was on an album before Before These Crowded Streets. 'Everyday' is based on '#36'. Many of the songs from Busted Stuff were remakes of the ill-fated "Lillywhite Sessions", a cancelled album made with longtime producer Steve Lillywhite that has a long story behind it (essentially, the band members got to 'a really dark place' and nearly split up, Dave wrote the entire Everyday album with producer Glen Ballard without the rest of the band (many people hate Glen Ballard for this) but in the end the mass-produced sound of Everyday reminded the band of where they came from and resulted in some really strong albums since.) Also, live shows require a knowledge of the stories behind the songs in order to fully appreciate. Recently, at Live Earth, DMB played 'Don't Drink the Water'. How many people there fully understand the significance of that song (which I mentioned before). They also played that song at a live show in Central Park. Also, the live shows today are different than 10 years ago or even last year. Show historians can listen to a show and tell the era because Dave will be playing a certain riff that doesn't happen any more, the band will perform a certain type of interlude, or certain songs will run into each other (something that doesn't happen anymore). Also, if a show ends with the "Watchtower", chances are it's from before 2002...and these same people will probably bemoan the recent edition of "WOOOO" in between guitar riffs during live performances of "Warehouse". That really bothers me and it's something that has gained popularity only after the Live at Folsom Field release. Oh, well.

All in all, the music is organic but evolving. Something that I think all bands would do well to copy. Oh, and they play a different set every night, so it's worth seeing the show twice in a row.

Taht's all for now. Check out my compatriot Samtastic!