[Review] Dave Matthews Band, July 4 @ Alpine Valley
by concertgoer,posted Oct 25 2011 5:42PM
by Derek Paulowski
I was fortunate enough to be selected as the Concertgoer’s blogger for the Dave Matthews Band at Alpine Valley for the Sunday July 4th show!! My prize package was AMAZING, and included 4 great seats along with the entire studio CD collection from the Dave Matthews Band. My many thanks to the great people at 105.5 Triple M for their generosity and providing me with the opportunity to create some lifelong memories!!
We started our adventure by following Gabby’s advice and finding a parking spot near the back of the lot. Great tip for anyone attending a concert at Alpine, as it saved us sooo much time at the end of the night getting out!! We enjoyed the lively crowd, tailgated with friends, and kept an eye on the skies as rain was in the forecast. I also learned some great tips for picking the right line at the port-o-potty from Lynn who flew in from FL to see Dave. She informed me that one should always pick the line with more men, as they are faster, and often bail from the line making it even quicker. I knew I was dealing with a pro when she displayed her own toilet paper for the “just in case” moment!!
It was now time to go into the show, and there was definitely some great energy in the air. Unfortunately, one of our friends took a “wrong turn at Albuquerque” and we didn’t get there in time for the opening act of the Zac Brown Band, but we heard they put on a great show. We worked our way through the crowd and kept walking down, down, down to our seats. As I mentioned, we had AMAZING seats just 7 rows behind the pit area!!
Dave made his way out and the crowd exploded!! I have seen the Dave Matthews Band a couple of other times, but never from seats like this. Before he even got started, Dave stated that even though he is originally from South Africa, he considers this country his home and wished us all a Happy 4th of July, followed by flashing his hands and calling “Boom…Boom…” into the mic ☺.
A few songs in he played an incredible version of “Everyday” and brought the energy that only the Dave Matthews Band can. Other highlights of the night included “Say Goodbye”, “Why I Am”, and a couple of personal favorites “Jimi Thing” and “Tripping Billies”. Another real highlight was when Dave broke into a little Neal Young performing “The Needle and the Damage Done” solo on stage!!
He ended the show with an extended version of “Ant’s Marching” that got everybody on their feet. Dave was doing his signature dance and trading riffs with Boyd Tinsley with the liveliness and enthusiasm that has made him famous. They left the stage and the amphitheatre began to fill with lighters, cell phones and probably a few iphone “zippo” apps. Dave reappeared and played an encore including an extended violin solo from Boyd. The show ended with a rendition of “All Along the Watchtower” that only DMB can pull off!!
Again, thanks to Gabby’s tip to park near the back, we were out of the park shortly and returned part of our crew to the Whitewater campground at the Kettle Moraine Forest. Trust me, not much traffic if you head that route back to Madison ☺ (thank goodness for GPS!!) Surprisingly, the security at the campground was tighter than we saw at Alpine Valley as we were greeted by 5 DNR officers checking wristbands for admission back into the campground!! Finally, an FYI for those heading back to Madison after a show, the Taco John’s off Hwy 59 & the interstate is closed at 1 a.m. ☹
I once again would like to thank 105.5 Triple M for the incredible prize package, and would encourage everyone to become a Triple M member. As they say “membership has its privileges!!” We had an unforgettable evening, and Triple M made it possible!!
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