canes101190
07-21-2009, 04:17 AM
As I sit here late at night and reflect on my first trip up to Alpine Valley, alot of different adjectives come to mind on how to describe the weekend. Words like "incredible" and "unbelievable" come to mind at first, then I think back to Night 1 and realize that it was unbelievable for the wrong reasons, which brings me to the conclusion that Alpine Valley 2009 was like night and day, polar opposites.
I'll start from the very beginning. Flight from Orlando to Milwaukee early in the morning on Friday, we got to the Country Inn without a problem through the airport shuttle, and it was then when we realized where we were. East Troy, WI. Why did we arrive at 3 PM on the day before the show? I still cannot answer that but needless to say it was a solid 30 hours of sitting around doing absolutely nothing so Night 1 was a welcomed relief from being locked up in a hotel room. We were itching to get out of there which may have caused higher expectations, we wanted to jam all night long to let out all this pent up energy.
The RoadRunner service to the venue was great, met a ton of great people on the shuttle both nights from the Country Inn. Definitely one of the highlights of the weekend was sitting on the bus before/after the show waiting to get dropped off/out of the lots. Alot of different opinions about each show which was always good, and a team effort to find the nearest pizza restaurant that delivered :lol
Night 1 is upon us (my 10th show) and I'm itching to see what all the Alpine hype is about. The crowd was buzzing before the show which was automatic, because these people clearly love their music, and they love their DMB. Umphrey's was very good by the way, my first time seeing them live and I have to say I was very impressed. I have alot of friends who are big fans of theirs but I've never gotten around to seeing them live. Anyway I digress, the lights go down, old school entrance with no curtain or anything. It's time to go.
Funny the Way It Is: As soon as I saw Fonz set up his bass I knew this would be coming. It works well I guess, I've seen it open twice and it gets the crowd into it early which is a good decision especially this year because odds are that most of the people at the show have been hearing this song alot over the last couple months. It's really become the face of Big Whiskey in the public's eye, being the first single and all. Love what Dave has added to the buildup to Tim's solo, the place was shaking when Timmy started to tear it up. Dave mentions after the song: "It's good to be home!" in response to some "USA!" chants. Very good to have the boys home as well.
You Might Die Trying: I really don't mind this song. It gives Tim and Jeff a chance to stretch out with some quick solos in there and it gets the crowd moving. Dave had to kick a beach ball off of the stage about 3 times, Tim actually took a swipe at it at some point during another song. He didn't get it off the stage and Boyd looked over at him and started laughing. I digress, standard YMDT but they have fun with this song and Dave did some great things with the outro. It's a nice safe song to play early on after a week break.
Spaceman: Love this tune, love it. I know some people hate how Dave raps the lyrics but I really, really dig this one. I have from the start, and I always will. It just has a really smooth feel to it and it just rolls right off the tongue. Fun to sing and jam too along with Rashawn getting an early solo. This was one of the better solos I've heard him take on this one too, he's really come into his own this year. Crowd was real loud on the "thought I saw a spaceman try'na get laid" part, and of course the segue into...
Cornbread: Well we all knew it was coming, but damn this was one of the loudest roars of the night. The place was up and moving as this one came on and it got such a good reception I was worried that they'd play it again on N2. The horns are starting to improvise their own parts, they extended the Hoedown outro to a different section I haven't heard on any tapes before (they also did the same thing over the top of Tim's solo in YMDT). Dave did some dancing with someones sunglasses and mardis gras beads that were thrown on stage. Pretty cool stuff to see them so into this song even though it may not be a favorite around here, it really works live.
Seven: Damn this song was absolutely golden on this night. Dave's vocals were spot on and he hit every high note without sounding like he was straining at all. The crowd really loved this one too and got into it. This is a top 3 songs for me off BW and this might've been the best version I've heard yet. Dave is starting to play more guitar on it too which adds a cool layer, you can really hear the root of the song with him playing opposite of Tim's riff.
Dancing Nancies: At this point I'm thinking "here we go". I got the sense that the conservative start was over with this song. I didn't expect it at all and was caught off guard by it but it's always welcomed. However I didn't get the feel that they were into this one, this was one of a couple instances where they appeared to be going through the motions. Boyd stepped out to center stage and soloed but it never picked up like it normally does, there was something that just didn't seem quite right about the whole thing. There was no emotion or energy in my opinion. A crazy light problem at the end of the song took a minute or so to get fixed, it got stuck on the strobe effect and Dave commented "that was quite strange.." as he looked up at Fenton and the boys with a little confusion.
Shake Me Like A Monkey: First time I've seen this and damn does it work live. I'm still convinced this has a DIDO/Rapunzel-esq jam waiting to get attacted to the end of it, but for right now this is a very solid tune. The new intro is great and Dave's voice was perfect. Another crowd pleaser and it seemed to fire them up a little bit, finally some emotion from Carter trying to rally everyone together after this one.
Out comes the baritone.....
