LeRoi Moore - Not Forgotten

After Dave Matthews Band (DMB) co-founder LeRoi Moore passed away last summer, the band continued their tour and played a video tribute to their fallen saxophonist during encore breaks. The video was set to the beautiful song #34 and I haven't seen it since last year. On September 7th this year, the day that would have been his 48th birthday, DMB presented a new web page dedicated to celebrating LeRoi's memory. The site is fairly extensive and I found the video, so I'm embedding it here. Thanks for the memories LeRoi!


Find more videos like this on LeRoi Moore

Flickr Update

I have uploaded four new sets to my Flickr page:

• Ottawa, Toronto & Saratoga Springs


• Halifax Does Vancouver


• PNE 2008


• Gorge 2008

LeRoi Moore 1961 - 2008

I mourn with many others. I forgot to ask him something when I met him a couple of years ago. You never know when one chance will be your last.

"We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program." -The Warehouse

LeRoi passed away yesterday afternoon and a few hours later the band took the stage in Los Angeles to play a three hour show for their fallen band mate. "That Matthews and his mates were able to soldier on so valiantly with an often profoundly moving and largely unsentimental performance wasn't just admirable – it was downright astonishing. What's more, it spoke to the inexplicable but immense healing power of live music."

When LeRoi was injured back in June the band kept on with the tour. Bassist Stephan Lessard explained, "It's what Roi wanted us to do."

Here's to you LeRoi. I'll miss you.

Letter to Braemar #2

As announced on The Warehouse:

05.27.08
A message from DMB:
Keyboardist Butch Taylor has decided to leave Dave Matthews Band. We are saddened by this sudden news but he has our full support. He’s given so much to us and our audience through the years and he will be missed.

Spage responds:

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! Why does it have to be my favourite member whose name is not Dave Matthews?? Why??? Noooooooooooooooooo!!! Boyd should leave instead!!

01/09/67

Happy 40th Birthday to Dave Matthews!

Below, some videos to pass the time today. The first two can't be embedded because they are official DMB vids - which means, they rock. Plus, Timmy inexplicably wields a banana.

How Dave met Tim.

Dave + Tim on their early collaborations.



Cornbread at Hollywood Bowl 2007.



Shotgun at Gorge 2006.




So Damn Lucky - Dave Matthews and Trey Anastasio with Orchestra Baobab (In Senegal)




Can't Stop in Phoenix, 2006.

Waiting For The 2008 Summer Tour

I was in Los Angeles for a couple of days to take in the last two shows of the Dave Matthews Band 2007 Summer Tour at the legendary Hollywood Bowl. The shows were phenomenal. More than that. During the N2 set closer, I told Lance that the night was my blue heaven.


We were treated to an incredibly rare song (#34) that Dave dedicated to his wife on her 34th birthday made even more rare by the addition of lyrics (not done since 1993!). We had Danny Barnes join in both nights on the banjo (love the banjo!). There was John Mayer guesting on #41. And yet another rarity, Exodus, made even more rare by the guest vocals of Stephen and Ziggy Marley (and some of their band mates). For the first time ever, the band also invited the entire crew onstage during the encore break. The energy and atmosphere was, to be corny, magical. The music was innovative for both nights, I met great people, and curled up with old friends on the DMB circuit.


Then there was L.A. You know, I really hate L.A. I can't believe how bad the roaming paparazzi has gotten down there. It's noticeably worse than when I was last down. Guys with cameras and video cameras everywhere. Just waiting. Skulking. It's a soulless place, no doubt. It somehow has a complete lack of character - how do they do that?

Wookiee - thought of you on Tuesday. The club next door to my hostel (so trendy it had no name visible and was constantly stalked by paparazzi), hosted the Jericho Season 1 DVD release party.

Anyway, picture upload to follow...eventually.

Did I remember to post about the Guster show in Seattle the other weekend? I gotta get on this shit.

Flickr Update

I've got a few new sets up on my Flickr site.

Wookiee's Wedding Weekend



1208 Greatest Hits Tour



Gorge 2007

DMB Community

The Gorge was incredible. Again. As always.

