One sweet world/ Around a star is spinning

We were lucky enough to experience the Dave Matthews Band show in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, on Wednesday (6/15/05) [Setlist] from the 3rd row, center. Overall an OK show, it probably ranks around 20th or 21st of our 24 DMB shows attended (the 6/27/97 show, our first show, was the best concert we've ever experienced live, despite lawn seats).

Highlights

1. Superb opening band (Robert Randolph and the family band, including their Billie Jean (MJ) cover with two women from the audience guesting on vocals)
2. Dancing Nancies in the middle of the set (one of our top five DMB songs, ever)
3. Robert Randolph guesting on multiple songs (including Bayou; he made Stand Up bearable)
4. Dave's passion at the end of certain songs (Hello Again, Bartender, Grey Street, Stand Up)
5. Observing the band's interaction with their hardcore fans in the front few rows (see our superfan comments below). E.g. Carter flirting with the same woman in the front row year-after-year at the Cleveland shows (she has, by our unofficial count, at least 4 drumsticks from the Beauford beats master). And Fonzy (aka Stefan Lessard, bassist) comparing hippy necklaces with the superfan in the front row wearing the Jamaican soccer jersey (they were identical).
6. Louisiana Bayou closer. What a great surprise! When we saw Robert coming out for the second time, we predicted All Along the Watchtower, and made noises of disgust when they began to play Bayou as the final encore song. BUT....it was excellent live -- eons better than the album version (and as you see from our Stand Up album review, we enjoyed it on the album to boot). Robert Randolph was just insane on it (dancing from his seat at his 'guitar.') And his Bernie Kosar jersey garnered a roar from the lawn monsters when shown from behind on the screens.

Lowlights

1. Opening song was Dreamgirl
2. Too many new songs; not enough old favorites
3. Waiting over two hours to leave the venue; Blossom is the worst venue ever in terms of accessability
4. No real surprises (One Sweet World somewhat-excluded)
5. Only show we are going to see this tour

Hilarity

So, we were seated directly behind superfan, Ms. DH (second picture on the linked page; of gifting Boyd Tinsley a "Find some inspiration, it's down deep inside of you" gym bag embroidery fame; peace, love and jammin to DMB 4-evah silliness), her husband, and (presumably) her mother and father. Her constant gospel-choir-ish hand movements to Dave were highlarious. Too bad Mr. Matthews acknowledged them with a wink and a nod. He must remember those alleged phonecalls from the late 1990s.

In line with preconceived notions/rumors/expectations about her, she proved them true. While complaining ceaselessly about the "radio songs" that kept appearing in the setlists, she was "tired of all that radio s--t." And when we predicted that Grey Street would be the eleventh song played in the set, she said, "well, duh!" and sneered. Clearly, her DMB genius was unparalleled in her mind's eye. DH even sat (in protest?) during the jam session on Two Step ("radio song" to her, despite not being seen on radio playlists in years) to request a back massage from her family members. Notions validated, indeed.

We believe that only person in our immediate vicinity (the first three rows) more hilarious than her was the drunken waif who continually flirted with the security guards on the other side of the front row barriers and with other front row males. She waifily and suddenly stole DH's mother's eyeglasses (rose-colored, no less) and wore them until they were stolen back by DH's father. Subsequently (and rightfully), said waif was duly removed from the venue by two security guards (literally carrying her like a mental patient from the front row). Highlarity, indeed.