Smooth Rider: Shit. I'll say this is my least favorite song next to Can't Stop and it just sounded god awful tonight. Dave trying to read the lyrics and sing with any sort of emotion was tough to watch, he was screeching through it and I couldn't handle it anymore. Jeff had a nice baritone solo as did Tim at the end of the song but I can't put any stock in anything that happened in these 6 minutes, it was a disaster from the start.
Lying in the Hands of God: Best song of the night, hands down. Jeff Coffin is a beast on this tune, he really puts it all out there and seemed to be the only one along with Tim that was really into the show. I'd never thought I'd say that about a DMB show but none of the other guys, even Carter, seemed to be really invested in being on stage. It was a shame but they were really mailing it in on Night 1 at Alpine. This was one of the very few highlights of this night, however when you see it at your show pay attention. This one is very powerful and will only get better, reminds me alot of Spoon in a live setting.
Crush: Stefan kept playing and I got excited because I knew that if anything could kick-start this night and this weekend, it'd be a Jeff and Tim duel. Boyd really brought his A game during this one, even during the jam it looked like Dave said to him "I think it's time to stop" or something along those lines. They walked over to Boyd's side and Dave hit him on the back and Boyd turned around and gave him a thumbs up and smiled so I assume it was all in good fun. Jeff and Tim were really special tonight as usual, this song was no exception. Jeff was practically standing over Tim as he was on the ground just hammering away on the guitar, a pretty cool moment as Carter brought it all home. This song might've woken them up for the weekend.
The Stone: My first "holy shit" moment of the weekend. My first Stone and it was nothing short of special, as soon as I saw what Dave was playing I yelled and cheered, too bad nobody around me really knew what song it was but they figured it out eventually. Jeff Coffin shines yet again as the crowd sings Can't Help Falling in Love. I really took every second of this song in as it was on my list of songs to hear at Alpine this year along with LIOG.
Alligator Pie: This song is just plain fun, and they were having fun with it this weekend. The crowd was really into it and sang every word, this one is just begging to be jammed out too. This will be a key song for some time now, and it won't end up like Bayou or Cornbread because the lyrics are actually quality unlike that other trash. The "grace is all i'm askin" bridge really makes the song for me, and Carter does some great work on this one. I also like Jeff on the baritone sax too.
So Damn Lucky: Mixed reviews from the crowd, I think this song has run it's course to be honest. It was great in 2008 but I think it's time to let this horse die, it loses it's appeal and just ruins Dave's voice. This didn't draw too much of a reaction from the crowd and didn't seem to effect anybody positively or negatively. It was just another song on another night.
Why I Am: Dave mentions Roi for the first time and then it hit me that this was the first time they've been here since his passing. It was a special moment to hear the crowd react so positively for this song. They really loved every second of this one and it's the first time this weekend that I got chills in there. 40,000 plus yelling "WHYYY III AAM!!" is something I won't forget for a while, and you could tell the band appreciated it too.
Out comes the baritone again...
Improv Jam-->Louisiana Bayou: Fuck. I'll call it an improv jam for now because who knows if it'll stick around but it reminded me alot of a pnp/astb type of jam. Tim and Jeff traded some small licks while Carter and Boyd laid down a funky sort of PNP beat, then it all came together as Dave played the opening riff to Bayou. I just don't like this song, I don't hate it like I do Smooth Rider but I don't like it at all. It doesn't offer anything and yet another uninspiring performance by the band. Boyd once again took center stage and that was it, they went through their progression and ended the song. Nothing gained or lost by this song. At this point I got the sense that a majority of the crowd was disappointed with the show as was I, but knowing that they got the 2 ugly cousins out of the way gave me some hope that Sunday would be better. This song just really put the cherry on top of the shit sundae that was Night 1, I've really never seen them so out of it before. Here comes the 12-string and I assume this will be the set closer..
Grey Street: One of my favorite songs but man did they half-ass this one. It clocks in at around 4:30 minutes, more than 30-40 seconds of jamming that they cut from it. I've never been so disappointed with a Grey St before this one, it was almost embarassing that they went out on this song. I couldn't believe they ended it when they did, Rashawn and Jeff couldn't even get going.
Encore Break- The lighters up in the lawn was a sight I'll never forget.
PNP-->Rapunzel: Solid E1 spot for this one. Once again I didn't feel the usual energy that I do when this song is played, something about the main set just left me with a bad taste in my mouth. They definitely let RR/JC go a little bit longer than they normally do, hopefully making up for a terrible Grey Street. They caught a groove near the end of this song because of the jam, things were starting to look up, and then Carter started hitting that snare.
Ants Marching: Finally the place is up and moving, singing along. This was one of the best Ants I've seen and it put everybody in such a positive mood leading into tomorrow, alot of solid energy in the building at this point. Boyd was literally flawless in his solo at the end and Carter had some fun with the hits on the end jam. Going out on "lights down you up and die" always makes people happy, this one was no different. Alpine N1 may have been a downer but little did we know what they had in store for us on Sunday.