We camped at the amphitheatre with a friend from Halifax and two more from Ohio. At the venue I met up with my DMB people who came from Minnesota, California, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, etc.

And then in the venue on N1 I ran into a DMB friend I met in Amsterdam on the Spring Tour.

Beautiful venue, music, and people...it just doesn't get better than that. It's cheese and corn, but sometimes during the shows, when I do a panoramic scan to take in the Columbia River gorge, the tens of thousands pulsing positive energy, the band and stage display, and the blanket of stars above us as the moon rises over the campsite beyond...I get a little teary at the joyous beauty. It's like being wrapped in happiness and friends. Which makes it so hard to leave, and so easy to rush back to year after year.

See you in 2008 for my 8th Gorge in a row!


Pictures from Gorge 2007 will be up on Flickr as soon as I can, but Priority One is repairing my busted up motorcycle, and booking travel to DMB at Shoreline and Hollywood Bowl - this summer tour doesn't end until October!

Sometimes We Know Stuff

Do you ever find that as a Canadian your contributions to a conversation with Americans (or any others?) are often summarily dismissed? Maybe they think it's too cold up here for our brains to work, or maybe they're only used to hearing exactly one side of things. Perhaps they don't really believe that an average Canadian has a decent base of general knowledge to draw from regarding issues both in and outside of our borders.

This is what would be called a frivolous example of what I mean...

On the Dave + Tim European Tour earlier this year, Dave started playing a particular song as an intro to Don't Drink The Water. We (a handful of Americans and myself) didn't know what it was called or where it came from (though we sure it was a cover). Being overseas and disconnected from the fanosphere found online and stateside we hazarded some ideas but resigned ourselves to waiting for the official word on the mystery song upon our return to North America.

The Americans told me that it had to be a song by a European because it mentions a Caledonia river. Is this because only Europeans can write songs about Scotland? I have no idea, but I let that one slide. I thought (and said out loud) that perhaps it was about a Caledonia in Canada because at the time I was thinking about the ongoing Native blockade/land claim dispute in Caledonia, Ontario. In reply, I received quizzical and bemused looks - the assembled council would not entertain such a ridiculous suggestion. Apparently there is only one Caledonia, I don't know what I'm talking about, and Canada does not inspire song.

Knowing Dave Matthews' penchant for covering (and lauding) Quebecker Daniel Lanois and being aware that the cover song sounded suspiciously like the famed singer-songwriter/producer's style I decided to hold my tongue, wait, and see.

When I got home I checked the definitive Dave Matthews Band resource website, dmbalmanac, and found that the song was indeed written by Daniel Lanois and is called Still Water. Further, I discovered that this song debuted on his first album titled Acadie (French for Acadia), which granted, only covers a section of Canada east of Ontario, but this seems to point away from Scotland...but maybe towards Nova Scotia.

So what does that leave me with? Nothing really. Vindication? Hardly. I'm not going to phone anyone and rub it in long distance style. Self-satisfaction? I guess. *sigh* I just wonder why it is that people assume Canadians have nothing of substance to contribute. Are we really just looked at like we're adorable little colonials who naively gaze upon everything in astonished wonder? It seems no matter what we accomplish (as individuals or as a nation), or how highly we are ranked on world education and standard of living lists, we are still brushed aside. I guess the upside is that as our successes are ignored, so are our failures. But I'd rather seem them both held up to scrutiny, wouldn't you?

Five Countries In 152 Photos

Come see my city and show pics from the Dave Matthews + Tim Reynolds European Tour on my Flickr site titled Europe'07!

Tour Schedule (to sync with the pictures):

03.05.07 - London
03.06.07 - Paris & show
03.07.07 - Paris
03.08.07 - Frankfurt & show in Offenbach
03.09.07 - Brussels & show
03.10.07 - Amsterdam & show
03.11.07 - Amsterdam airport and flight to Vancouver




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What Country Am I In Now?

