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| Review from The Houston Chronicle, DMB concert 1999. Yep, I scrapbooked it. |
My obsession began in 1997. Me and a tape of Dave Matthews Band’s
Crash. At least I think it was Crash, it could have been Under the Table and
Dreaming, but who knows. For the sake of the story, imagine I am 15 and
listening to Crash while sitting on a dock of a lake near an apartment building
with a couple of friends gathered around smoking cigarettes and listening to
a guy play guitar.
Yeah, we were rebels. Clichéd high school rebels. Sure there was a little drinking, maybe some
weed later on, and I know some people were having sex- but not me. I didn’t so
much as even really date in high school. Yes, I know, I sound awesome. Please don’t
feel sorry for me, I had friends and a social life, I just couldn’t figure out
the dating thing. Honestly, I am not sure how I snagged a husband, that must
have been an awkward courtship. (Thanks honey, I love you!)
So, there I am listening to DMB (the B side of my mix tape
was Ben Folds Five) driving around our little town. My first concert was in ’98,
I think. I waited in line at the Ticketmaster box office at the mall for my
tickets. We didn’t have a speedy internet connection back then- and I sure as hell wasn’t
willing to take the risk and miss out on my favorite day of the summer! (Remember in Empire Records- “Its Rex Manning
Day!” That is how I feel about DMB- “Its Dave Matthews Day!!”)
Fast forward 2 years, I am a freshman in college, still obsessed
and I decide to get the (unofficial logo) DBM firedancer tattoo from the local tattoo parlor right across from campus. I settled on my hip for the location of said tattoo. Actually, it’s
slightly lower and my mom’s first comment was “that is going to stretch out and
look crazy if you get pregnant”. For the
record, I carried small and it never did stretch to mammoth proportions.
Thankfully.
I am at the tattoo parlor
and the guy has placed the stencil onto my hip and is prepping the area. While
swabbing the area he comments,(please remember that I didn’t date ever) “I like
a girl with a nice bush”. OMG. Those
words are forever burned into my psyche. He truly meant this as complementary, but I was still mortified and apparently naive
enough not to realize that college co-eds were shaving all their womanly
areas bald. I mean, bald? Really? Who want to feel like an 8 year old girl
during sexy time?
As it turns out, he pushed too hard with the tattoo needle
and screwed up my tattoo. I went to another guy later to try and salvage the
damage done but he said the first guy went too deep creating a lot of scar tissue
and causing the lines to blur. Its not my favorite tattoo, but I don’t regret it. The tattoo commemorates such a specific moment in time. I still love DMB and eventually plan to add
to the firedancer in hopes to salvage the piece somehow.
16 years and over 16 concerts later, I am still in love with
Dave Matthews Band. This past concert was my favorite. Of all time. Ever. It
was amazing, spectacular, wondrous, moving and fabulous!! They played The Song
That Jane likes (an somewhat obscure really old song), an extended version of
Crush and Shake Me Like A Monkey for the encore. It was perfection. Honestly,
Dave can do no wrong. (Except maybe that incident where the tour bus accidently
unloaded the potty contents into a river somehow. But they paid for the damage
and made a generous monetary donation, too.)
I suppose this has been my longest love affair. 16 years of
compatibility, honesty and support. They have seen me through the good times,
sad times, happy times, driving around in the car smoking cigarette times…thanks
Dave- for always being there.
xoxo
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| The DMB firedancer. |
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