If you happened to take a stroll down Cherry Avenue 30 years ago, you might have heard Carter Beauford, the drummer for the Dave Matthews Band, practicing.
The band first came together in 1991 in Charlottesville, and 10 years later, the group played a sold-out concert at the University. Then, nearly two decades after it all began, the Dave Matthews Band returned to close out its 2010 tour at John Paul Jones Arena, and its homecoming - Nov. 19-20 - couldn't have been finer. The anticipation for the band's last stand before it takes a year off has been huge across town. Students bought tickets months in advance. 106.1 'The Corner' played DMB every other song for a week before the group arrived. JPJ prepared days in advance to set up the band's spectacular stage.
And this build-up was not for nothing. The rockers failed to disappoint, giving exhilarating performances both nights, during which they played more than three dozen songs, beginning with "Squirm," a song off the latest album, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. The lighting was phenomenal, the music was as good as ever, but the best part of the show was the energy that emanated from both the stage and the crowd. It couldn't have been clearer that the band was happy to be home, and if the rest of the audience was anything like me, we sure were glad to have them.
On the second night of the concert, the crowd expected Dave and the boys to bring the show to an end after the encore, the appropriately entitled "The Last Stop." But DMB went further, treating the audience to an encore to the encore with two more songs, "Anyone Seen the Bridge," a concert specialty, and, more unexpectedly, "Ants Marching," the second single off the very first album, released in 1994.
DMB stands out, even among all the talent that Charlottesville turns out - from athletes such as Howie Long to authors like John Grisham and even the guy who built our University. What makes the Dave Matthews Band special is the incredible history behind the group's formation. Half of the current band - namely, Beauford and Boyd Tinsley - were born in Charlottesville, grew up on the same street and went to the same high school. Meanwhile, bassist Stefan Lessard originates from Anaheim, Calif., with Dave hailing all the way from South Africa. Nevertheless, these four men and the late Leroi Moore, who passed away in 2008, all share one common characteristic: musical excellence. And today, the band has become nothing short of iconic. The group has received praise across the board, even from President Obama. This is both a result of their fantastic music and their constant philanthropic efforts. For example, proceeds from the two Charlottesville concerts went to Local Food Hub and the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge.
All things considered, it's pretty difficult not to like the guys, even more so when you think about how they came together right here in Charlottesville.
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