Back at work and not very pleased about it. In the last two weeks I've been to Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Mexico, Bahamas, England, France, Germany, Belgium, and Holland. By the time I made it to Frankfurt the time zones and different languages had my brain all in a tizzy. I kept using French when I was supposed to be using German, and sometimes I'd forget which country I was in or had just been in - it was fantastic! The Dave & Tim European Tour was the best tour I've ever done with Dave Matthews; not only did I get to chill in some amazing cities and meet lots of people from all over the planet, but I also got to meet Dave twice and Tim once, and I also got to stand at the front of the stage in front of Dave for both the Brussels and Amsterdam shows! I've never been that close to the music and doubt I ever will again - bliss is what it was.

Besides the shows, arriving in a new city & country every day was a wonderful challenge. I managed to see tons of locales at each city and do a little food tour for traditional local eats in each place too: crepes and take out sandwiches in Paris, crazy sausage in Frankfurt, fries and waffles in Brussels, and Bitteballs (don't know how to spell it) and this other kind of crazy hot dog/sausage with filling in Amsterdam.

I'll be posting more about the trip in little bits, but now, I must get back to work. I need to focus because my flight was delayed three hours in London last night (and I had already been at the Amsterdam airport for many hours before getting to London) and when I finally made it back to Vancouver I realized the clocks went ahead one hour. So I'm still very much in a haze of different time zones and languages - oh, and I need a new hard drive before I can even upload my pictures because that is how full my GBs are! Pictures and stories soon!


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Official Photographer

I've become one of those people who take pictures of everything. I don't reserve my camera just for special events, I also constantly snap shots of the every day. When a gathering does occur I relentlessly take photos of the festivities and as a result end up with lots of great moments caught for posterity - which means that I have been named the Official Photographer of the DMB tours I attend. Not by the band of course, but by my friends who also travel to lots of shows.

It's an honour to be responsible for capturing these memories, not to mention a whole lot of fun. And now someone who I think is amazing, has also taken note of my pictures. Recently I got some exciting information from a friend in Nevada; Mike Doughty posted some of my pictures on his blog!

Check out the three posts on September 20th, those are all my pictures from the show in San Francisco and Mike generously credits me for each of them. How cool is that?



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Vegas to Santa Barbara to L.A.

We've made it to L.A.! I've got a few minutes before we run out to the show, so I'm taking the first chance I've had all weekend to post a little something. Vegas was amazing of course, love that city! I doubled up my investment on both the roulette table and the slots, the show was incredible, and we partied hard Vegas style. Road tripped to the beach the next morning and our motel was a block from the Pacific. Those two days in Santa Barbara went fast, lots of partying, lots of Halloween madness, and two more great shows. We ended up being a group of about 18 people in SB, and this morning 9 of us continued on to L.A. I rode with three others in a Mustang convertible under the California sun - love it. I have second row seat tonight, so it should be a fantastic way to end out this year of Dave Matthews madness. Lots of pictures to come, for now, just a taste.

Leaving For Las Vegas

As usual, down to the wire, I'm not packed, I'm freaking out, going to miss my flight, have to get a post in before I go.

I'm off to Las Vegas tonight where tomorrow night at the MGM Grand Arena, there will be a Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds show to attend. The next morning, we're piling into a rental van and driving across the desert to the California coast where for two nights in a row at the 4,562 capacity Santa Barbara Bowl, there will be two Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds shows to enjoy.

