Thursday, August 9, 2007

The Great Miss: Dave Matthews Band and the Phillies

I knew moving up to NY was going to be a tough transition, but I didn’t know it was going to be this hard. No I am not talking about being lonely or depressed because I miss people from home. Truth of it is, if I were home, I’d still have that same lonely feeling since most of my friends have moved away anyway besides Ron. No, it’s because as I sat there last night, casually glancing at the Dave Matthews Band setlist for the concert I had tickets to while I would then glance over at the Phillies website to see them actually still winning even though some of their mainstay players are on the DL, it just made me feel like I was missing out on a great party in Philly, and wish I was there.

The Dave Matthews Band has been apart of my life since the fateful day of November 30, 1998. My dad got my brother a ticket to the show, but failed to tell my dad that he would still be in school and would not be able to make it to the show. So, with no one to take the ticket, my dad turned to me. I had never been to a concert and was already gearing up for my first, an Aerosmith show two weeks later. A free concert is a free concert, so I took the chance of getting to know new music…and then it started. I only knew a handful of DMB songs at this point, probably Don’t Drink the Water and Crash Into Me being the only ones I could tell off hand. But happened this night was a transformation that brings anger into the eyes of my dad towards my brother every time he hears I am going to another DMB show. Since that night, I have been to over 25 shows. As I got older, I started to go to less and less, not because of my age, but because the band has been putting out less quality music as I longed for the older songs they weren’t playing. But going to one or two shows a year was still greatly enjoyable. Turn the page to this year, where I get tickets to my standard Camden Night 2 show and I get this job. So I have to accept the fact that this may be the first year since 1998 that I do not attend a DMB show (though I’m holding out that they play Madison Square Garden this winter). I was contempt. I have had my fair share of shows. So Ron, take Lauren, go to the show, have a good time…then I see the set.

They not only mixed up rarer live songs, but the changed up the spots to make the show more unpredictable. One reason I started enjoying going to Camden each year is because it was pretty much the same thing, Two Step closer, Crash would be there somewhere, and then a bunch of crappier songs. This time they did break out newer songs, but the difference is, these newer songs are quality. Mix that in with the older songs and a Two Step opener to get those chanters to shut up early, it seemed like an amazing show, and from people I already talked to, it was.

After griping about not being at the show and eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich (those things are mega ultra big time good) I checked the Phillies website. I saw the Mets had already lost (all I get is Yankees or Mets games up here and is starting to get to me) but it didn’t really matter since they were playing the Braves who are right behind us in the race. After Chase Utley and Shane Victorino went down, I pretty much lost hope, though, as a true Philly fan, I kept some and I kept it strong. I mean come on, though we have Howard and Hammels, who else are we going to rely on? Wes Helms? Bat Burrell? 75 year old Jamie Moyer? It pretty much seemed out. But look at those Phils. They have won 3 straight and the bats are staying strong. Of course the bullpen is still a let down (it has been said that Jose Mesa may actually be over 50 years old), but we have Brett Myers in the to start smacking around those who screw it up for the rest of us.

My conclusion: this year we may actually have a shot…for the playoffs. Are we going to win the World Series, most likely not. Myers can’t smack around the bullpen that much. He has to save enough for when he gets home to his wife. But we may actually see progress this year, which would be amazing. Falling one game short of the playoffs for third or fourth year may bring some Philadelphia fans to kill…Pat Burrell. Well, that wouldn’t be too horrible of a plan. I mean, come on: http://www.patmustgo.com/

My favorite offer is 17 chickens, 8 sheep, a box of wine, a gold hat. I'd take that any day.

Until next time

Redsy

P.S. I am still working on the Ways to Survive In NY For $500 A Month and I’m also working on How To Get By In Your Office Without Knowing Anyone’s Name. Hopefully I’ll have one of those up sometime this week.

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