DMBLive - 11.30.98 - First Union Center - Philadelphia, PA

[Xcacel]

Originally Posted by dkroehnke

This show is absolutely incredible!

Just an amazing show.

I probably like this better than 10.31.1998 (LT39) and (11.02.1998) (LT53).

[Doibhin]

Any '98 show with last stop is already gonna be amazing

[GraceBuckley]

Happy to see this show pop up in threads - this show is super special to me. It marked the 1st of a 6 night run (not quite 6 nights straight but close) of probably some of the best DMB shows I ever saw, and I saw 80ish from early '95 - '08.

This 1st Philly show was outrageously good, but when I line up both Phillys, the immediate next 2 NYC MSGs, and then the 2 Worcester shows, they mark probably the most amazing musical live energetic run I experienced as a fan of theirs.

Everything was on fire: the songs themselves (BTCS my fave DMB album), the energy onstage, the actual performance of EACH band member, the band dynamics as a band, the energy of the audience to the band... Even just the dynamic between Tim & Bela was special. I finally got to ask Bela what was going on between them because over and over I'd see Tim say something to Bela and Bela either bust a laugh or roll his eyes, and Bela said Tim was always saying something like how he was going to French kiss Bela and making sloppy slurpy faces, all to try to throw Bela & make him laugh (which often worked). That kind of energy just kept things so fresh onstage and in the audience!

And over the years I was around, I rarely commented to the band after a show what I thought of it, beyond maybe pointing out certain moments or asking a few questions. But as much as I totally understand the 1st thing out of most people's mouths being "You guys killed it!", I never ever said that, not even my 1st times meeting them. But a couple times after these shows, and once to Dave that I'll never forget, after MSG 2, with that incredible Warehouse early on & Warren Haynes on Watchtower at the end, I passed Dave in a hallway and I just looked at him and said "Wow. Tonight..." and held out my hand, and the humble smile but also the light in his eyes, like he KNEW they killed that show, that was a special moment. I said that to a few of them quietly after some of those shows & you could just see how good they felt about them, how moved they also were.

Also if I remember correctly, '98 was the last tour where the whole band rode on one bus (or maybe that was '00 but I'm thinking '98). Given how much time that band spent on the road, I totally get the need to have more private space from each other even when everyone's happy. I'm surprised they made it that long all on one bus and didn't at least split into 2 buses as early as '96) but them all on one bus meant there was also a synergy & closeness offstage - stressful at times I'm sure - but mostly a really powerful closeness. The times I was around for the post-show "Get on the bus" vibe it was amazing in '98.

This was a special 6 show run. Thanks whoever bumped it, it's good to think about it all.

[Thirtyfouroi]

Originally Posted by GraceBuckley

Happy to see this show pop up in threads - this show is super special to me. It marked the 1st of a 6 night run (not quite 6 nights straight but close) of probably some of the best DMB shows I ever saw, and I saw 80ish from early '95 - '08.

This 1st Philly show was outrageously good, but when I line up both Phillys, the immediate next 2 NYC MSGs, and then the 2 Worcester shows, they mark probably the most amazing musical live energetic run I experienced as a fan of theirs.

Everything was on fire: the songs themselves (BTCS my fave DMB album), the energy onstage, the actual performance of EACH band member, the band dynamics as a band, the energy of the audience to the band... Even just the dynamic between Tim & Bela was special. I finally got to ask Bela what was going on between them because over and over I'd see Tim say something to Bela and Bela either bust a laugh or roll his eyes, and Bela said Tim was always saying something like how he was going to French kiss Bela and making sloppy slurpy faces, all to try to throw Bela & make him laugh (which often worked). That kind of energy just kept things so fresh onstage and in the audience!

And over the years I was around, I rarely commented to the band after a show what I thought of it, beyond maybe pointing out certain moments or asking a few questions. But as much as I totally understand the 1st thing out of most people's mouths being "You guys killed it!", I never ever said that, not even my 1st times meeting them. But a couple times after these shows, and once to Dave that I'll never forget, after MSG 2, with that incredible Warehouse early on & Warren Haynes on Watchtower at the end, I passed Dave in a hallway and I just looked at him and said "Wow. Tonight..." and held out my hand, and the humble smile but also the light in his eyes, like he KNEW they killed that show, that was a special moment. I said that to a few of them quietly after some of those shows & you could just see how good they felt about them, how moved they also were.

Also if I remember correctly, '98 was the last tour where the whole band rode on one bus (or maybe that was '00 but I'm thinking '98). Given how much time that band spent on the road, I totally get the need to have more private space from each other even when everyone's happy. I'm surprised they made it that long all on one bus and didn't at least split into 2 buses as early as '96) but them all on one bus meant there was also a synergy & closeness offstage - stressful at times I'm sure - but mostly a really powerful closeness. The times I was around for the post-show "Get on the bus" vibe it was amazing in '98.

This was a special 6 show run. Thanks whoever bumped it, it's good to think about it all.

really cool story.

so... you have met the band? maybe i missed something in an earlier post? But i'd say that's the elephant in the room. Some of those details how you apparently met the band at will..

and they definitely weren't on one bus as a stadium touring band. pretty sure One of the docs or interviews i saw dave said 94 was the last time they rode on one bus. I can't imagine a band selling out 3 consecutive nights at giant stadium and then dragging themselves on a single, smelly old bus

[GraceBuckley]

Originally Posted by Thirtyfouroi

really cool story.

so... you have met the band? maybe i missed something in an earlier post? But i'd say that's the elephant in the room. Some of those details how you apparently met the band at will..

and they definitely weren't on one bus as a stadium touring band. pretty sure One of the docs or interviews i saw dave said 94 was the last time they rode on one bus. I can't imagine a band selling out 3 consecutive nights at giant stadium and then dragging themselves on a single, smelly old bus

You raise a good point. Weren't the 1st multiple stadium shows on the '99 tour?

