Dogsinplastic
avuncular to no one
So as a combined birthday (night one: indoor seats and premium parking pass) and mother's day (night two: lawn seats, regular parking) gift I took my wife to see Dave and Tim (Matthews/Reynolds) for their two night stint at SPAC (Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY). This is where we first heard Dave as the opening act on the main stage at the 1994 H.O.R.D.E. show. We're big fans of Dave's and he's my wife's favorite singer. We prefer the whole band, but we're good with Dave & Tim.
So, they were phenomenal. Almost three hours, no opener, 28 songs each night, no songs repeated, and Tim keeps blowing me away. Tim does two solo tunes per night to give Dave a breather. They were great each night, but Night 2 he did an instrumental solo guitar take on Peter Gabriel's In Your Eyes that was just stunning.
That said, the lawn was not an ideal experience. It was fine, great even, when we were in college and our twenties, but my aging bones with knees of someone much older...rough. The lawn became a SRO situation, not shocking, but we enjoyed the choice that the indoor seating provided. Interestingly there were tons of college age kids and twenty-somethings, as well as a smattering of high school age students. For an artist that hasn't officially released any new recorded material in five years I'm surprised that he's able to continue to grow a younger audience. But people getting too close, having no respect for any notion of personal space, spilling beers (and other drinks), and po-theads!!! Po-theads EVERYWHERE!?!?! Standard stuff, but I was definitely feeling the old man "STAY OFF MY LAWN!!" for our little area. I've never been huge of GA barring the SPAC lawn, but if the artist is too "big" or their fans are too whatever, the experience changes drastically.
The biggest problem was nearly everyone singing along to EVERY song. I love Dave, his music, and his voice, which is why I came to see the show. I didn't come hoping that he'd be nearly drowned out by the audience on every freaking tune. Actually, we could hear him more clearly from the lawn that we could inside, but they really just needed to turn them up on both nights. Sound management needs to be a multiple person job for big artists and big gigs. Get out there during the show and note how things are when the house is full and make the necessary adjustments. Really though, the Dave & Tim thing is better in smaller venues (i.e.: smaller crowd/audience). The wife and I saw them at DAR in DC and the Olympia in Dublin this past March. Both equally great shows.
Dave's voice was strong both nights, but he seemed more jubilant on Night 2 (for whatever that's worth). Fifty six songs and we could have heard 56 more if he wanted to play them. Turns out they performed 73 different tunes during the tour...damned impressive in general, but all the more in an age when the vast majority of artists learn a set of about 15-20 songs and perform that same set every night...maybe adding and dropping a few here and there.
So, they were phenomenal. Almost three hours, no opener, 28 songs each night, no songs repeated, and Tim keeps blowing me away. Tim does two solo tunes per night to give Dave a breather. They were great each night, but Night 2 he did an instrumental solo guitar take on Peter Gabriel's In Your Eyes that was just stunning.
That said, the lawn was not an ideal experience. It was fine, great even, when we were in college and our twenties, but my aging bones with knees of someone much older...rough. The lawn became a SRO situation, not shocking, but we enjoyed the choice that the indoor seating provided. Interestingly there were tons of college age kids and twenty-somethings, as well as a smattering of high school age students. For an artist that hasn't officially released any new recorded material in five years I'm surprised that he's able to continue to grow a younger audience. But people getting too close, having no respect for any notion of personal space, spilling beers (and other drinks), and po-theads!!! Po-theads EVERYWHERE!?!?! Standard stuff, but I was definitely feeling the old man "STAY OFF MY LAWN!!" for our little area. I've never been huge of GA barring the SPAC lawn, but if the artist is too "big" or their fans are too whatever, the experience changes drastically.
The biggest problem was nearly everyone singing along to EVERY song. I love Dave, his music, and his voice, which is why I came to see the show. I didn't come hoping that he'd be nearly drowned out by the audience on every freaking tune. Actually, we could hear him more clearly from the lawn that we could inside, but they really just needed to turn them up on both nights. Sound management needs to be a multiple person job for big artists and big gigs. Get out there during the show and note how things are when the house is full and make the necessary adjustments. Really though, the Dave & Tim thing is better in smaller venues (i.e.: smaller crowd/audience). The wife and I saw them at DAR in DC and the Olympia in Dublin this past March. Both equally great shows.
Dave's voice was strong both nights, but he seemed more jubilant on Night 2 (for whatever that's worth). Fifty six songs and we could have heard 56 more if he wanted to play them. Turns out they performed 73 different tunes during the tour...damned impressive in general, but all the more in an age when the vast majority of artists learn a set of about 15-20 songs and perform that same set every night...maybe adding and dropping a few here and there.
No huge deal in huge scheme of the evening.
