My Citi Field Review - Antsmarching.org Forums - Dave Matthews Band Discussion
Old 07-18-2010, 04:45 PM   #1
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My Citi Field Review

So I'll give one of these nonsensical reviews, because I feel like being positive while venting. ; )

Let me get the negative out of the way, before I hit up the songs. Individuals on N1 ruined the first half of the show for me. For those of you who don't know, I take a lot of video and pictures while I watch the show. I love getting the little keepsakes and, quite honestly, it keeps my mind from wandering (I'm one of those people who has to be doing something while doing nothing...my brain is constantly multi-tasking, whether I want to be or not. So, even though I'm listening to the music, my eyes are wandering. This keeps me focused.) My signature has my videos and pics (if you want originals, PM me...always willing to share).

Anyway, we were about eighth row dead center to start, but we had some bros in front of us, one in particular who felt the need to raise his arms every three seconds. He did this with his water bottle and poster tube in his hands. He completely blocked my view (and I'm 6'3). My girlfriend couldn't see jack, and got claustrophobic. So, see ya, eighth row center.

We moved to the back, but we found ourselves at the corridor of an endless parade of people moving around (we were right near the taper with the short rig). This just did not do, because we couldn't get comfortable. So we moved to Boyd's side, which is where I was for Hershey. My pictures from N1 look a lot like Hershey's as a result, but whatever. We were decently situated; unfortunately, my girlfriend couldn't see anything (she's 5'3), but we were right next to the left screen, so she watched that.

Now, on one side of us, we had a guy who just wanted to love, and had no concept of personal space and spatial relationships. And he was drunk or stoned. He was completely incapable of keeping himself to himself, and ruined my BEF>PNP>Rapunzel video by trying to hump my leg. You can find that video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVIpBNRXReo

He also almost threw my girlfriend to the ground a couple of times; thankfully, he did apologize for that...so at least he was courteous. When he and his girlfriend left, a bunch of us high-fived one another.

On the other side, we had a pair of couples. One of the couples did not seem to realize that this was not some giant Meetup group. I don't think the one woman even knew there was a concert. I really wanted to ask her to name two songs that were played that evening. She had her back turned for much of the show, and talked and talked and talked. I wouldn't have minded, except for they were in front of us, so she was turned directly to me. We managed to slide them to our left and get in front of them, and enjoy things.

We did have some guys around us that were dancing around and had an idea of how not to do it while being respectful of those around them. They were cool dudes, and were pretty impressed with my predictions (I'm also positive that one of them said, "Dude, that guy totally called it!" when they were discussing how they wanted to say Seek Up and I said "Tomorrow night." I was talking out my ass, but I also believed that would be our debut. I got lucky, and in no way take credit for Seek Up getting played...other than jedi-mind tricks.)

N2 was different. We were slated to be in the GA, but we couldn't because of my girlfriend's knee. Luckily this couple, Mitch and Celeste, were accommodating (and, by the looks of a picture Mitch sent me today, they benefited from the switch quite a bit). We were behind the backstop, where a net prevented me from getting any meaningful video. So that's fine. I'll just snap a few shots and actually watch the show with my girlfriend. She could see and all was right with the world.

There was just one problem.

Our section sat down for 90% of the show.

Now, for my girlfriend, who was going to have to sit anyway, this was fine. For me...well, part of it was okay, because I had a baseball game today and thought I was going to have to pitch. So, my knees were saved. But at the same time, I wanted to stand. And my 6'3 frame, I thought, was getting in the way of those sitting behind me. So...I sat, too. It was weird, after standing for every show for the last three years, to sit. But it was relaxing, and I danced in my seat (as best I can dance).

Overall, the personal experience really hurt. N1 was just very difficult to get used to, and it took half the show to start enjoying myself. I was worried about my girlfriend, pissed about the people around me, and just grumpy. N2...well, that was my chance to be front row. And I know I did right by my girlfriend by getting seats...but if there's no fall tour, my last show was much farther away from the band than I have been all tour.