'99 may have been the 1st year they split up on buses, because I do know that in '00 was the 1st year I left a stadium show on one band member's bus in the police escort line of buses and I remember that it was definitely NOT the full band on the bus, just that one band member.

That said, the band was absolutely still on one bus in '98. I usually don't go deep into personal stuff in what I post here, even though this was all 20+ yrs ago, but since you asked I'll say this: I'm positive the band was still on one bus because after that last Worcester show (the one that was the 1st show released in the Live Trax series) I rode on the bus with the band from Worcester back to Boston. I was probably the only non-band member & crew member on the bus (there were a couple of crew members even though crew had their own bus, I think because they were going back to hotels in Boston so it was a "Get on the bus you feel like getting on" thing.) And this was Dec '98 so... up until the end of that year of touring.

So, '98, still on one bus. After '98, maybe that was the end and '99 brought the individual buses. I don't think I was on a bus again until '00.

[Thirtyfouroi]

Originally Posted by GraceBuckley

You raise a good point. Weren't the 1st multiple stadium shows on the '99 tour?

'99 may have been the 1st year they split up on buses, because I do know that in '00 was the 1st year I left a stadium show on one band member's bus in the police escort line of buses and I remember that it was definitely NOT the full band on the bus, just that one band member.

That said, the band was absolutely still on one bus in '98. I usually don't go deep into personal stuff in what I post here, even though this was all 20+ yrs ago, but since you asked I'll say this: I'm positive the band was still on one bus because after that last Worcester show (the one that was the 1st show released in the Live Trax series) I rode on the bus with the band from Worcester back to Boston. I was probably the only non-band member & crew member on the bus (there were a couple of crew members even though crew had their own bus, I think because they were going back to hotels in Boston so it was a "Get on the bus you feel like getting on" thing.) And this was Dec '98 so... up until the end of that year of touring.

So, '98, still on one bus. After '98, maybe that was the end and '99 brought the individual buses. I don't think I was on a bus again until '00.

Ok. But surely you aren’t talking about the infamous 7 seater white bus, right? (Or was it burgundy?)

99 was the first stadium tour. What was your role on the tour and why did you stop??

[GraceBuckley]

Originally Posted by Thirtyfouroi

Ok. But surely you aren’t talking about the infamous 7 seater white bus, right? (Or was it burgundy?)

99 was the first stadium tour. What was your role on the tour and why did you stop??

I am not clued in to the infamous white bus, nor the burgundy one, but if it was a 7 seater it's definitely not the bus I'm talking about! I'm talking regular full service tour buses, you know, with bunks, a lounge in the back, card table that seats 4 and longer couches in front.

You asked my role on the tour, but I wasn't working on it (I don't work in the music business) so I had no "role" on the tour and I definitely didn't go on the whole tour! In those days I just jumped onto the circus train when I could get time off work, and almost always only in the tri-state area (NY, NJ & CT) athough even now I wonder how I got that much time off at that time to spend the better part of a whole week away LOL! All these years later when I tried to count my shows, I literally couldn't remember which years I saw certain shows, like the Vets Stadium/Giants Stadium/Foxboro Stadium shows, or Hartford Meadows, I just guessed based vaguely on what I remembered of opening bands.

[GraceBuckley]

I just realized I may have confused you when I said I was the only "non-band member & crew member on the bus", I meant "non-band and non-crew", like I was the only person on the bus who wasn't part of the tour, that's what I meant. Sorry if I made things more confusing with my explanation!

[Route_2]

Originally Posted by GraceBuckley

I just realized I may have confused you when I said I was the only "non-band member & crew member on the bus", I meant "non-band and non-crew", like I was the only person on the bus who wasn't part of the tour, that's what I meant. Sorry if I made things more confusing with my explanation!

I think he is asking why you were on the bus. You're being a bit vague on how you got there.

[GraceBuckley]

Originally Posted by Route_2

I think he is asking why you were on the bus. You're being a bit vague on how you got there.

Sorry, I guess I thought that was obvious, I was friends with them. I have written about hanging out with them here and obviously I know there are a million threads here and no one reads everything, but I guess I thought that it was obvious that if I wasn't in the band or crew, I was just a friend along for the ride. They have a lot of friends! That's it, I was friends with them, 3 of the 5 original members in particular, but on friendly terms with all of them for the period I was actively hanging out.

Sorry if I seem cryptic, but as anyone who is on these boards knows very well, there are rarely people who are or were actual friends with the band who post here openly or say that. At least not who identify themselves that way. I've talked here about my first shows and how I came to meet them, but most of what I post here is from my view as a fan, not anything personal almost ever. And I also go whole years where I don't visit here, so it's almost like being new to a lot of the convos (like this one) when I do check in a lot.

I do miss the Nancies listserve days because there were people who knew them really well on back then and they'd tell so many stories! I always wonder if anyone saved some of those really early days stories, some were very personal but great stories. I don't really see people post those stories anymore for a lot of years on any band's board, at least not the ones I read and also know the bands.

Just for the record, since I'm a woman and sexism probably means my vague-ness makes it seem like there was more to it than that, I'll just say outright no, I never dated anyone in the DMB camp (no band, no crew, no management), and also I met ALL of their significant others during the years I hung out, met all of the original band members' moms at least once, and met many of the kids. It was an amazing community and I really appreciate those times. That time in '00 I left on a band member's bus from a stadium show, it was the band member, significant other, and several other friends and folks on that bus. I'm just not used to giving those details at all but I guess in this case I can see how the absence of them makes it seem even more mysterious or weird. Lesson learned!

[Route_2]

All good

I wasn't aware of your background with the band either. Thanks for sharing.