the Gatorade I had tasted like melted blue jello. but it probably saved my life.
in the heat I remember turning to Rob and saying, "if I pass out in the middle of Dave, slump me over the fence and continue to watch the concert." it was hot, really hot. 100*, 87% humidity, curls plastered to your face, sweat dripping down your spine, hot. for those who know me, I have a 0% tolerance policy for hot weather. 70* is just too warm for me. I am a 60s girl (double entendre implied) so there must have been a very good reason that I stood outside in the blistering sun, burning my retinas, holding on to my man when I felt dizzy, and sweating profusely for 6 hours.
it was D-Day.
Dave Matthews Band was in Hershey Park Stadium on June 29th, 2012.
Oh yea, and some band called the Head and the Heart opened for them...
it was the best day ever.
after debating if I could drink a container of buffalo sauce from Arbys with out puking, Rob and I went went to the concert early and walked around the dmb booths, all part of Daves green innitiative and also his ongoing project to get America informed. The booths were offering subscriptions to the NYT, registration to vote, Brita to eliminate plastic bottles, dmb guitar picks, flower seed cards and the VW green powered camera to document your D-Day.
then it was time to mingle with the Dave folk. before the concert we ran into one of Rob's friends who said dmb concerts consist of Bros kickin' in South African Style. He meant it as an insult but he is so right. I love how friendly everyone is. people go to Dave concerts because they want to see Dave. Dave people stick together. we stood beside a long time Warehouse member who liked my idea of marketing a Dave tattoo booth and contributed his own concert money maker, the Dave Diaper, emblazoned with the Fire Dancer (see picture to the right) on your butt. now we will never have to leave the show... you laugh because you know it's a good idea. then a girl passed out from heat exhaustion. told you it was hot.
then it was time for The Head and the Heart and when Charity Rose started screaming "River and Roads" my heart melted and everyone started screaming for her screaming and then everyone got quiet to hear her scream some more and remembering the screaming makes me want to scream now and when music makes you want to do that, you know it's good. the band only has one album so they played most of their songs and I have a feeling a new album is due because this was their last concert traveling with Dave. Too bad. They have such great mojo. Winter song was probably my favorite because nothing is better than live screaming harmony. well maybe there is one thing better...
that one thing is Dave. Here is the opening dialogue..
Audience: *SCREAMING*
Dave: "Did you get a hair cut?"
Audience: *SCREAMS*
Dave: ".... did you shave? You look different. You look good, I mean very nice. You look delicious."
Audience: *SCREAMS LOUDER*
Dave: "You look shiny"
the he opens with Eh Hee.
after Eh Hee he walks up to the microphone and says, "Helloo"
then goes right into the deep drums of Seven.
rather than spend too much time depicting and verbal vomiting the reasons I am in love with Dave, I will pick my favorite thing about each song he played at the concert.
1. Eh Hee- the line, "Praise God who has many names but the Devil has many more" watch the music video for a true depiction of the lunacy of normality.
2. Seven- when he sings "Red is the color of the sun with my eyes closed" he kills all the lights and turns them all red.
3. Big Eyed Fish- the message. things are not brighter on the other side. if you're a fish, be a fish, a human, be a human, a monkey, stay up in your monkey tree.
4. Bartender- this is Dave's song to show his journey through Christianity. the lyrics are brilliant. it is the meat and potatoes of the religious flow of his song choices through this concert.
5. Stay or Leave- "Wake up naked, drinking coffee, making plans to change the world." need I say more?
6. Shake Me like a Monkey- everyone loves this song. even nondavefans. it is proven fact. this song just makes you wanna act like a monkey.
7.
Crush-
ba doom doom do doot doot do, ba doom domm do doot de doo. just listen to the bass. I mean, you crush me.
8. The Riff- a new song from his album that will be released September 11th. I love his vibrato shaky voice here
9. You and Me- well this was just awesome because I was with the you to my me (thanks for the tickets Roberto
❤ )
10. Shotgun- this song has ever changing lyrics that change when Dave sings them about different situations. it was first written about his sister anne who was murdered by her husband and then he committed suicide. he also sings a different version for Leroi. just a powerful song and I wish I could remember the lyrics we heard.
11. Danging Nancies- this was Rob's favorite song. and I loved seeing him love it.
12. Warehouse- dancing the modified cha cha to the chorus beat to this jam.
13. Mercy- NEW SONG! gentle and sweet, had an old dmb feel.
14. Out of My Hands- hands down one of his best songs. the religious tones! all wrapped up here.
15. Why I Am- all dmb fans scream this as a tribute to Leroi. I wish I could have seen him in concert! but I sang up to the sky for him.
16. Greystreet- my high school anthem. this was my mindset throughout high school and this was the first song that made me obsessed with dmb.
17. Don't Drink the Water- the only song I wanted Dave to play. I was talking about this song with everyone around and I went crazy when he hit the first note. the seamless integration into This Land is Your Land in his studio recording is brilliant.
Encore
18. Ants Marching (Cut Short because of severe storm warnings)- But this is such a Dave anthem and the message of equality is not preached it is lived out. We all do it the same way.
so not only did I survive Dave, but I also had one of the best nights of mi vida. after getting the boot by the thunder claps, and drinking blue jello to replenish my soul, Rob made me pepperjack queso and we tanked a bag of tortilla chips while watching Lord of the Rings: Two Towers.
life is short but sweet for certain,
rach
7. Crush- ba doom doom do doot doot do, ba doom domm do doot de doo. just listen to the bass. I mean, you crush me. 