Night 2 began with a little luck, I ran into a friend of mine who had to leave the venue on a family emergency (fortunately everything is fine now) however he said he had a pair of tickets in 202 FF and offered them to me. I was slated to sit in 201 UU so I paid him for them, wished him well and went our seperate ways. Took the shuttle again and the consensus on the bus was that this had to be a legendary night or this weekend would be a bust, and away we go...
You could tell that Dave was feeling it as soon as he walked on stage, even when he walked on to introduce UM he was in a rather good mood. It was evident that he felt better and was back into the swing of things, no more jetlag or any excuses not to put on a good show. This crowd was ready to see what they had in store for them tonight, and needless to say they didn't disappoint at all.
Proudest Monkey: When Dave hit the opening chords my jaw dropped. Right then I looked at my brother and said "this is going to be one of those nights that you never forget". It was just his 2nd DMB show so he didn't have much to base it off but I had a feeling. The crowd ate this one up as it was the loudest roar of the weekend. Rashawn had a very nice solo and then Jeff proceeded to rip this song a new one. No extended Tim solo on this one but they let Jeff have a go at it which is never a bad thing. Dave was really feeling this jam and this just set the tone for a great night.
Satellite: Expected and standard. The crowd had fun singing along to this one as always. Solid tune, no complaints except for the guy in front of me kept turning around to high-five me during the song. I really never understood why..
Squirm: Damn I love that little red guitar. This song is some sort of animal live, and yelling "open up your head!!" with 40,000+ screaming it along with you is absolutely exhilarating. One of the high points of the entire night, and definitely the best BW song. Dave screeches a little too much towards the end for my taste but he's definitely into he, and in case anyone didn't notice he did the Okra Man outro (it's what I'm calling it :lol). He went "I got onions and tomatoes.......I got oranges and bananas...."
Pig: Yes, yes, and yes. How can anyone not like this song? They nailed it tonight as usual, my 2nd time hearing it and it couldn't have been better. Dave wailed on the end of this one and it sounded great. Carter and Boyd of course take the end jam to a new level.
Shake Me Like A Monkey: Dave said "we're gonna do it again.." and they went into that little breakdown intro. The crowd was way more into this one than they were last night. I think the crowd was infinitely better Sunday night than it was Saturday night as far as interaction and noise level. They got up for this song and it sounded great yet again, I'll gladly take this as a repeat on a 2 night stand.
You Never Know: Ok, a little confusing, Carter starts the rim intro and we all know Dave has the YNK guitar. Then Carter starts out on a full on Say Goodbye-esq drum solo. I could've sworn I heard a little flute in there too, but it was probably just in my head. Then he hits it and they go into YNK, love this tune, many don't but that's ok. The crowd really responded well to it even after they all thought it was Say Goodbye and Jeff Coffin did a number to this song. I can only hope this hangs around til the Florida run because it's something everyone should hear. I'd recommend this tape as it was very good for a debut.
Crash Into Me: Always a crowd pleaser. The Dixie Chicken outro combined with the last Crash Into Me yell was one of the louder points of the night, the crowd was into it all night long but I'm just pointing out some of the loudest moments of the night.
Dreaming Tree: This is when I knew I loved this crowd and loved this venue. For the first time all summer (I've been to 5 shows and have seen DT 3 times) people actually cheered, sung along, and stayed in their seats during this gem of a tune. Good thing they did too because it was one of the best versions of this song I've heard. Dave's wailing flowed perfectly with Jeff's solo, they were on the same page the entire night and this was just one of the many highlights from a classic song.
You and Me: Alot of fun to sing live, the crowd loved to sing this one and it got a great response when they went into the chorus. Not my favorite off the album but I definitely enjoyed this one live. With a crowd like this it was hard not to enjoy the show, so much energy and so much love coming from everybody. It was shaping up to be a special night.
Funny the Way It Is: Cool dedication by Dave, he said he wasn't planning on playing this one tonight until he met a boy named Nathaniel who asked him to play this song tonight. It was one of the more passionate and spirited versions I've heard, once again the crowd ate it up as they did most everything on this night.
Gravedigger: Unexpected. My brother said to me walking in that he wouldn't mind hearing Gravedigger tonight, and sure enough there it is. Alot of people didn't know what they were playing until Dave started singing and then it got a big cheer. This is so good without Willie and with the entire band, I wouldn't mind it hanging around for a while.
Alligator Pie: Repeat but with a new arrangement. They let Boyd jam it out right after the bridge, he took a little solo and then they were right back into the song. This is getting awfully close to being a very strong song and I think we'll see it grow exponentially in the next week or so. The crowd once again energized this tune and powered it all the way through til the end.
Out of My Hands: Dave told a story about the big mosquitos in Wisconsin and how he always thinks he has one on his head when he's playing and we just don't tell him, so he said "I'll get back at you". Well he did, with Out of My Hands. Consider us even Dave, this song is such a buzzkill to an otherwise perfect night, or so I thought. In an odd way I found myself getting into the jam at the end, Dave sped up the progression of the song and they really got it grooving there towards the end. Another show of respect from the crowd, although it may not be the most popular song, they still cheered and sang along for it. This was a true class act from everyone there last night and really came back to us in a good way.
