I remember when I first got into DMB, in '95, there were several people on the "Nancies Listserve" who'd known the band from their start or a few who knew members before the band existed. They sometimes shared stories that gave these cool snippets or slices of a view into what they're like in their downtime, without ever violating privacy/sharing "too much". I still remember some of those stories and how much they made me smile and appreciate a fuller picture of this band I was so amazed by.
With this being 25 yrs since BTCS was released, I said to someone (Hi Xcacel!) that maybe I'd dig into my journals and find a few interesting snippets to share, and I had these posts of other people in my early days as a fan in mind. So because I had a crazy work day & it was a treat to dig out this journal & read this... And because a few people were nice enough to vouch for me today (Hi also blumathu & lukin23!), instead of a story with a point, here is a snippet of what my 1st show (or post-show) on the BTCS tour was like, and it was my favorite unpredictable, usually chaos in the parking lot & on the lawn venue: Hartford's Meadows Music Theater! Was anyone else at the '96 Pearl Jam show there when there was a mini riot on the lawn & police sprayed pepper spray which affected like 1/3 of the entire audience? Memories!
I think I saw DMB there 10 times total in just 6 years at Meadows (and they played 14 times in same years, 3 shows becoming Live Trax (3, 47 & 57)). The energy of this journal entry was buzzing because I loved this album so much and had had SUCH a fantastic time in the front row dancing & singing my ass off (tix I got on the phone with Ticketmaster, I had figured out the right timing in those days!), and I hadn't seen them for awhile, so this snippet is just a slice of what the scene was like after a 1998 BTCS show on the tour bus (they still traveled all on 1 bus then)...
"8/3/98 My 33 hours in Hartford, CT at DMB/AGR [Agents of Good Roots] shows: [This just covers post 7/31/98 show, tho I covered pre & post 8/1/98 too in this entry] ... After show waited by backstage gate & saw ___ [tour manager, call him TM], he knew I had passes & asked if I had anyone with me (didn't). He took me to the "low pro" area by the buses (low profile) and I knocked, Carter, Stefan & Roi were on the bus. It was great to see them, we hung out, drank wine, and watched Jimi Hendrix's Isle of Wight performance which they told me was just a month before he died. It was SO COOL watching Hendrix do Watchtower with 3/5 of DMB when I'd just watched them play it. Then I gave them the gift I'd brought, the Sun Ra video. Roi was particularly happy to get it. Eventually Coran, Dave & TM all got on. Carter & Roi made me start the Dave Letterman/Pearl Jam story over again 3 times so Dave & Coran heard the whole thing. Then we talked about
: Vernon Downs, a 70s Robin Williams video, and "Horsebears" (Dave of course on the Horsebears!). Dave was also psyched about the Sun Ra video and told me he'd seen him 6 times total, 3 in Cville. By then we'd arrived at the hotel, hung out in the really nice bar, and I caught up with _____ (an old really good friend of band) and eventually everyone came back down from their rooms and this time the convo covered..." [End scene!
]
So belated Happy 25th Annversary 1st show (for me) of the BTCS era! I wish I wrote way more about the shows themselves, but the stuff I really worried I'd forget was the interesting convos and funny experiences. Now and then though show details did get captured.
This was a short post for me, right Xcacel?