12.14.12, 12.15.12: Charlottesville, VA

[barbogast]

I've never written and posted one of these reviews before, and I know not many read and reply to these things, but I figured what the hell. Going to be a bit lengthy and I'm going to go song by song over both nights.

Thanks for reading!

Night 1

Don't Drink the Water: Fuck yes. Great start. Great, classic DMB, and they kill this song. I love the tempo it's at these days, especially in a power slot. Really gets the building riled up.

Broken Things: Awesome. This was the one AFTW song I wanted most over the weekend, and it was the first one I got. I thought the performance was excellent and I could tell they'd tightened this tune up a few times. Off to a good start.

Seven: Meh. I'm pretty much ready for Seven to go away for a while, but my fiancé really likes it, so whatever.

#41: Before the show, I asked my fiancé which song she wanted most. Her answer was #41, and then they bust out this gem of a version, early in the show to boot. Strongest #41 I've heard post Roi, and this might have been my favorite moment of the weekend. Ear to ear grin the whole time.

Eh Hee: Yikes.

Why I Am: I really enjoyed Why I Am this time. I LOVED the Mansfield-style intro, and the memory of LeRoi was evident throughout the song.

Mercy: Before the song, Dave mentioned the events in Connecticut and said some thoughtful things regarding it, then mentioned his mom likes this song a lot, and then proceeded into a very fitting and touching version of Mercy. I seem to remember a new little horn fill during the outro, which I liked a lot.

-> OOMH: Yuck. I truly just don't enjoy this song. The piano jam was neat I guess, but I definitely could've done with this one.

Everyday: And the building is back! This song is what it is, the crowd always loves it, and who can argue with singing the "honey honey" lyrics at a show with thousands of strangers? Not really a personal fave of mine, but it's decently fun in a live setting.

Belly Belly Nice: Hell yeah. I was looking forward to this one. It definitely delivered.

-> You & Me: Another one my fiancé enjoys, so whatever. The crowd liked it. It ended after just a few minutes.

Seek Up: Holy fuck. Every time I've seen D'Earth guest the past few Cville years, it's been on a cool-ass fucking song. Recently in '09, Warehouse in '10, and then fucking Seek Up Friday night. I'd been chasing this one, first time for me, and man did I get a treat. I will say though, the crowd reaction was noticeably weak on this one.

Grey Street: My fiancé and I joke that she has a curse. Her first show she said she wanted Grey Street the most, got it, and has seen it at EVERY SHOW SINCE. 6 full band shows, 6 Grey Streets. Good version. Jeff was solid during the outro. Crowd loved it.

If Only: A favorite from AFTW. I enjoyed it quite a lot. Crowd seemed a bit bored.

Rhyme & Reason: I saw Joe Lawlor guest on Rhyme at Bristow this summer, with a similar solo intro, so I had I feeling when I heard Lawlor start with the solo Rhyme was coming. Very, very good. Fucking love this song.

Drunken Soldier: Excited to hear this one. Sounded great. Boyd killed his spot at the beginning. The outro was sexy. I liked this one a lot.

Time Bomb: The redeeming quality with Time Bomb is that you're about to hear...

-> Two Step: Great version, as it usually is. They consistently deliver excellence on this tune, and they didn't miss this time. Carter was superb, and this was a real crowd pleaser.

--------------------------

Baby Blue: Maybe the biggest surprise all weekend for me. I hadn't been watching the sets, and wasn't aware it was in rotation, and I never would've guessed this as the E1 going in. And I thought it was great. I love this song.

The Riff: Meh, kinda disappointed about this being in the encore, but it was ok. Not really a favorite from AFTW, but at least it helped me complete the album.

Ants Marching: YAY! I never tire of Ants. When Carter started kicking the bass drum during the intro, I was afraid it was about to turn into Halloween, but Ants it was. And it was awesome. There isn't a better show closer than Ants in my opinion, and I left with a smile.