#41: I say this every time I've seen 41 this year. Holy shit. It is out of this world good and last night might've been the very best I've ever heard. It was absolutely mind blowing how good Jeff and Carter were together, they even have their own handshake now :lol The best moment of the weekend occurred shortly after #41, Dave was introducing everyone in the band starting with Jeff and working the way over from Rashawn, Stefan, Boyd, Tim, and ending with Carter. Right after he introduced Tim the place fell deathly silent in anticipation of him going to Carter, Dave noticed this and paused, and as if everyone couldn't hold in their excitement anymore the place just exploded with cheering and noise. Dave just pointed at Carter, they put the spotlight on him and the band showed their approval as well. The loudest cheer of the weekend by far was this moment and it never fails to give me chills when I listen to it again. Dave just yelled "CARTER BEAUFORD ON THE DRUMS!" sending everyone into a frenzy. A truly special moment and reading Carters lips he really summed it up, "holy shit man..."
Rhyme & Reason: The place is buzzing after #41 and the Carter intro and then they break into this. Such a solid tune I love it, Tim's slide solo is unreal on this song and it's so fitting. Dave did some crazy dancing during his solo and you could really tell this night was about to be taken to the next level.
Dive In: I really liked this song, not my favorite on the album but another one that works live. They jam it out at the end with a very tasteful Boyd solo and Dave/Rashawn/Carter harmonizing along with it. This will grow live I have no doubt, Tim had some problems with his amp so the beginning of the song sounds a little flat but they fix it after the first chorus.
Jimi Thing: We're coming up on 11 PM and I can't believe they're playing this. I knew it wouldn't close but didn't know what else to think. Dave sang the opening line and then remembered where he was, this wasn't Europe anymore, Alpine brought it extra loud on this night and wasn't going to let him sing this one. I gotta give Jeff a ton of credit for his work on this song, no more screeching and squealing like he did in 08, he's more refined and smooth on his jam here. Rashawn really did some good work as well with him almost adding distortion to his trumpet with his hand. Boyd and Tim were impressive as well, all members shined on this song as usual which ended with the Sexy M.F. outro which the crowd picked up on and sang almost immediately.
Time Bomb: Now I'm thinking this will close, no way they play Two Step after right? The crowd prematurely goes into the "BABY WHEN I GET HOME.." before Tim's solo but they catch on eventually. The intro needs to be jammed out, that's really all I have to say about that. Other than that this song is golden and is welcome at any show I go to.
Two Step: Holy shit, are you kidding? It's now past 11 and they are about to play Two Step?!?! I was convinced there would be no encore and that the show would end right here. Let it be known that this is the best Two Step I've seen/heard on tape/heard on CD or anywhere else. This had it all, and I can't even put it into words to tell you how great it was but it was truly the best I've ever heard. Carter played off the crowd clapping along with his beat and just had fun with it, one of the most powerful outros I've heard.
Encore Break: Nearly 3 hour main set, and at this point I'm all but guaranteeing a quick Stay closer. However in the midst of all the lighters in the air started the Thank You chant. Slowly but surely it spread throughout the entire venue and you had 40,000 people all singing Thank You. I noticed the band came back out and stood on the side of the stage in the dark just taking it all in, a truly special moment that I'll never forget as long as I'm going to shows. One of those things that could only happen with a crowd at Alpine. The bright lights come on and the band walks back out onto the stage as Dave continues to encourage the Thank You chanting....
Thank You: They bust into a quick little rendition of this infamous closer from 2008. I enjoyed it alot especially given the circumstances of the crowd, Dave was clearly into it as he ditched the guitar pretty quickly and danced around like a fool as the crowd sang it. This was a great moment because you felt as if it was all coming together, the crowd sings Thank You to not only bring back good memories of Alpine 2008 but to truly thank the band for what they had just done, all out effort for 3 hours of classic songs. Dave stomps down the end of this song and calls for his guitar, Carter is already soloing....oh my god..
Halloween: I lost my mind on this one, the guy in front of me actually passed out but he would be okay. The feeling when the whole band came in is something I can't describe, it was really something special and made it even more special to find out it was added to the encore. Tim got absolutely scary on the outro with some crazy effects. The crowd was into it singing all of the lines that you can possibly sing during any Halloween, and Carter brought it home in the only way Carter knows how to do things, perfect. Dave and Carter hang around to throw out sticks and wave goodbye to Alpine until next year, they have left an impression on all of us that's more than they know.
My first trip to Alpine comes to an end and I can officially say I'll be an Alpiner for life. I've never felt more at home (aside from being in my own home) than when I was standing in that pavilion with 40,000 people around me who seemed like family for 3+ hours. A great feeling and a trip well worth it, however I couldn't have done it without some help so thanks goes to Davet first and foremost for picking me as a winner of his generous contest, and since I'm only 18 I couldn't have done this without a little financial support from Mom and Dad. They really came through in the clutch this year but I promise I'll pay my way there next year :lol. Heres to a great Alpine weekend and to Alpine 2010!
