On the Road with the Dave Matthews Band
As our rented tour bus shook us like we were on the deck of a ship sailing through the angriest of storms, the memories of the past weekend started to play back in my mind like an old black and white movie. Opening up for the Dave Matthews Band in Houston and Dallas was the longest and most defining three days of our musical lives. One of my most vivid memories was watching hordes of people running to get the best possible spot on the giant lawn hills of the amphitheaters, only to stop and listen to a band on a small side stage that they have never heard before. The strides that were broken those two days set my heart in motion on stage. A big reason why were able to join DMB on their tour was because of the extremely talented violinist Boyd Tinsley. So to seem him take the time to come and watch part of our set in Dallas, and then graciously invite us onto his bus after our show to sit and visit with him was a monumental moment for us. It gave us a chance to thank him for giving us this amazing opportunity – an experience that will forever be emblazoned in our hearts. It was an honor to meet such a grounded and talented musician – we have become a huge fan of Boyd’s and the entire DMB crew. Another highlight for us happened when we were sound checking our song “Love is On Fire” in Dallas. In the middle of the song, Dave Matthews stepped away from the main stage for a moment to get a closer listen to our music. The echoes that shot throughout the grounds of the amphitheater must have intrigued him enough to step away from his busy day and find the source of the sounds that filled the air.
Not all the chance meetings happened in Dallas. An amazing occurrence happened in Houston as well. The president of LiveNation, Bob Roux, (one of the most successful concert promoters in the world) saw our performance and was so impressed he made a point to introduce himself after the show. We were all really ecstatic that such a respected man in the industry would take the time to meet with us. He also caught our show in Dallas as well. The best thing of all was that I could tell that he was simply a true fan of the music.
Not every moment was as significant as I mentioned above, but memorable all the same. There are certain novelties of living on a tour bus for three days. At first it was great to have a mobile bathroom, but once it started randomly over flowing it became a geyser of inconvenience and stank. It quickly became "No Man’s Land" and the stops at gas stations became much more frequent. The shocks were something special too. A couple of times I had to look out the window to see if we were driving on the highway or an old gravel road. The saving grace about the bus was that we were fortunate enough to have a professional driver named John Wynn. That way we didn’t have to mess with driving the shaky behemoth. Thanks John for getting us there and back safely.
Making such an important weekend work means that there is a lot of thanks to be said. We were graced with the presence of photographer Cambria Harkey, who brilliantly documented the entire DMB experience. Because of her we will be able to relive the journey over and over. Thank you Cambria! We would also like to give a huge thanks to DMB and their team for bringing us on the tour, and making the experience so wonderful. None of this could have happened without the many countless hours and weeks of hard work by our managers Clif Loftin and Chris Fritz, and our fabulous publicist Ginger Roddick. Thanks guys for sharing your talents, energy, and lives with us. Finally, I would like to thank all of our families, friends, and fans who made the long drives to see us perform for these two paramount shows. You know our hearts are always with you.
~Mark
Not all the chance meetings happened in Dallas. An amazing occurrence happened in Houston as well. The president of LiveNation, Bob Roux, (one of the most successful concert promoters in the world) saw our performance and was so impressed he made a point to introduce himself after the show. We were all really ecstatic that such a respected man in the industry would take the time to meet with us. He also caught our show in Dallas as well. The best thing of all was that I could tell that he was simply a true fan of the music.
Not every moment was as significant as I mentioned above, but memorable all the same. There are certain novelties of living on a tour bus for three days. At first it was great to have a mobile bathroom, but once it started randomly over flowing it became a geyser of inconvenience and stank. It quickly became "No Man’s Land" and the stops at gas stations became much more frequent. The shocks were something special too. A couple of times I had to look out the window to see if we were driving on the highway or an old gravel road. The saving grace about the bus was that we were fortunate enough to have a professional driver named John Wynn. That way we didn’t have to mess with driving the shaky behemoth. Thanks John for getting us there and back safely.
Making such an important weekend work means that there is a lot of thanks to be said. We were graced with the presence of photographer Cambria Harkey, who brilliantly documented the entire DMB experience. Because of her we will be able to relive the journey over and over. Thank you Cambria! We would also like to give a huge thanks to DMB and their team for bringing us on the tour, and making the experience so wonderful. None of this could have happened without the many countless hours and weeks of hard work by our managers Clif Loftin and Chris Fritz, and our fabulous publicist Ginger Roddick. Thanks guys for sharing your talents, energy, and lives with us. Finally, I would like to thank all of our families, friends, and fans who made the long drives to see us perform for these two paramount shows. You know our hearts are always with you.
~Mark
MERIDIANWEST
posted by meridianwest at 9:01 AM
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