Go West Young Man

"Go West young man, and grow up with the country."
~Horace Greeley

Even though that's a quote I have certainly heard before, it really wasn't one that I appreciated or understood, at least not until this weekend. Then I got to see the Rocky Mountains for the first time in person, and it was an experience I can barely describe. The landscape is so breathtaking, so awe-inspiring that if you ever had an question about divine influence helping to shape the world, this certainly answers any questions. Being where I was when I took this picture, about 10,000 feet up, makes you feel so small, and so insignificant, you have to wonder what the first settlers and pioneers must have thought when they reached this place. The Rockies are different from any other mountains I've ever seen, in that the land around them is so flat that it feels like you can see forever, then the ground just erupts into these towering peaks, cliffs and mountains in a way that pictures simply cannot do justice to. Even today the land still feels a little wild and untamed...as if it is merely tolerating our presence, as opposed to giving in to it. I guess that feeling is where the term 'wild west' came from initially. I can only imagine what it must have been like to follow Greeleys advice and be one of the first men or women to go into the west, and then to watch civilization slowly and surely grow up around you. I wonder if those settlers ever had any idea what the country they were founding would ever become? Somehow I think they might have, even then.

But anyway, enough about the scenery! For anyone who didn't already know, I was in Denver to see Dave Matthews play a show @ Red Rocks amphitheater, and all I can say is: AMAZING!!!! To have been able to get tickets in the first place was an incredible bit of luck...seeing as how I put in Warehouse (DMB fanclub/early ticketing) requests for all three nights (Fri., Sat., Sun.) and only got the Sunday seats. Then the general public ticks for all three shows sold out in about 15 minutes when they went on sale a month or so later...that's how crazy real Dave fans are! :-) The concert was absolutely one of the best experiences of my life! If you're reading this and aren't a hardcore Dave fan yourself, you're probably wondering why this show was so different from any other show - the answer is simple, the venue and the people. Red Rocks is a naturally occurring rock formation with almost perfect acoustics, that the city of Denver has turned into an amphitheater. Not only does it LOOK amazing, but the sound is incredible. Anywhere you sit, it sounds like you're in the front row...it's that good. I only have one picture, and I had to take that with my phone, but trust me when I say you have to see and hear it believe it. (speaking of which, they'll be putting out a cd and dvd package from the weekend sometime soon)

Red Rocks Amp., Western Face 9/11/05

Beyond the venue though, there are simply the fans who made the effort to come all the way to Denver from across the country because we understand how incredibility special these shows are. I could see why someone who wasn't a huge DMB fan, and didn't know all the songs and all the words, and couldn't appreciate hearing them in a setting like Red Rocks would probably be like "WTF is going on?" but for the rest of us it was something we'll be able to tell our kids and grandkids about. You see, to sit in the middle of a group of people who love something as much as you do, and sing and cheer and scream with them isn't something that happens very often, especially in today's world of huge stadiums and venues. At those places you get people who come out because they have nothing else to do, or because the tickets were cheap, or because their friends were going. Then they stand around and talk to each other, and pretty much ignore the show until one of the songs that they've heard on the radio comes on. Red Rocks on the other hand has seating for maybe 1,500 people, and I knew that 99% of those people who had gone to the effort to get tickets loved Dave as much as I did, and that was a pretty amazing feeling.

SET-LIST, Sun. Sept. 11th, Red Rocks CO.

Don’t Burn The Pig
You Never Know
Stand Up
Grey Street
When The World Ends *
Dream Girl
Lie In Our Graves
Lover Lay Down
What You Are *
Out Of My Hands
#41 *
Granny
Halloween *
Butterfly
Crush *
Pantala Naga Pampa
Rapunzel *
__________________

I Did It [tease]
Louisiana Bayou *
The Star Spangled Banner [Intro]
All Along the Watchtowers

Last, I would like to thank whatever divine influence prompted Dave to rock
HALLOWEEN at this particular show! To hear a song that hasn't been played
for any concert anywhere in about eight years was absolutely beyond belief!
Also, I can now say that I've officially heard live, each and ever song that
Dave has ever released! I know to most people that sounds kinda crazy,
but to me that's what being a fan is all about! Loving something so much,
that everyone else thinks you're probably a little nuts!