Overall a solid show. A few songs I don't care for, but that's to be expected these days. A lot of great, classic tunes and some standout AFTW performances. 7.5/10


Night 2

Proudest Monkey: This song, while it's a good song, doesn't belong in the opening spot. Super snoozer. I want to start with a bang, not a nap.

-> Satellite: Didn't see that one coming. Standard version, crowd loved it, next please.

The Best of What's Around: Well how about that shit. Definitely the biggest "oh snap!" moment of the night. The crowd really liked this one. Had the whole building on fire. I didn't see one person not singing along. Should've started with this one, Dave!

Rooftop: This one translated very well live for me. All parts were tight on this one. Now there's some energy in the room.

So Damn Lucky: Actually a very fun version of SDL. The crowd singing the "Thank You" outro was very fun. The band seemed to enjoy it also. This song isn't as bad as it's made out to be, it's just played way too often.

Spaceman: Crowd falls back asleep again. Give this one a rest.

-> Cornbread: I'm a total closet-breader. Not a song I'd pick on the iPod, but it's fucking great at a show. A good sing-a-long song, and Lawlor's guest spot was terrific. I like it.

Squirm: Saw the little red guitar come out, and immediately my thought is Shotgun. Please, Dave, PLEASE. Carter starts tapping the sticks, nope. Squirm it is. To the bathroom we go.

Belly Full: I really liked this one. I had been hoping it was available. Glad to get it, as I have a bad feeling it may become a rarity soon, and I like it a lot. Hopefully I'm wrong about that.

Pantala Naga Pampa -> Rapunzel: Hell yes! Always fun to hear them strike up PNP in the middle of the set. Had the whole place moving.

Gravedigger: I went with my sister, who hasn't been to a DMB show in years, and Gravedigger is her favorite. She thought it was cool as fuck. I was less excited. Mixed crowd reaction. Standard version from the band.

Dancing Nancies: Oh yeah! The crowd exploded for this one, and Boyd was outstanding. Can't be anything but thrilled with Nancies.

-> Warehouse: The best one-two punch in the catalogue delivers once again. Great UTTAD intro from Dave, great horn work during the jam, great "Louie Louie" from the crowd, one the highlights of the night.

Granny: The other biggest surprise of the weekend. I seem to only get Granny on Cville N2's (three in a row now), but I'll take it. Who doesn't love the "Love, Baby!" outro? The whole place was into this one, and it finished off a killer run.

Gaucho: My least favorite from AFTW. I was surprised to learn it was only the second play of the tour, hopefully that's a sign that Gaucho won't be around a lot.

Funny the Way It Is: The only thing I liked about Funny was that sweet intro, and it wasn't there this time.

Snow Outside: I really like this song on the album, but I didn't think it really translated that well. Which was kind of disappointing. Crowd seemed bored, but that's because it's new. The outro was okay, but I was underwhelmed.

Jimi Thing: I knew I couldn't escape the weekend without it. At least we got the "For What It's Worth" outro. That's my favorite one.

Shake Me Like A Monkey: Should've ended with Jimi.

----------------------------

(Blue Water): Pretty cool. Not very long, but a cool little tease. A lot of people around me knew what it was, which was a bit surprising.

Christmas Song: Always great this time of year. Great rendition. The crowd really loved it. I assumed we would get it when Dave, Tim and Carter all came out. Very happy with it.

All Along the Watchtower: Gotta say, I was hoping for more. Watchtower is fine, but it's generic and stale for me, and I really wanted one more song at the end.

Overall, a weak start, a weak finish, some great classics and a couple clunkers in the middle. More good AFTW performances. Some VERY high highs. 7/10

I had a great time this past weekend. DMB in Cville is always a great time. Can't wait till next time!

[ajc_1988]

Originally Posted by barbogast

I've never written and posted one of these reviews before, and I know not many read and reply to these things, but I figured what the hell. Going to be a bit lengthy and I'm going to go song by song over both nights.

