A Dave Matthews Band 2008 Retrospective
Trusted Stuff from Fan#41
A Dave Matthews Band 2008 Retrospective
In just a few weeks we’ll find ourselves in 2009 which will mark the 18th year Dave Matthews Band has been performing together. They started out as only a few, piecing together arrangements that years later would find a home in Stadiums, Arenas, on television, radio, and in the ears and minds of thousands upon thousands of fans.
In 2008 we saw the band excited about their new material, yet careful enough to keep it to themselves while on tour so as to not disturb the direction those songs were taking in the studio. We saw long-time friend and colleague Butch Taylor step down after eight full years with this band to focus on things in his own personal life.
We witnessed the first ever full tour with Tim Reynolds. 10 years after what so many consider the band’s “legendary run” (the winter ’98 tour), no one in their wildest dreams could have imagined a full summer tour with Tim. It was news that elevated the hopes and wishes of everyone, from older fans who never had the chance to see the band perform with Tim, to fans who had become somewhat bitter with the displeasure in recent direction the band had taken, to new and younger fans who just fed off of the excitement from the rest of the fanbase.
Tim’s presence became this security blanket, in that no matter what the band did it wouldn’t fall subject to major scrutiny due to the fact that Tim Reynolds would be there enhancing every moment on stage. We saw brand new cover songs being performed live, and then we saw and heard a few of those cover songs become overplayed throughout the tour causing a few shows here and there to come off gimmicky.
The band showed their looseness and general excitement to just be performing together by actually performing some of Dave’s own solo work and in a few cases the band actually putting their own small spin on a few performances.
We witnessed the musical growth of Rashawn Ross. From the Red Rocks weekend in 2005 up 'till the very last show of 2008 Ross grew and evolved as a musician and dear friend of the band. Roi became his mentor and although Roi did not play Trumpet in DMB, it was the approach to the music and the way to listen to it which were the biggest lessons Roi taught Rashawn on stage for the better part of 3 years.
For all the highs produced from Tim and the dynamic live performances, the dark gloomy cloud of LeRoi Moore’s passing will always hold sway over 2008. We all know what happened, we all know the effect it had, and we all know what we’ll miss, so we’ll just leave it at that for now.
We saw another long-time friend join DMB and hold down Roi’s empty space with professionalism and class. Jeff Coffin not only represents a world of talent, but he’s also another window into the history of the band dating back to his performances with Bela Fleck on #41 in June of 1997. Even then people noticed Roi become more animated on stage showing an appreciation of a fellow musician by cheering and clapping for Coffin when he took a solo as he was a guest with the band. Coffin wasn’t some savior of DMB in 2008, rather he had a familiar face and a sound that would ultimately allow the band and fans, for even the slightest bit, deal with the passing of Roi a bit easier.
As 2009 approaches, it seems the '08 offseason passed quicker than almost any year before as in terms of being a fan and we reflect on what we’ve witnessed over the last year in hopes to get a glimpse into what we can hope for, wish, and expect in 2009 from Dave Matthews Band.
What exactly can we expect from Dave Matthews Band in 2009? Will we see a much darker and bitter side to the band, due to recent tragic events? Will continue to see new cover songs performed? Will we see a band riding the promotional wave of their new album without much expression or find themselves back in the graces of major album sales?
Will we see a band continue to pursue the push of their music overseas and into South America? Will the new material blend with the old? Will Jeff Coffin not only perform on tour but solidify his place as a full-time member of Dave Matthews Band? Will the band tour beyond the summer into the fall and winter?
Who knows what we can expect, but we know one thing is certain; we will see Dave Matthews Band again this year, just like we did the year before and the year before that and so on. It seems no matter what troubles arise or transition the band finds themselves in, there's always one constant; DMB will be there the following year.
Every year there are fans who find other outlets for their enthusiasm and trail off, and every year new fans enter. It’s a constant cycle, a revolving door of views and opinions and personal excitement that for some just fade over time and that’s ok.
Sometimes tastes and likes change over the years, but for those that left seven years ago, DMB is still here, and for those that will leave this year, the band will undoubtedly be here for the next few years. Whether they remain your cup of tea or not, if you ever find yourself with a bit of curiosity to go back and find out if that spark is still there for you as a fan, then you shouldn’t have any problem as the band will be here.