Oh, it's going to be LEGENDARY!



~~~~~

DMB @ Red Rocks

A collection of pictures from my first trip to the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado, September 9-12, 2005.

Post Haste

Oh my I can't believe how busy I am.

I got back from Charlottesville, ran straight into a major deadline at one of my jobs, and whole other workload issues at my other job, plus an assignment for school. I finally got a bunch (117!) of pictures from the trip uploaded onto Flickr to abate the demanding fans of my incessant photography last night... only to have them all insist on seeing some of the 1243 other pictures I took because they loved them so much!

So the blog has suffered as a result. As a cop out, here is a link to my Series One C-ville pictures. Series Two, due to high demand, will be out as soon as possible.

Enjoy these very out of context photos of my fellow devoted DMB fans in the band's hometown!

C-Ville

I'm in Charlottesville, Virginia and loving it! This place is amazing; the landscape, the architecture, the people, the wine, the music, and everything in between makes C-Ville one great town. I left Vancouver early Wednesday afternoon and America West flew me to Phoenix, then Las Vegas, through Philadelphia, and then into Charlottesville late Thursday morning.

It was pure exhaustion. Not to be defeated by a brain numbing lack of sleep, after meeting the "Inn Keeper" of this hostel/bed & breakfast (Alexander House) and a couple of the guests, I cleaned up and started driving. I explored the countryside and discovered endless curvy roads through plains and wooded hills that made me wish I was riding a motorcycle.

I visited a couple of the local wineries and ended up at Blenheim Vineyards, which is Dave Matthews' vineyard.



I bought six bottles of wine and have no idea how I'm getting them home.



Next I cruised some more, with the rental car sun roof open so that I could enjoy the brilliant day that it was, and made my way to The Best of What's Around organic farm, which is Dave Matthews' farm.The farm store was closed for the summer and a sign was posted saying that their produce could be purchased at the Scottsville Farmer's Market on Thursdays. Lucky for me it was Thursday, so I went down to Scottsville and checked out the little Farmer's Market.While I was in town I went to a local cafe and had a coffee and deep fried mozzarella sticks at one of their sidewalk tables. Along with a cigarette. Ah, so health conscious! I swung by the Monticello visitor's centre, decided not to go in, and instead drove downtown. I headed for the top of the parkade that I walked up to four years ago and took an almost identical series of pictures. Except these ones were on a digital rather than disposable camera, and done at 4:30 in the afternoon, instead of the crack of dawn. These pictures are mostly of the Pink Warehouse, where Dave Matthews Band played their first gig 15 years ago on the roof.
I wandered the pedestrian mall that is historic downtown Charlottesville and ran into Crumbo, a taper I met at Alpine Valley in July. I hope he's taping this weekend! Later, I ate at an outdoor table at The Hardware Store Restaurant - a local institution. After getting a little tipsy on Whisky Sours, I walked it off and drove back to the hostel to prepare for a live show that wasn't DMB. The hostel was deserted when I returned and I found out that I had the whole house to myself until the next day. So I padded about like it was my home and pretended to live in this cute little house in Charlottesville. I think I'm certifiable. Anyway, at about 10 p.m. I walked downtown to Miller'sto catch John D'earth and his amazing band jazz up the joint. Dawn Thompson sang on some songs as well, and they were all phenomenal. Incidentally, Miller's is where Dave Matthews used to bartend (notice a theme here?), and is where he met the first members of the band and convinced them to play with him. Miller's is also a local institution, where John D'earth has played Thursday nights "for like, 20 years!" said the t-shirt vendor.

And now I've made it back to the hostel. I've been given a lock key and helmet to use the hostel bicycle. Mare, the inn keeper, has been so wonderful and generous, but I don't think I really want to ride the bicycle. Now I have to, or her feelings will be hurt. Jeez. Where the hell am I going to ride to? Up that hill or the other one? This does not jive with my coffee, fried food, and cigarette regimen. Tomorrow the influx of DMB fans from all over North America and probably beyond will begin in earnest. I hope I can find some of the folks I've met over the summer, but even if I don't, I've already had a fantastic trip - and it's only been one day.

Next Door To The Amphitheatre

I've arrived in California and I'm all settled into the Vagabond Inn in Sunnyvale. No time to relax though, I'm due to meet some people at a bar near here before we revel in the live music of the DMB. Here's to Never Ending Summer 2006!

California, Here I Come

I'm flying to San Francisco later this morning to catch two Dave Matthews Band Shows at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountainview, CA on Friday & Saturday. Then on Sunday night I'll be rocking to Mike Doughty at The Independent in San Francisco. There's no time to recuperate from the Gorge, I've got to keep the tour going!

Triumphant Return

We have returned from the Gorge! It was SPECTACULAR! N1: Awesome show. N2: Incredible show. N3: Insane show. I have loads of pictures, and likely a few little stories, but we got in late last night, I'm at the office and school starts tonight so things will have to wait a little. Oh, and I'm also flying to San Francisco for two more DMB shows the day after tomorrow. I'll do my best to get some stuff up here, and in the meantime I'll leave you with a random quote from the weekend;

"I've been using birth control since I was 18... do they have tinfoil on their headlights?"