Thanks for reading!

Night 1

Don't Drink the Water: Fuck yes. Great start. Great, classic DMB, and they kill this song. I love the tempo it's at these days, especially in a power slot. Really gets the building riled up.

Broken Things: Awesome. This was the one AFTW song I wanted most over the weekend, and it was the first one I got. I thought the performance was excellent and I could tell they'd tightened this tune up a few times. Off to a good start.

Seven: Meh. I'm pretty much ready for Seven to go away for a while, but my fiancé really likes it, so whatever.

#41: Before the show, I asked my fiancé which song she wanted most. Her answer was #41, and then they bust out this gem of a version, early in the show to boot. Strongest #41 I've heard post Roi, and this might have been my favorite moment of the weekend. Ear to ear grin the whole time.

Eh Hee: Yikes.

Why I Am: I really enjoyed Why I Am this time. I LOVED the Mansfield-style intro, and the memory of LeRoi was evident throughout the song.

Mercy: Before the song, Dave mentioned the events in Connecticut and said some thoughtful things regarding it, then mentioned his mom likes this song a lot, and then proceeded into a very fitting and touching version of Mercy. I seem to remember a new little horn fill during the outro, which I liked a lot.

-> OOMH: Yuck. I truly just don't enjoy this song. The piano jam was neat I guess, but I definitely could've done with this one.

Everyday: And the building is back! This song is what it is, the crowd always loves it, and who can argue with singing the "honey honey" lyrics at a show with thousands of strangers? Not really a personal fave of mine, but it's decently fun in a live setting.

Belly Belly Nice: Hell yeah. I was looking forward to this one. It definitely delivered.

-> You & Me: Another one my fiancé enjoys, so whatever. The crowd liked it. It ended after just a few minutes.

Seek Up: Holy fuck. Every time I've seen D'Earth guest the past few Cville years, it's been on a cool-ass fucking song. Recently in '09, Warehouse in '10, and then fucking Seek Up Friday night. I'd been chasing this one, first time for me, and man did I get a treat. I will say though, the crowd reaction was noticeably weak on this one.

Grey Street: My fiancé and I joke that she has a curse. Her first show she said she wanted Grey Street the most, got it, and has seen it at EVERY SHOW SINCE. 6 full band shows, 6 Grey Streets. Good version. Jeff was solid during the outro. Crowd loved it.

If Only: A favorite from AFTW. I enjoyed it quite a lot. Crowd seemed a bit bored.

Rhyme & Reason: I saw Joe Lawlor guest on Rhyme at Bristow this summer, with a similar solo intro, so I had I feeling when I heard Lawlor start with the solo Rhyme was coming. Very, very good. Fucking love this song.

Drunken Soldier: Excited to hear this one. Sounded great. Boyd killed his spot at the beginning. The outro was sexy. I liked this one a lot.

Time Bomb: The redeeming quality with Time Bomb is that you're about to hear...

-> Two Step: Great version, as it usually is. They consistently deliver excellence on this tune, and they didn't miss this time. Carter was superb, and this was a real crowd pleaser.

--------------------------

Baby Blue: Maybe the biggest surprise all weekend for me. I hadn't been watching the sets, and wasn't aware it was in rotation, and I never would've guessed this as the E1 going in. And I thought it was great. I love this song.

The Riff: Meh, kinda disappointed about this being in the encore, but it was ok. Not really a favorite from AFTW, but at least it helped me complete the album.

Ants Marching: YAY! I never tire of Ants. When Carter started kicking the bass drum during the intro, I was afraid it was about to turn into Halloween, but Ants it was. And it was awesome. There isn't a better show closer than Ants in my opinion, and I left with a smile.

Overall a solid show. A few songs I don't care for, but that's to be expected these days. A lot of great, classic tunes and some standout AFTW performances. 7.5/10


Night 2

Proudest Monkey: This song, while it's a good song, doesn't belong in the opening spot. Super snoozer. I want to start with a bang, not a nap.

