mikemayhem wrote:I really wish I had been able to stay for night two because to be honest Friday night was very disappointing to me and my group. It seems a lot of you fine folks thought the opposite, but i just felt like the band was really uninspired and simply going through the motions out there. From the moment they came on stage things just felt...off. Even the sound, especially on W.W.W., which is unlike Ziggys.
Also, this was my first show since Shonna left the band and I found Matt to be really really distracting in between Mike and Patterson. It just left a sour taste in my mouth. Anyways, they can't all be winners and i'm sure if I had been able to stay through the weekend then Friday night would be an afterthought. The set list for Saturday looks absolutely epic.. But i just wanted to share one man's opinion.
Wow, not sure where this comes from. This weekend had the two best DBT shows I've seen in a long time. Probably my favorites of at least the past few years. And I'm not one to give sugar coated reviews. The band seemed to be having a great time up on stage and there didn't seem to be an ounce of tension between any of them. They looked happy as shit from the second they came on. I'm truly stunned that anyone could have felt they were off, uninspired, or mailing it in.
I really hope the band keeps the five-piece set-up. I like them lean and mean. More of a pure rock and roll sound. Not to mention, hopefully it means a little more money in their pockets. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I don't miss Neff and the pedal steel at all. And I've never missed Shonna. Let's be honest, Shonna was largely dead weight. Her songs absolutely sucked, and it wasn't like she was an exceptionally talented musician. Her biggest notoriety was that she was a female in the band, with an overly country accent, who was somewhat attractive in her younger years.
I don't really see how Matt can be distracting. He just stood in the background and played his part. It's funny how much he smiles while playing, but I don't think that's a bad thing. I saw Matt out in a record shop Saturday afternoon and told him how much I enjoyed the show. I truly meant that.
My only controversial opinion of the weekend is that I think Friday was my favorite show of the two. I mean, come on, Why Henry Drinks, Margo and Harold, Steve McQueen, Don't Be In Love, etc. all in the same show?! That was fucking badass. The Three Great Alabama Icons is about as rare of a song as you'll ever hear, and I love the way Patterson tells a story, so that was a definite highlight on Saturday. His eerie story telling on Goode's Field Road was also really incredible. However you slice it, two great shows!
This weekend was especially nice weekend for me, as I've had a number of bad experiences lately at DBT shows. None of that at all. Ziggy's security was very tight. I don't know if that's the norm there or if the band specifically told them to keep it tight, but it was nice not to have to put up with some of the bullshit. The balcony provided a tremendous vantage point for the shows. It's so close to the stage and the sound was excellent -- just the right volume. The crowd was thinner up there and everyone could have some space and get a good view without bothering the folks around them. That was awesome.
Patterson had a number of equipment issues over the two nights, but this kind of thing doesn't really bother me, as I just consider it part of the live music experience. I was able to check out Winston a bit on Saturday, so that was fun as well. I wish my hotel had been a bit closer to Ziggy's but it worked out fine.
I won't be catching the Georgia Theatre shows, as, unfortunately, they overlap with a Superchunk show at Cat's Cradle, and I can't miss that. However, I'm hoping for a few more great Truckers shows before the year is out. Sure glad I made drive over to Winston after the terrible experience at the Cooley show last weekend, or I would've really missed out! Good crowd and a great venue to catch a show. Hope they'll return to Ziggy's again soon!
just keepin' it real kid