We can't forget about the tapers, heres a shameless plug for our good friend Crumbo and a couple links to his great pulls from both nights. Thanks to all the tapers who were there and spread around these great shows.
http://www.dreamingtree.org/details.php?id=7116
http://www.dreamingtree.org/details.php?id=7121
I'll start from the very beginning. Flight from Orlando to Milwaukee early in the morning on Friday, we got to the Country Inn without a problem through the airport shuttle, and it was then when we realized where we were. East Troy, WI. Why did we arrive at 3 PM on the day before the show? I still cannot answer that but needless to say it was a solid 30 hours of sitting around doing absolutely nothing so Night 1 was a welcomed relief from being locked up in a hotel room. We were itching to get out of there which may have caused higher expectations, we wanted to jam all night long to let out all this pent up energy.
The RoadRunner service to the venue was great, met a ton of great people on the shuttle both nights from the Country Inn. Definitely one of the highlights of the weekend was sitting on the bus before/after the show waiting to get dropped off/out of the lots. Alot of different opinions about each show which was always good, and a team effort to find the nearest pizza restaurant that delivered :lol
Night 1 is upon us (my 10th show) and I'm itching to see what all the Alpine hype is about. The crowd was buzzing before the show which was automatic, because these people clearly love their music, and they love their DMB. Umphrey's was very good by the way, my first time seeing them live and I have to say I was very impressed. I have alot of friends who are big fans of theirs but I've never gotten around to seeing them live. Anyway I digress, the lights go down, old school entrance with no curtain or anything. It's time to go.
Funny the Way It Is: As soon as I saw Fonz set up his bass I knew this would be coming. It works well I guess, I've seen it open twice and it gets the crowd into it early which is a good decision especially this year because odds are that most of the people at the show have been hearing this song alot over the last couple months. It's really become the face of Big Whiskey in the public's eye, being the first single and all. Love what Dave has added to the buildup to Tim's solo, the place was shaking when Timmy started to tear it up. Dave mentions after the song: "It's good to be home!" in response to some "USA!" chants. Very good to have the boys home as well.
You Might Die Trying: I really don't mind this song. It gives Tim and Jeff a chance to stretch out with some quick solos in there and it gets the crowd moving. Dave had to kick a beach ball off of the stage about 3 times, Tim actually took a swipe at it at some point during another song. He didn't get it off the stage and Boyd looked over at him and started laughing. I digress, standard YMDT but they have fun with this song and Dave did some great things with the outro. It's a nice safe song to play early on after a week break.
Spaceman: Love this tune, love it. I know some people hate how Dave raps the lyrics but I really, really dig this one. I have from the start, and I always will. It just has a really smooth feel to it and it just rolls right off the tongue. Fun to sing and jam too along with Rashawn getting an early solo. This was one of the better solos I've heard him take on this one too, he's really come into his own this year. Crowd was real loud on the "thought I saw a spaceman try'na get laid" part, and of course the segue into...
Cornbread: Well we all knew it was coming, but damn this was one of the loudest roars of the night. The place was up and moving as this one came on and it got such a good reception I was worried that they'd play it again on N2. The horns are starting to improvise their own parts, they extended the Hoedown outro to a different section I haven't heard on any tapes before (they also did the same thing over the top of Tim's solo in YMDT). Dave did some dancing with someones sunglasses and mardis gras beads that were thrown on stage. Pretty cool stuff to see them so into this song even though it may not be a favorite around here, it really works live.
Seven: Damn this song was absolutely golden on this night. Dave's vocals were spot on and he hit every high note without sounding like he was straining at all. The crowd really loved this one too and got into it. This is a top 3 songs for me off BW and this might've been the best version I've heard yet. Dave is starting to play more guitar on it too which adds a cool layer, you can really hear the root of the song with him playing opposite of Tim's riff.
Dancing Nancies: At this point I'm thinking "here we go". I got the sense that the conservative start was over with this song. I didn't expect it at all and was caught off guard by it but it's always welcomed. However I didn't get the feel that they were into this one, this was one of a couple instances where they appeared to be going through the motions. Boyd stepped out to center stage and soloed but it never picked up like it normally does, there was something that just didn't seem quite right about the whole thing. There was no emotion or energy in my opinion. A crazy light problem at the end of the song took a minute or so to get fixed, it got stuck on the strobe effect and Dave commented "that was quite strange.." as he looked up at Fenton and the boys with a little confusion.
Shake Me Like A Monkey: First time I've seen this and damn does it work live. I'm still convinced this has a DIDO/Rapunzel-esq jam waiting to get attacted to the end of it, but for right now this is a very solid tune. The new intro is great and Dave's voice was perfect. Another crowd pleaser and it seemed to fire them up a little bit, finally some emotion from Carter trying to rally everyone together after this one.
Out comes the baritone.....
Smooth Rider: Shit. I'll say this is my least favorite song next to Can't Stop and it just sounded god awful tonight. Dave trying to read the lyrics and sing with any sort of emotion was tough to watch, he was screeching through it and I couldn't handle it anymore. Jeff had a nice baritone solo as did Tim at the end of the song but I can't put any stock in anything that happened in these 6 minutes, it was a disaster from the start.
