BAD REVIEW Example Dave Matthews
MUSICAL GUMBO;DAVE MATTHEWS BAND EXPLORES MIX OF STYLES San Jose Mercury News (California) August 4, 2003 Monday MORNING FINAL EDITION
Copyright 2003 San Jose Mercury News
All Rights Reserved
San Jose Mercury News (California)
August 4, 2003 Monday MORNING FINAL EDITION
SECTION: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT; Pg. 1C
LENGTH: 556 words
HEADLINE: MUSICAL GUMBO;
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND EXPLORES MIX OF STYLES
BYLINE: MARIAN LIU, Mercury News
BODY:
Dave Matthews Band made me want to stay awhile.
He was a breath of fresh air in a landscape filled with gimmicky music -- the bulletproof vest of 50 Cent, the lesbian love of Tatu and the "realness" of J.Lo.
Along with the Roots, Matthews exhibited a stripped-down musical passion.
Selling out concerts for the past few years, he has been consistent in expressing the soul of music, turning a concert into an experience.
And for hard-core fans and newbies, Friday night at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View was no different. Matthews still amazed, lifting many in the packed crowd of thousands to their feet for the entire show.
Saying little except for scattered thank-yous, Matthews injected his feelings into the nearly three-hour show, starting with "The Stone" and ending with an encore of "Tripping Billies." He gravitated the mood of the music according to his whims, pushing and pulling the audience to find the passion of each note.
"Pay For What You Get" and "Don't Drink the Water" rocked the jam concept to a climax, causing thousands of hips to sway side to side. He then slowed down to the whispering lullaby of "Loving Wings," a romantic ballad that induced the many couples in the crowd to embrace.
Boyd Tinsley extended the violin's reach out of the realm of classical music and into rock, plucking and gliding it in and out of the songs. Drummer Carter Beauford and keyboardist Butch Taylor played off each other with energy and obvious delight.
With their country twangs, African beats, jazz jams, rock riffs, and scat solos, it was a musical gumbo, where both genders and fans of all ages could dance together. Smiles from the band were mirrored by fans such as 17-year-old Jason Nicolopulos of Mountain View and 35-year-old Mark Swanson of Belvedere.
You can spot these fans, "Daveheads" anywhere, from the teens to 30-somes, the neo-yuppie-hippies, donning their Greek alphabets and Urban Outfitter khakis and flip-flops. Beer in hand and world peace on their minds, they transmit a positive vibe. Not only do they obsessively jot down set lists, they fly around the country to concerts with the passion of a Bruce Springsteen fan.
The Roots went out to do the same thing. It was a strange pairing to open Dave Matthews with the Roots, but as jam bands, they set out to show the same heart and passion. Too bad only a fourth of the fans bothered to show up, because they missed a great show.
The Roots are one of the rarest of the rare in hip-hop, performing with a live band instead of a DJ sampling pre-recorded tracks. If you are tired of the bling-bling, misogynistic nature of rap, this band will rejuvenate yourhope in the genre.
The band was a show-stealer at one of the concerts earlier this summer, BFD. At that show, fans squeezed into a small tent to grab their grooves, leaving little space to breathe. This show, however, with less of a crowd, dissipated the energy into the audience, but the Roots were no less excited to be there. Rock singer Cody ChestnuTT is still one of the offbeat-happy finds to hear. And their eclectic sound still fires up your body to beat to its rhythm.
What the audience didn't get to hear would have been the ultimate climax of the night. If these two bands ever decided to jam together, that would be music at its most beautiful.
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