Mini DMB Tour 2009, Night 3
The last full concert of my mini tour. So sad. I was just getting use to a concert almost every night. Saturday’s show was down in Chula Vista which is near San Diego. The amphitheatre was a new one for me. I hoped is wasn’t going to be a cookie cutter, but I didn’t have high expectations. Eric was out from the East Coast for the show, so I was really excited to see him. If the band kept played a mostly new set, the night would be a success.
Teresa and I drove down Saturday morning to meet Eric and Jessica. All four of us stayed in downtown San Diego. Eric picked a great hotel. We decided to eat lunch in Pacific Beach, so I suggest the Pacific Beach Alehouse. I can’t get enough. Everyone enjoyed the awesome views and great food. Eric liked sampling the local beers. The surf was really rough, so the waves were a sight to see.
In Pacific Beach, we gathered sandwiches and beer for tail-gating. After a quick stop at the hotel, we drove down to Chula Vista. The traffic wasn’t bad getting into the venue. We were forced to park on a dirt patch, but it was really dusty. The parking lot scene was OK. Jessica’s friends from Encinitas joined us, and we made friends with our neighbors. Eric and I relived some of the glory days. Jessica told some stories as well. Shes been to as many shows as Eric and I.
As the sun started to set, we decided to venture into the venue. Unfortunately, Teresa and I didn’t get to sit with Jessica and Eric. However, we did meet Emily down in the Pit. My friend Monsour met her at the West Palm shows, and I was excited to finally meet her myself. After a few phone calls, we found each other stage right. She is awesome! She was totally pumped for the show. Our conversation was cut short by the house lights going down…
Saturday Sep 12 2009
Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
Funny The Way It Is *
Spaceman *
Don’t Drink the Water *
Proudest Monkey * >
Satellite *
Shake Me Like a Monkey *
Lying In the Hands of God * >
Seven *
Crash (Into Me) *
You Might Die Trying *
Why I Am *
Lie In Our Graves *
Squirm *
Alligator Pie *
You and Me *
Jimi Thing *
__
Baby Blue +
Grey Street *
Time Bomb *
Show Notes:
* Jeff Coffin
+ Dave Solo
I didn’t get the full “Funny The Way It Is” effect at the Greek. As the house lights go down, the entire stage is veiled in a white sheet. You can only see the shadows of performers, instruments and gear. As the first note pounds through the sound system, the sheet quickly pulls up and into itself. Its a jaw-dropping moment that sets the mood for the set. I wish the rest of the show was as exciting. The only cool thing about the venue was the absence of a roof over the seats. You don’t need one in the desert. The rest of the venue was definitely cookie-cutter. The set was alright. Don’t get me wrong, DMB nailed “Don’t Drink the Water,” “Shake Me Like a Monkey,” “You Might Die Trying,” “Why I Am,” “Lie In Our Graves,” “Alligator Pie” and “Grey Street.” However, the only new tracks were “Proudest Monkey” and “Crash.” I can live without “Crash,” but “Proudest Monkey” was cool. Due to poor timing on my part, I spent part of it in the bathroom. I can’t complain too much (would have been great to hear), but I wish I’d heard some different tunes.
Highlights for this day were the people. It is always great to see Eric, and I’m glad I finally met Jessica. She is a lot of fun. I’ll see y’all in March for ABB! I was also glad to finally meet Emily. Since she’s just down the road in SD, I’ll be seeing her at a few more shows in the future. Finally, I’ll stop short of saying this was a bad show. It wasn’t. I still danced excessively. I sat in fantastic seats thanks to Eric. I just felt slighted which is selfish. When you see a run of shows, a few always standout and a few don’t. I’m glad I had two out of three standouts. All was not lost. On Friday, I was confirmed for my tickets to a taping of The Ellen DeGeneres Show featuring the Dave Matthews Band. Yes! The tour continues tomorrow!
