Alaina and I made a trip up to Newton, MA this weekend to spend time the company of Taylors. It was magnificent and included an epic Saturday night dance party in our living room with five families close to us since before I was born. Friday night was at Fenway Park, 10th row for Dave Matthews Band. Flashback to 1995 and the first time I saw DMB at The Orpheum… I have lost touch with Dave a bit since then and I was glad to reconnect. I did not recognize, but nonetheless enjoyed, the majority of his songs. I prefer, for nostalgic reasons, his early music which hit me incredibly hard in my sophmore year of high school, but the band still plays incredibly well live. The original brass, Leroi Moore, died in an ATV accident and so it has changed the band’s composure somewhat, with two new horn players and Tim Reynolds permanently on the electric guitar, but Dave is still Dave and Carter Beauford plus Stefan Lessard equals groove. Amazingly, I am seeing another sentimental favorite this week — Phish at Jones Beach. For the majority of bands I see, their time together has been brief, but the longevity of these two bands is inspiring. Check out the set lists of all the shows DMB and Phish have ever played and it is easy to see why they are still doing it.
I played a farewell for summer show today for the kids at one of the schools I teach at. It was hilarious. A swarm of 2 – 6 year old kids all over me, my guitar and mic, singing and dancing with me as I played:
Friendship Hall, NY: 6/2/09
Hello! Ola! Ciao! Konichiwa! Namaste!, Eensy-weensy spider -> She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain -> Jumpin’ Josie, Here Comes The Sun -> Keep On The Sunnyside, Ram Sam Sam, Yellow Submarine -> Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Rattlin’ Bog, This Little Light Of Mine, Old MacDonald, I Can See Clearly Now, Three Little Birds -> One Love -> Stir It Up
E: When The Saints Go Marching In
I love these kids so much and feel so lucky to be a part of their lives, even if they can’t remember me in 20 years (I barely remember those high school shows I went to…). I hope that I at least inspire them enough to instill a lifelong appreciation of the miracle that is music.
There is one child, who I can promise you, will always be thankful to you for sharing your joy of music. For the last 2 years his favorite day of the week has been Tuesday (Stephen Day). This evening he went from singing/dancing, to being a complete sad mess, to practically skipping home after you gave him the pick. It’s in a special place so that it does not get confused with his other guitar picks. We can’t thank you enough for being such an inspiration to our son. You are one of his beloved musical heroes.
Please know that Sam is one of my musical heroes as well. His love of music is so pure and real and reminds me of the true joy in making music. Sadly, over time I believe we lose this connection as music becomes more about consumption and social identification than engaged participation. I revel in the presence of such unadulterated love for PLAYING music! Thank you Sam and everyone else who transports me back to a time and place where music is genuinely fun. I wish we could all remember…