When I was in sixth grade, my best friend Sam played me an album that would become the center of my musical world for the next six years. The album was called Before These Crowded Streets by the Dave Matthews Band. Sam had picked up on DMB from his new girlfriend, Ellen, who also, incidently, became a large part of my world for the next six years.
It wasn’t long before I was begging my dad for his copy of Under the Table and Dreaming and not much longer before I packed all of their albums into a huge, black, rubber-reinforced CD-case that I had made a habit of carrying around with me. There were a few t-shirts, a few concerts, but mostly hours and hours spent listening. Sam and I would hold marathon sessions in one of the side-rooms in the church where our parents rehearsed with their praise and worship group. We’d go on about how misguided the rest of the world was - or how confusing relationships were - how how freakin awesome Dave Matthews Band was.
I remember a girl in my high school accusing me of being a phony - of only liking the band because Sam did which was only because Ellen did. I remember a few of our friends devoting themselves to hating on the band and repeatedly unplugging my stereo because our fanhood was such that it demanded opposition apparently. Those friends came around eventually - a few became bigger fans than I was.
I can’t really relate the amount of influence Dave Matthews Band had on me without boring you, but suffice it to say that I was a little sad to hear of LeRoi Moore’s death. I’m sort of drifted away from DMB’s music, but I’m glad for that time. I’m glad I sucked in what I did and I’m glad they were doing what they were doing. Because damn, they were good at it.
LeRoi Moore
Leave a Reply