in anticipation

in anticipation of seeing my 17th, 18th and 19th dmb shows this weekend, i went to my dmb concert notes to relive a few of the past shows. i thought i'd post my notes on the first show ever, the show where i drank the kool-aid apparently. i went to this show a fan, i left a convert.

Date: May 20, 1998
Venue: Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Irvine, California
Seats: Loge 7, Row HH, Seat 721
Show #: 1
Went with: By myself

Notes: I had the “Under the Table and Dreaming” and “Crash” albums, which I liked a lot, and had recently purchased “Before These Crowded Streets.” I had been listening to it nonstop while I was studying for finals in the spring semester of my second year of law school. Daven was out of town somewhere, so I was home alone. I knew that DMB was playing that night and I was in the library and just decided to go. I drove down to Irvine, bought a ticket from a scalper in the parking lot; he had bought the ticket from the people in the car in front of me. Parking at Irvine Meadows (sorry, that’s what they called it when I was growing up) was, as always, a nightmare and I listened to Two Step and Jimi Thing from the car with my window down, and heard Satellite as I was literally running along that eight million mile long walk to the amphitheatre. I walked in at the end of Satellite and started what will probably become a lifelong obsession! Dave told the crowd that they were going to play straight through without an encore because they had to be done by 11.

Set List:

Two Step – it sounded great from the car.
Jimi Thing – as above.
Satellite – man, I love this song, it was magical to hear it live for the first time, even if I was running while I heard it.
Crush - sounded great.
The Stone – always kind of ambivalent towards this song on the album, it is great live.
Dancing Nancies – Boyd rocked this. he played so hard that he shredded his bow. At the end, I turned to the people next to me and thanked them for selling their ticket.
Stay – Dave sang the “Makes you Wanna, Makes You Wanna” bits on his own, so cute.
Tripping Billies – this was when I realized that everyone in the place knew all the words to every song and sang along.
Last Stop – so intense.
Lie In Our Graves – This song is meant to be heard live, outside with the stars above your head on a warm summer night. I was hooked.
Don’t Drink the Water –with Bela Fleck playing banjo, so it sounded a lot like the album version but it seemed to go on forever as they jammed it out.
#41 – I remember being amazed at how long this song was in concert and telling people after how cool it was that they could jam like that.
Patala Naga Pampa/Rapunzel – I was ready to hear this song the moment that I walked in; it was the first thing I asked the people next to me, if they had played this yet. I was glad not to miss it; t did not disappoint.
Crash – the couples skate song; really awkward to hear if you are alone.
All Along the Watchtower – I had no idea that they did this song live at the time and was completely blown away.

Guests:

Bela Fleck on Tripping Billies, Last Stop, Lie in Our Graves and Don’t Drink the Water.

Bela Fleck & the Flecktones & Jeff Coffin on #41 & Rapunzel.