Lying in the Hands of God: Best song of the night, hands down. Jeff Coffin is a beast on this tune, he really puts it all out there and seemed to be the only one along with Tim that was really into the show. I'd never thought I'd say that about a DMB show but none of the other guys, even Carter, seemed to be really invested in being on stage. It was a shame but they were really mailing it in on Night 1 at Alpine. This was one of the very few highlights of this night, however when you see it at your show pay attention. This one is very powerful and will only get better, reminds me alot of Spoon in a live setting.
Crush: Stefan kept playing and I got excited because I knew that if anything could kick-start this night and this weekend, it'd be a Jeff and Tim duel. Boyd really brought his A game during this one, even during the jam it looked like Dave said to him "I think it's time to stop" or something along those lines. They walked over to Boyd's side and Dave hit him on the back and Boyd turned around and gave him a thumbs up and smiled so I assume it was all in good fun. Jeff and Tim were really special tonight as usual, this song was no exception. Jeff was practically standing over Tim as he was on the ground just hammering away on the guitar, a pretty cool moment as Carter brought it all home. This song might've woken them up for the weekend.
The Stone: My first "holy shit" moment of the weekend. My first Stone and it was nothing short of special, as soon as I saw what Dave was playing I yelled and cheered, too bad nobody around me really knew what song it was but they figured it out eventually. Jeff Coffin shines yet again as the crowd sings Can't Help Falling in Love. I really took every second of this song in as it was on my list of songs to hear at Alpine this year along with LIOG.
Alligator Pie: This song is just plain fun, and they were having fun with it this weekend. The crowd was really into it and sang every word, this one is just begging to be jammed out too. This will be a key song for some time now, and it won't end up like Bayou or Cornbread because the lyrics are actually quality unlike that other trash. The "grace is all i'm askin" bridge really makes the song for me, and Carter does some great work on this one. I also like Jeff on the baritone sax too.
So Damn Lucky: Mixed reviews from the crowd, I think this song has run it's course to be honest. It was great in 2008 but I think it's time to let this horse die, it loses it's appeal and just ruins Dave's voice. This didn't draw too much of a reaction from the crowd and didn't seem to effect anybody positively or negatively. It was just another song on another night.
Why I Am: Dave mentions Roi for the first time and then it hit me that this was the first time they've been here since his passing. It was a special moment to hear the crowd react so positively for this song. They really loved every second of this one and it's the first time this weekend that I got chills in there. 40,000 plus yelling "WHYYY III AAM!!" is something I won't forget for a while, and you could tell the band appreciated it too.
Out comes the baritone again...
Improv Jam-->Louisiana Bayou: Fuck. I'll call it an improv jam for now because who knows if it'll stick around but it reminded me alot of a pnp/astb type of jam. Tim and Jeff traded some small licks while Carter and Boyd laid down a funky sort of PNP beat, then it all came together as Dave played the opening riff to Bayou. I just don't like this song, I don't hate it like I do Smooth Rider but I don't like it at all. It doesn't offer anything and yet another uninspiring performance by the band. Boyd once again took center stage and that was it, they went through their progression and ended the song. Nothing gained or lost by this song. At this point I got the sense that a majority of the crowd was disappointed with the show as was I, but knowing that they got the 2 ugly cousins out of the way gave me some hope that Sunday would be better. This song just really put the cherry on top of the shit sundae that was Night 1, I've really never seen them so out of it before. Here comes the 12-string and I assume this will be the set closer..
Grey Street: One of my favorite songs but man did they half-ass this one. It clocks in at around 4:30 minutes, more than 30-40 seconds of jamming that they cut from it. I've never been so disappointed with a Grey St before this one, it was almost embarassing that they went out on this song. I couldn't believe they ended it when they did, Rashawn and Jeff couldn't even get going.
Encore Break- The lighters up in the lawn was a sight I'll never forget.
PNP-->Rapunzel: Solid E1 spot for this one. Once again I didn't feel the usual energy that I do when this song is played, something about the main set just left me with a bad taste in my mouth. They definitely let RR/JC go a little bit longer than they normally do, hopefully making up for a terrible Grey Street. They caught a groove near the end of this song because of the jam, things were starting to look up, and then Carter started hitting that snare.
Ants Marching: Finally the place is up and moving, singing along. This was one of the best Ants I've seen and it put everybody in such a positive mood leading into tomorrow, alot of solid energy in the building at this point. Boyd was literally flawless in his solo at the end and Carter had some fun with the hits on the end jam. Going out on "lights down you up and die" always makes people happy, this one was no different. Alpine N1 may have been a downer but little did we know what they had in store for us on Sunday.
Night 2 began with a little luck, I ran into a friend of mine who had to leave the venue on a family emergency (fortunately everything is fine now) however he said he had a pair of tickets in 202 FF and offered them to me. I was slated to sit in 201 UU so I paid him for them, wished him well and went our seperate ways. Took the shuttle again and the consensus on the bus was that this had to be a legendary night or this weekend would be a bust, and away we go...