-> Satellite: Didn't see that one coming. Standard version, crowd loved it, next please.

The Best of What's Around: Well how about that shit. Definitely the biggest "oh snap!" moment of the night. The crowd really liked this one. Had the whole building on fire. I didn't see one person not singing along. Should've started with this one, Dave!

Rooftop: This one translated very well live for me. All parts were tight on this one. Now there's some energy in the room.

So Damn Lucky: Actually a very fun version of SDL. The crowd singing the "Thank You" outro was very fun. The band seemed to enjoy it also. This song isn't as bad as it's made out to be, it's just played way too often.

Spaceman: Crowd falls back asleep again. Give this one a rest.

-> Cornbread: I'm a total closet-breader. Not a song I'd pick on the iPod, but it's fucking great at a show. A good sing-a-long song, and Lawlor's guest spot was terrific. I like it.

Squirm: Saw the little red guitar come out, and immediately my thought is Shotgun. Please, Dave, PLEASE. Carter starts tapping the sticks, nope. Squirm it is. To the bathroom we go.

Belly Full: I really liked this one. I had been hoping it was available. Glad to get it, as I have a bad feeling it may become a rarity soon, and I like it a lot. Hopefully I'm wrong about that.

Pantala Naga Pampa -> Rapunzel: Hell yes! Always fun to hear them strike up PNP in the middle of the set. Had the whole place moving.

Gravedigger: I went with my sister, who hasn't been to a DMB show in years, and Gravedigger is her favorite. She thought it was cool as fuck. I was less excited. Mixed crowd reaction. Standard version from the band.

Dancing Nancies: Oh yeah! The crowd exploded for this one, and Boyd was outstanding. Can't be anything but thrilled with Nancies.

-> Warehouse: The best one-two punch in the catalogue delivers once again. Great UTTAD intro from Dave, great horn work during the jam, great "Louie Louie" from the crowd, one the highlights of the night.

Granny: The other biggest surprise of the weekend. I seem to only get Granny on Cville N2's (three in a row now), but I'll take it. Who doesn't love the "Love, Baby!" outro? The whole place was into this one, and it finished off a killer run.

Gaucho: My least favorite from AFTW. I was surprised to learn it was only the second play of the tour, hopefully that's a sign that Gaucho won't be around a lot.

Funny the Way It Is: The only thing I liked about Funny was that sweet intro, and it wasn't there this time.

Snow Outside: I really like this song on the album, but I didn't think it really translated that well. Which was kind of disappointing. Crowd seemed bored, but that's because it's new. The outro was okay, but I was underwhelmed.

Jimi Thing: I knew I couldn't escape the weekend without it. At least we got the "For What It's Worth" outro. That's my favorite one.

Shake Me Like A Monkey: Should've ended with Jimi.

----------------------------

(Blue Water): Pretty cool. Not very long, but a cool little tease. A lot of people around me knew what it was, which was a bit surprising.

Christmas Song: Always great this time of year. Great rendition. The crowd really loved it. I assumed we would get it when Dave, Tim and Carter all came out. Very happy with it.

All Along the Watchtower: Gotta say, I was hoping for more. Watchtower is fine, but it's generic and stale for me, and I really wanted one more song at the end.

Overall, a weak start, a weak finish, some great classics and a couple clunkers in the middle. More good AFTW performances. Some VERY high highs. 7/10

I had a great time this past weekend. DMB in Cville is always a great time. Can't wait till next time!

Good review.

Bolded is spot on.

[lovemesomedmb]

For some reason, I missed this review when it was posted...its a great one..and I agree with 99.9% of it... My favorite line is that you're a "closet-breader". Took me a second to figure out what you meant...and OMG...me too! I feel the same way. defintiely great at a show - very fun.. All around great weekend. I look forward to C-Ville for DMB every year..and if they do it again this year (and I know they will!), look out - it'll be amazing!