In YOUR opinion, is Dave mailing it in this summer?

[TheLastPig]

Originally Posted by Bo(w)theDropsFan

They're not mailing it in, but they're also not giving it their all. Certainly not on auto-pilot but they're also not mashing on the pedal and pushing it to the danger zone.

This is how I feel. They just seem to have taken a step back in general this year. Little risk, little reward. I'm wondering how much of this has to do with Boyds injury, if it's really hampering him and Dave is writing setlists that won't strain him too much. We've seen very highs and lows of Boyd this summer, so I think that it's very possible.

[gocubsgo3822]

really doesnt help that boyd is awful at his job

[barbogast]

Originally Posted by Dannyyankou

I guess I'm judging based on the shows I've seen, but they nailed Lover Lay Down and You Never Know in Hartford. And then the regular season, like Warehouse, Nancies, Minarets, and Crush were as good as I've ever seen them.

Yeah that's true. I got a Typical and a Raven and they were both great. And as you said the staple classics sounded phenomenal.

Originally Posted by Bo(w)theDropsFan

They're not mailing it in, but they're also not giving it their all. Certainly not on auto-pilot but they're also not mashing on the pedal and pushing it to the danger zone.

This is a solid summary. They've definitely brought some cool stuff back. They just play it twice and move on.

[BotheLaneFan]

Originally Posted by gocubsgo3822

really doesnt help that boyd is awful at his job

I'm confident that with 6 months of practice I would be 20 x the violin player he is at this point.

[barbogast]

Originally Posted by gocubsgo3822

really doesnt help that boyd is awful at his job

Boyd's been much better the last month or so

[gocubsgo3822]

a professional musician shouldnt be "better lately"

[TheLastPig]

Boyd was great on LIOG and Crush in Burgettstown. Those are the only performances out of the 4 shows I saw that I can even remember him standing out on.

I don't know how some of you can pile on Boyd this year knowing what he's going through.

[barbogast]

Originally Posted by gocubsgo3822

a professional musician shouldnt be "better lately"

True. I just meant it's not unbearable anymore

[gocubsgo3822]

Originally Posted by TheLastPig

Boyd was great on LIOG and Crush in Burgettstown. Those are the only performances out of the 4 shows I saw that I can even remember him standing out on.

I don't know how some of you can pile on Boyd this year knowing what he's going through.

when the bears defense gives up a million rushing yeards a game i say they suck and are awful.

When boyd skrees out of his mind and ruins songs i say he is awful.

Nothing personal that he sucks. But yea he is awful at his job

[TheLastPig]

Originally Posted by gocubsgo3822

when the bears defense gives up a million rushing yeards a game i say they suck and are awful.

When boyd skrees out of his mind and ruins songs i say he is awful.

Nothing personal that he sucks. But yea he is awful at his job

He still has a health issue he is dealing with. I'm not defending him, he has not been very good the last few years. But the "6 months of practice and I would be better than him" comment is flat out disrespectful to the guy, who is a founding member of the band we even have this discussion board for.

[gocubsgo3822]

i believe bo's post was accurate.

[CrUsHmE1220]

As some of you have been pointing out, many of us have very different conceptions of mailing it in. It seems the OP meant their question in terms of set list variety. I absolutely agree that the sets have been really frustrating. And also that most of the opportunity presented by the 2sets format has been squandered. The form changed but not the substance. As for why that has happened, it is really hard to say. For one thing the longtime fans have very different tastes in this band's music than the majority of people who buy tickets for any given show. Ever notice how the lawn roars for your bathroom break songs? That's ten or twenty thousand people cheering. And how when something like Spoon or Cry Freedom begins only about 25% of the audience seems to know or care what they're hearing? I'm sure the band notices that too. They feed off crowd energy and I'm sure that dynamic is important and motivational for them. The other thing is now that we are several albums into the post Stand Up years, their catalog contains many more songs that a lot of us could do without. If you have a look at some of our favorite tours from years past the song variety is no better. The summer 2000 tour contained 57 unique songs over 52 shows. Fall/winter 98 only had 55 unique tunes. But no one complains because their catalog was almost spotless back then.

As far as performances go, it's hard to imagine they're consciously trying to take it easy. It seems to me that most of time they play their asses off and have a great time doing it. And this band does not need to tour. They really don't have to do anything. They've made an absurd amount of money and they aren't promoting an album. So IMO they tour because they love to play and perform music together. And even though I too would LOVE to see more BTCS, Crash, UTTAD, and Lillywhites stuff, I can understand why Dave is obstinate on this issue. Everything from Stand Up, Big Whiskey, and AFTW is still music they've created, lyrics Dave's written, grooves they've come up, etc. So clearly they like it and have fun performing it. Hell they've been playing some of the songs we want to hear more of for almost 25 years. So I kind of get it. But indeed, it is still frustrating. One thing I say a lot is that I do not share Dave Matthews' taste in his band's music.