You could tell that Dave was feeling it as soon as he walked on stage, even when he walked on to introduce UM he was in a rather good mood. It was evident that he felt better and was back into the swing of things, no more jetlag or any excuses not to put on a good show. This crowd was ready to see what they had in store for them tonight, and needless to say they didn't disappoint at all.
Proudest Monkey: When Dave hit the opening chords my jaw dropped. Right then I looked at my brother and said "this is going to be one of those nights that you never forget". It was just his 2nd DMB show so he didn't have much to base it off but I had a feeling. The crowd ate this one up as it was the loudest roar of the weekend. Rashawn had a very nice solo and then Jeff proceeded to rip this song a new one. No extended Tim solo on this one but they let Jeff have a go at it which is never a bad thing. Dave was really feeling this jam and this just set the tone for a great night.
Satellite: Expected and standard. The crowd had fun singing along to this one as always. Solid tune, no complaints except for the guy in front of me kept turning around to high-five me during the song. I really never understood why..
Squirm: Damn I love that little red guitar. This song is some sort of animal live, and yelling "open up your head!!" with 40,000+ screaming it along with you is absolutely exhilarating. One of the high points of the entire night, and definitely the best BW song. Dave screeches a little too much towards the end for my taste but he's definitely into he, and in case anyone didn't notice he did the Okra Man outro (it's what I'm calling it :lol). He went "I got onions and tomatoes.......I got oranges and bananas...."
Pig: Yes, yes, and yes. How can anyone not like this song? They nailed it tonight as usual, my 2nd time hearing it and it couldn't have been better. Dave wailed on the end of this one and it sounded great. Carter and Boyd of course take the end jam to a new level.
Shake Me Like A Monkey: Dave said "we're gonna do it again.." and they went into that little breakdown intro. The crowd was way more into this one than they were last night. I think the crowd was infinitely better Sunday night than it was Saturday night as far as interaction and noise level. They got up for this song and it sounded great yet again, I'll gladly take this as a repeat on a 2 night stand.
You Never Know: Ok, a little confusing, Carter starts the rim intro and we all know Dave has the YNK guitar. Then Carter starts out on a full on Say Goodbye-esq drum solo. I could've sworn I heard a little flute in there too, but it was probably just in my head. Then he hits it and they go into YNK, love this tune, many don't but that's ok. The crowd really responded well to it even after they all thought it was Say Goodbye and Jeff Coffin did a number to this song. I can only hope this hangs around til the Florida run because it's something everyone should hear. I'd recommend this tape as it was very good for a debut.
Crash Into Me: Always a crowd pleaser. The Dixie Chicken outro combined with the last Crash Into Me yell was one of the louder points of the night, the crowd was into it all night long but I'm just pointing out some of the loudest moments of the night.
Dreaming Tree: This is when I knew I loved this crowd and loved this venue. For the first time all summer (I've been to 5 shows and have seen DT 3 times) people actually cheered, sung along, and stayed in their seats during this gem of a tune. Good thing they did too because it was one of the best versions of this song I've heard. Dave's wailing flowed perfectly with Jeff's solo, they were on the same page the entire night and this was just one of the many highlights from a classic song.
You and Me: Alot of fun to sing live, the crowd loved to sing this one and it got a great response when they went into the chorus. Not my favorite off the album but I definitely enjoyed this one live. With a crowd like this it was hard not to enjoy the show, so much energy and so much love coming from everybody. It was shaping up to be a special night.
Funny the Way It Is: Cool dedication by Dave, he said he wasn't planning on playing this one tonight until he met a boy named Nathaniel who asked him to play this song tonight. It was one of the more passionate and spirited versions I've heard, once again the crowd ate it up as they did most everything on this night.
Gravedigger: Unexpected. My brother said to me walking in that he wouldn't mind hearing Gravedigger tonight, and sure enough there it is. Alot of people didn't know what they were playing until Dave started singing and then it got a big cheer. This is so good without Willie and with the entire band, I wouldn't mind it hanging around for a while.
Alligator Pie: Repeat but with a new arrangement. They let Boyd jam it out right after the bridge, he took a little solo and then they were right back into the song. This is getting awfully close to being a very strong song and I think we'll see it grow exponentially in the next week or so. The crowd once again energized this tune and powered it all the way through til the end.
Out of My Hands: Dave told a story about the big mosquitos in Wisconsin and how he always thinks he has one on his head when he's playing and we just don't tell him, so he said "I'll get back at you". Well he did, with Out of My Hands. Consider us even Dave, this song is such a buzzkill to an otherwise perfect night, or so I thought. In an odd way I found myself getting into the jam at the end, Dave sped up the progression of the song and they really got it grooving there towards the end. Another show of respect from the crowd, although it may not be the most popular song, they still cheered and sang along for it. This was a true class act from everyone there last night and really came back to us in a good way.
