Aug 252008
 

As screwed up as it might sound from the outset. Dave Matthews Band played the night LeRoi died. The result is the single most powerful moment I have ever heard from this band. Other people have documented the day and the concert far more eloquently than I can, but each time I listen to another song the raw emotion hits me like a sledgehammer. Part of it comes from the context the listener has, but I truly believe it mostly is a group of supremely talented musicians grieving the only way they know how, through their music. This is a show that is an instant, albeit tragic, classic in the band’s history. While it might be hyperbole or the moment talking, I think it is safe to say that we will look back and say the definitive performances of many songs were played that night. I challenge anyone to find another instance of Bartender with such ferocity, or a Dreamingtree as haunting and urgent. On a night they had every right to crawl into a bottle, Dave Matthews Band stepped up and belted a home run. It’s a remarkable performance to listen to, and a part of me hopes the band offers the show up as a volume in their Live Trax series.