[Seek#41Up]

Originally Posted by gocubsgo3822

if you are promoting an aalbum that just came out you get a pass for playing awful sets.

To just play awful shows with no reason behind it is real lazy.

But that is not what you said. You said 2005 was better. Now you are giving them a pass and saying they are awful sets. It would be better to explain why 2005 was better. I gave my reasoning for why it was not.

[gocubsgo3822]

Originally Posted by Seek#41Up

But that is not what you said. You said 2005 was better. Now you are giving them a pass and saying they are awful sets. It would be better to explain why 2005 was better. I gave my reasoning for why it was not.

right. two things are both awful. this is more awful than 2005 because their is no excuse to be awful this year

[Seek#41Up]

Originally Posted by barbogast

2005 was Stand Up's album tour of course it was Stand Up heavy

Exactly, anything with the words "Stand Up heavy" is not better than anything. Worst tour in the bands history.

[CrUsHmE1220]

Originally Posted by Seek#41Up

Exactly, anything with the words "Stand Up heavy" is not better than anything. Worst tour in the bands history.

Sounds like some kind of medical condition.

[barbogast]

Originally Posted by Seek#41Up

Exactly, anything with the words "Stand Up heavy" is not better than anything. Worst tour in the bands history.

Right but at least they had an excuse that year

[daveshookme]

I think he is. I don't think he thinks he is.

Therein lies the problem.

[Seek#41Up]

Originally Posted by barbogast

Right but at least they had an excuse that year

That still does not make that tour better than this one. When someone says 2005 was a better tour than 2014 that means they would rather hear those sets than the ones we are getting which is just awful to me.

[Seek#41Up]

Originally Posted by CrUsHmE1220

Sounds like some kind of medical condition.

It was in 2005 and has gotten better

[CrUsHmE1220]

I'd take this year over 05 allll daaayyy. And I don't see how Stand Up serves as an excuse for anything. They made that album on purpose. Otherwise, "I stopped for brunch on the way over" would serve as an excuse for being late.

[barbogast]

Originally Posted by Seek#41Up

That still does not make that tour better than this one. When someone says 2005 was a better tour than 2014 that means they would rather hear those sets than the ones we are getting which is just awful to me.

I agree the songs being played now are better but again in 2005 there was at least a reason for stagnant and stale sets. Sure the songs are better now and I agree it's still a better tour than 2005 overall, but the predictability is uncalled for right now

Originally Posted by daveshookme

I think he is. I don't think he thinks he is.

Therein lies the problem.

Yep.

[barbogast]

Originally Posted by CrUsHmE1220

I'd take this year over 05 allll daaayyy. And I don't see how Stand Up serves as an excuse for anything. They made that album on purpose.

It's an excuse to play the same group of shitty songs over and over at the very least. It's an album tour. With that comes repetitiveness.

[gocubsgo3822]

2005 was epically bad. this year worse. just lazy

[antinseattle]

I'd say 50 percent of the time. 50 percent of shows, they're into it. Only been to 6 shows, my "mailing it in" was 50 percent. I don't care what they play, if they're having fun. 3 shows they were having fun. 3 shows they were there cause it was their job

If you're making this judgement from your couch, and haven't been to shows this year, well. You're mailng it in

[CrUsHmE1220]

Originally Posted by barbogast

It's an excuse to play the same group of shitty songs over and over at the very least. It's an album tour. With that comes repetitiveness.

But they wrote, produced, and released that group of shitty songs. It's still their fault. They toured after the release of BTCS and it was one of their best tours of all time because the album is fantastic.

[Jsc6545]

Originally Posted by CrUsHmE1220

But they wrote, produced, and released that group of shitty songs. It's still their fault. They toured after the release of BTCS and it was one of their best tours of all time because the album is fantastic.

but it was still repetitive

[barbogast]

Originally Posted by CrUsHmE1220

But they wrote, produced, and released that group of shitty songs. It's still their fault. They toured after the release of BTCS and it was one of their best tours of all time because the album is fantastic.

None of this has anything to do with the effort level this summer. The lack of effort is what this thread is about. As far as lack of effort is concerned, this tour is all time bad

edit: and by effort level I mean creativity in set writing, not in actual effort on stage. They play their best every night and I know that

[Coachman76]

100% Yes. Not even trying. The Tampa show having 10 repeats from Jacksonville the night before was the last straw for me.

Jax > Tampa is just one example. I think that Dave's voice is giving out either through medical issues, abuse (drinking / smoking) or a combination of the two. The Lovely Ladies are another nail in the coffin for this tour as well.

[gocubsgo3822]

sets would probably be better if boyd could play his instrument at a 3rd grade level