On the other hand, I've been to seven shows this year, and have seen some absolutely amazing performances. And I've been close every show. So who am I to complain?

This got long, so I'm going to do N1 shows in the next post.
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  • Old 07-18-2010, 05:05 PM   #2
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    Re: My Citi Field Review

    Okay, here we go.

    N1: The songs I wanted to here were BEF, Rapunzel, #40, Lover Lay Down, LITHOG, and GGT. After that, I was down with whatever.

    BEF: Bam. Has become one of my favorite songs since Hershey (that version, especially the tape, is amazing). Made me very happy. Dave messed up the third verse, but he fixed it pretty well.

    PNP>Rapunzel: Bam x2. The Hartford 09 version of Rapunzel is, far and away, my favorite version of the song. It was flawless. This was pretty damn close. I could never get enough of this song.

    Seven: I love the feel of this song. I definitely enjoy it live. Sounded great to me, and the added jam to it gets better each time.

    Stay or Leave: I've seen this a lot now. It's generally a song I can do with or without, but I enjoyed this version. Good amount of passion attached to it.

    Still Water>DDTW: The band hit their stride here. Dave went nuts towards the end of the song, and it was fantastic.

    LITHOG: This has become one of my favorite live songs. I love when Dave does his little wails and Jeff plays them back. The jam sent Dave into his dancing trance, which I would have gotten had the guy not tried to break my leg or my gf's back again. I even made sure to get this on video, because the video I have of this in Hartford is amazing, and they bring this every show. You can tell that this is one of Dave's favorite parts of the show, because he gets this happy-ass grin on his face, as does Stefan, as they watch Jeff go to town.

    Corn Bread: I saw the Recently>CB>Recently in Hershey, and fell in love with it. My gf likes Cornbread...I don't mind it. Great music...but after Hershey, seeing it by itself was a bit hollow for me.

    Eh Hee: This song has taken a darker turn. I enjoyed it at Hershey, and very much enjoyed the intro here. Dave's voice was spot on. Seriously, even if you don't like the song, listen to the intro. It was very good.

    The Maker: Eh.

    Grey Street: Always enjoyed...and my gf's favorite song.

    Jimi Thing: The scat...the scat was fantastic. He was animated and went to town. And, to be honest, I always enjoy the Sexy MF. Other than that, things were pretty standard. Here's the scat:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZoGzyu4OcQ

    Why I Am: Standard.

    Digging a Ditch: I dig this song. It reminds me of when I lived in Santa Monica (as that was when BS came out, and I listened to it a ton...I didn't know the Lillywhites existed). I think this was the first time I had ever seen it; they nailed it in every way.

    #41: Never gets old. The song has a lot of personal connection for me. The horns also always get me here. I have enjoyed the order of the solos, especially the Carter/Tim getting the crowd back up after Jeff's totally destruction of the song and everything in his path). The solos really don't give you a break, which I dig.

    You and Me: Song with the gf.

    SMLAM: I have to be in the minority here. I *love* this song. I just do. Absolutely fantastic song to me, and it's under four minutes long. It's also in the perfect spot (though I wouldn't mind seeing it open once in awhile, either).

    Ants: They're experimenting with the intro, which is cool...I can't fully explain what Carter did to get Boyd in, but it was pretty sweet. Also, it was different than Hershey, which was different than other stops on this tour I've seen. Tough to be upset here. Standard otherwise.

    LRB: I wanted to see this live. I got to see it; now, so can you:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZemODnlpyc

    Listen to the first ten second, even if you don't want to see the song. Listen for the male voice right after Dave describes what the song is about. You will laugh; I guarantee it.

    Time Bomb: I also dig this song a lot. Pretty standard version, and Dave went to town at the end. I love TB best when it takes you directly into Two Step, but I don't mind it here either.

    SDL: I cringed when Dave did a Dreamgirl outro (I have video evidence), and the crowd did not get him going crazy during the Thank You outro, which I *really* wanted to see. So, I was disappointed...Dave was trying to get people worked up, and they weren't having it. Oh well. I like SDL, and actually dig it as a closer...if they can get it into a more upbeat outro, it'll be a beast. It's kind of sitting there as it is.

