Dave Matthews Band

Hailing from South Africa (and Virginia) the Dave Matthews band lead by none other than Dave Matthews is an American rock band known for their intricate improvisational acts and eclectic mix of instruments. DMB is most well known for their summer tours, which I can tell you firsthand are truly something else. Being my favorite band, I have been to three Dave shows in my life. Twice at Woodstock in the summer of 2009 and 2010, and once at the Comcast Center in Hartford, CT. Upon arrival, every parking lot was full. Tailgating is amazing at Dave shows and allows for opportunity to meet lots of new people. But enough with the show business and onto the music. I will now share with you my favorite Dave Matthews Band songs.... enjoy.

1. "Two Step":

Despite its lack of credibility on the music charts, for true DMB fans, it is one of the greatest live performance done by DMB. As the third track on their most successful album Crash, "Two Step"features a very upbeat tempo accompanied by a quick folk guitar riff. To me, Two Step is a very uplifting song. It's chorus repeats, "celebrate we will, for life is short but sweet for certain", to celebrate for we only have one chance is the message being sent to the song's audience.







2. "Big Eyed Fish":

The last show I attended, DMB opened with "Big Eyed Fish". Located on the album Busted Stuff, the song contains immense animal symbolism. Each verse tells a separate story of animal that goes outside its natural habitat or against what is commonly accepted only to fail miserably. The first line tells of a man who held his breath until he died, which clearly falls under the category of "stupid". But the point of the song is that one must accept their fate and not stray far or else failure can and will occur. The slow downbeat tempo of the beginning of "Big Eyed Fish" accompanied by soft vocals quickly picks up as the chorus approaches and returns to a slower speed during each verse.





3. "Lie in Our Graves":

One of the most distinguishable tracks by DMB, "Lie in Our Graves" is all about living life to the fullest and not having to question life at its end. I love the message they put forth in this song as I believe we must live life to the fullest each and every day and truly abide by the phrase "Carpe Diem" or "Seize the Day". The extremely upbeat tempo gets me in a good mood every time I hear the first few notes of the song. As with "Two Step" and "Big Eyed Fish", I have also heard "Lie in Our Graves" live. Out of every performance, "Lie in Our Graves" tops any song I have ever seen performed live.