#41: I say this every time I've seen 41 this year. Holy shit. It is out of this world good and last night might've been the very best I've ever heard. It was absolutely mind blowing how good Jeff and Carter were together, they even have their own handshake now :lol The best moment of the weekend occurred shortly after #41, Dave was introducing everyone in the band starting with Jeff and working the way over from Rashawn, Stefan, Boyd, Tim, and ending with Carter. Right after he introduced Tim the place fell deathly silent in anticipation of him going to Carter, Dave noticed this and paused, and as if everyone couldn't hold in their excitement anymore the place just exploded with cheering and noise. Dave just pointed at Carter, they put the spotlight on him and the band showed their approval as well. The loudest cheer of the weekend by far was this moment and it never fails to give me chills when I listen to it again. Dave just yelled "CARTER BEAUFORD ON THE DRUMS!" sending everyone into a frenzy. A truly special moment and reading Carters lips he really summed it up, "holy shit man..."
Rhyme & Reason: The place is buzzing after #41 and the Carter intro and then they break into this. Such a solid tune I love it, Tim's slide solo is unreal on this song and it's so fitting. Dave did some crazy dancing during his solo and you could really tell this night was about to be taken to the next level.
Dive In: I really liked this song, not my favorite on the album but another one that works live. They jam it out at the end with a very tasteful Boyd solo and Dave/Rashawn/Carter harmonizing along with it. This will grow live I have no doubt, Tim had some problems with his amp so the beginning of the song sounds a little flat but they fix it after the first chorus.
Jimi Thing: We're coming up on 11 PM and I can't believe they're playing this. I knew it wouldn't close but didn't know what else to think. Dave sang the opening line and then remembered where he was, this wasn't Europe anymore, Alpine brought it extra loud on this night and wasn't going to let him sing this one. I gotta give Jeff a ton of credit for his work on this song, no more screeching and squealing like he did in 08, he's more refined and smooth on his jam here. Rashawn really did some good work as well with him almost adding distortion to his trumpet with his hand. Boyd and Tim were impressive as well, all members shined on this song as usual which ended with the Sexy M.F. outro which the crowd picked up on and sang almost immediately.
Time Bomb: Now I'm thinking this will close, no way they play Two Step after right? The crowd prematurely goes into the "BABY WHEN I GET HOME.." before Tim's solo but they catch on eventually. The intro needs to be jammed out, that's really all I have to say about that. Other than that this song is golden and is welcome at any show I go to.
Two Step: Holy shit, are you kidding? It's now past 11 and they are about to play Two Step?!?! I was convinced there would be no encore and that the show would end right here. Let it be known that this is the best Two Step I've seen/heard on tape/heard on CD or anywhere else. This had it all, and I can't even put it into words to tell you how great it was but it was truly the best I've ever heard. Carter played off the crowd clapping along with his beat and just had fun with it, one of the most powerful outros I've heard.
Encore Break: Nearly 3 hour main set, and at this point I'm all but guaranteeing a quick Stay closer. However in the midst of all the lighters in the air started the Thank You chant. Slowly but surely it spread throughout the entire venue and you had 40,000 people all singing Thank You. I noticed the band came back out and stood on the side of the stage in the dark just taking it all in, a truly special moment that I'll never forget as long as I'm going to shows. One of those things that could only happen with a crowd at Alpine. The bright lights come on and the band walks back out onto the stage as Dave continues to encourage the Thank You chanting....
Thank You: They bust into a quick little rendition of this infamous closer from 2008. I enjoyed it alot especially given the circumstances of the crowd, Dave was clearly into it as he ditched the guitar pretty quickly and danced around like a fool as the crowd sang it. This was a great moment because you felt as if it was all coming together, the crowd sings Thank You to not only bring back good memories of Alpine 2008 but to truly thank the band for what they had just done, all out effort for 3 hours of classic songs. Dave stomps down the end of this song and calls for his guitar, Carter is already soloing....oh my god..
Halloween: I lost my mind on this one, the guy in front of me actually passed out but he would be okay. The feeling when the whole band came in is something I can't describe, it was really something special and made it even more special to find out it was added to the encore. Tim got absolutely scary on the outro with some crazy effects. The crowd was into it singing all of the lines that you can possibly sing during any Halloween, and Carter brought it home in the only way Carter knows how to do things, perfect. Dave and Carter hang around to throw out sticks and wave goodbye to Alpine until next year, they have left an impression on all of us that's more than they know.
My first trip to Alpine comes to an end and I can officially say I'll be an Alpiner for life. I've never felt more at home (aside from being in my own home) than when I was standing in that pavilion with 40,000 people around me who seemed like family for 3+ hours. A great feeling and a trip well worth it, however I couldn't have done it without some help so thanks goes to Davet first and foremost for picking me as a winner of his generous contest, and since I'm only 18 I couldn't have done this without a little financial support from Mom and Dad. They really came through in the clutch this year but I promise I'll pay my way there next year :lol. Heres to a great Alpine weekend and to Alpine 2010!
We can't forget about the tapers, heres a shameless plug for our good friend Crumbo and a couple links to his great pulls from both nights. Thanks to all the tapers who were there and spread around these great shows.
http://www.dreamingtree.org/details.php?id=7116
http://www.dreamingtree.org/details.php?id=7121