    Overall: I loved it. I guess I'm odd, but it was a great show. Musically, they were spot on. And they had a ton of fun, which is all you can ask for.
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    Old 07-18-2010, 05:28 PM   #3
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    Re: My Citi Field Review

    N2: We moved back to Section 12; this was the night I wish I could've gotten a lot of video. I try to get videos of songs I don't have. Tonight, I'd have gotten Stone, OSW, Seek Up, and Black Jack. But, such is life.

    It should also be noted that the sound for N2 was...wavy. It was more powerful at times, and would fade in and out. This had to be due to the Citi Field acoustics. It was very weird, and I'm positive it'll be somewhat noticeable on the tapes. If not...maybe it was just towards the back of the stadium, where we were.

    Stone: This opened the first-ever DMB show I saw, at Hershey '99. It's one of my favorite songs, and they destroyed it. Great opener, for sure.

    Warehouse: I was hoping for Nancies>Warehouse, since I've never seen that live (that I can remember). I love Boyd's leading us into the song; they've got every little bit here going here, and it was just wonderful.

    OSW: First instrumental intro for me. I told my gf, "This is one of the most beautiful pieces of music you'll ever hear them play." Rashawn was a bit too overpowering here, but I think that was more the acoustics of the venue than anything else.

    Funny: The crowd ate it up. They always do. It's the new WWYS. What more do you want?

    Seek Up: First time seeing it, and I was so happy after I thought I jinxed myself the night before. Boyd ran a clinic on the song. Dave actually came in too early for his wailing, and Carter laughed at him after he stopped. So when you hear half-a-wail on the tape, this is why.

    Seven: Didn't mind it being repeated. Better than a Y&M or a Cornbread repeat, and better than Can't Stop.

    Squirm: I love this song live. It just feels good to listen to. The band plays it so tight and with such passion...Dave screamed like crazy at the end.

    Crash Into Me: I <3 my Dixie Chicken; standard run. What was amazing, and I guess not surprising, was that THIS was the song that got everyone to their feet. It was surreal to watch, but those that sat around me now stood and swayed. I guess I felt that way about this song in 1999. I still enjoy it, but I really only look for the Dixie Chicken.

    YMDT: Highlight of the show for me. The extended jams, coupled with some ridiculous Dave scatting, made this awesome. They're tinkering with the song, and good stuff is coming. It gets a lot of hate, but if you saw what I saw live, you'd have enjoyed it.

    PM>Satellite: Same ol, same ol. The New York, New York part in-between the first and second verses was cool.

    Spaceman: Standard. I don't care for this song, to be honest.

    Nancies: Ah..............this is where they realized they were running out of time. From here on, they rushed through everything. Dave had really no scat before he prompted Carter to move. They definitely enjoyed themselves, but it *felt* rushed.

    Gravedigger: People got fooled by Carter. To be Say Bye, he's got to have the mallets, people. Also, he's lighter on the solo than playing crisp, hard Halloween-ish beats. I can take or leave Digger, but the dark nature they've added to the song is a plus.

    Black Jack: I had a hard time making out what he was singing. But I really enjoyed the music. Very much a BTCS piece.

    Stay: There was one part of this that I loved. At one point, late in the song, Rashawn realized he had to sing, and that he was too far from the mic. So he had to rush in, but his first step took him back. And, for a second, it looked like he was going to fall. He got in on time, but it was funny to see. I had a hard time hearing Rashawn on this song, which sucked. Listening to him sound exactly like all three Lovely Ladies is always a highlight for me when this comes on.

    Two Step: I *really* wish I had a video of the end, when Dave started pointing at bandmates and started conducting the end jam. He went nuts. I don't care for the TB intro (the Two Step intro is always looked forward to by me), but Dave killed the very end of it, when he started screaming into the mic. Everything else was a standard 2Step, but again...it was rushed. That 15:45 on the Almanac can't be right. I remember looking at my clock and seeing 10:55...and then seeing Carter finish his solo at 11:01. I looked because everything seemed so quick, due to the curfew. They did take a lot of time to get their picture taken and everything, which was cool (though I couldn't see a lot of that, because of the lights).

    Some Devil: I absolutely love this song. Dave's guitar sounded a bit flat in some areas, but his voice....man, his voice was chilling. Sounded like the album version. I was very happy.

    SMLAM: Believe it or not, I predicted this and So Right (I actually was quite the soothsayer this weekend). I thought So Right would get played, but then I saw Tim's guitar and predicted SMLAM. The guy in front of me (the one who left during OSW and Seek Up, and who asked me if the band played two sets last night) said he'd give me a high-five. I flatted my response when I said "Oh, I can hardly wait." As soon as SMLAM started, they left, sans high-five, but with a shoulder pat. Oh well...one can dream....

    Anyway, I enjoyed SMLAM, and for a band needing to finish by 11:30, it made sense. I'm still a bit surprised nobody has seemed to catch onto this whole "they were rushing" thing and figure out that's why SMLAM was played. It's purely logical, given the time and the obvious nature of the band towards the end.

    Stefan's solo: In all honesty, I don't remember the pedals before this tour (at least, the extensiveness of these pedals). I saw them at SPAC, but I hadn't seen them before this year. He went to town on those, and then busted out a sweet solo. He must love that fretless bass. I have no idea what I'm talking about here, otherwise.

    Watchtower: Standard Tower. The extended outro really didn't happen, due to the band going over curfew.

    Overall: First Seek Up, first OSW's instrumental, new song, Two Step awesomeness, a great, great, great version of Some Devil, an amazing outro of YMDT, Warehouse, Nancies...really tough to go wrong with this evening. I wish I were closer, and I wish I had gotten video. But that'll come at MSG in the fall. ; )

    Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed reminiscing!
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    Old 07-18-2010, 08:23 PM   #4
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    Re: My Citi Field Review

    Hell of a review John, very thorough analysis, thanks for helping me re-live Night 2.

    I'm not going to go song for song because I don't have the energy and because I spent from Seven-YMDT on the beer line due to the incompetence of the two people behind the counter. I definitely had a great time though.

    Our trip got off to a rocky start...me and the gf planned on staying at the Holiday Inn across the Van Wyck from Citi Field, and we accidentally booked the Holiday Inn Express that was a mile or so away. We realized this about an hour before we left NJ. It all worked out though, and we took cabs back and forth from the show.

    We were in 129, which were great seats for a stadium show. The opening run from The Stone to Seek Up was clearly the highlight, and the old school intros really brought the songs to new heights. It's so refreshing to hear a song like OSW played differently when I've heard it 5-6 times. I too thought that they were going to play Say Goodbye when Carter started his solo, and was VERY disappointed to hear Gravedigger, it being one of my least favorite songs. Did anyone else think that the band wasn't all on the same page at the start of Spaceman? Sounded like they were a little confused. Two Step was pretty sick, they jammed the hell out of it. I definitely agree that the band seemed like they were scrambling a little bit during the encore, and I even made a comment to my girlfriend that the band "didn't seem to be in a hurry at all" in the beginning of the set (in a good way of course). To be honest, I would have rather seen them cut Some Devil and go with So Right into Watchtower as opposed to the three songs, but oh well. Was a bit disappointed with the encore, but it didn't detract from a stellar show.

    I was shocked at how packed the place was, even the upper reaches of the upper deck seemed full from my vantage point. Citi Field is an awesome stadium, and my Shake Shack burger was worth the 3 month wait! Great time, and hope you all had fun also.
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    Old 07-19-2010, 11:26 AM   #5
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    Re: My Citi Field Review

    I was about 12-15th row center for n1 and there was a guy just to the left of me who had a Seek Up sign. He held it up right at the beginning of a song that's escaping me at the moment (You & Me maybe?). Dave looked at it for about 3 seconds and gave the guy a nod (like the 'sup nod). Knew it'd be on the setlist for n2 after that
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