C-Cap Recap: Big Papi’s Place in Tribe-Killer History
May 23, 2016Cavs’ Dahntay Jones suspended one game for low blow to Bismack Biyombo
May 23, 2016My first Dave Matthews Band show was in the spring of 1999. My most recent Dave Matthews Band show was this past Saturday night. I can’t recall, exactly, how many shows there have been—I could if I really put the time in, scouring tour dates and such—but there have been a lot. Most years have been just one show, but some provided multiple. While Blossom has long been the venue of choice, there have been trips to Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Point being, seeing Dave, Carter, Boyd and the boys has been a pastime going on its 18th year, more than half of my entire life.
I didn’t really start golfing until I got out of college. I didn’t start writing until the mid 2000s. I stopped playing baseball after my senior year of high school, taking place just a few months after that first Dave show. That I haven’t swung at a fastball in almost 18 years is chilling in a way, but when you factor in that I didn’t start playing until I was four, even baseball, something that has been such a big part of my life, is dwarfed by Dave. Take away all of the involuntary things like breathing and eating at an Applebees, and I cannot come up with one, singular pastime that has been a larger part of my life than seeing Dave Matthews at least once per year.
Say what you want about his music, his voice, or his fans. That Dave hasn’t put out a must-listen album since 2002’s Busted Stuff, gets nary a minute on top-40 or rock radio, yet still finds a way to be one of the best, most-attended annual tours is a testament to fan engagement. Stat folks who don’t double as fans of Dave Matthews will be interested to know that there’s a site called the DMB Almanac that charts every set list of every show. Much like any of the -Reference pages out there, fans can query by venue or year or season and see what songs have been played, where in the show, and what sort of rarity is added to it—guests, samples, interpolations, you name it. Here’s that May of 1999 show, for instance.1
The reason I bring this all up is because as Dave has added to his catalog over the years, his older songs are fewer and further between when it comes to his shows. The atmosphere is always incredible; the lights that emanate from the stage are even more so. Those of us who have been there since the beginning, however, have to hope at this point that some of the older songs get some run. But Saturday night was different. Five of the 19 songs played were from 1996’s Crash. Three of them were from 1994’s Under the Table and Dreaming. Two others were from what I consider to be the band’s best album, 1998’s Before These Crowded Streets. It was the perfect throw-back show, serving as a nostalgic reminder for all of those other summers spent in the pavilion or grass area at that same venue.
What’s great is that you’re starting to see folks in their 30s and 40s bringing their children to the shows, sharing something that is joyous and important, something that is and has been an equally substantial part of their lives, with those that have become even more so. Within reaching distance on that grass this past Saturday were no fewer than five individuals who weren’t alive when I saw that first show at what was then called Gund Arena. It was equal parts warming and refreshing, and it takes silly things like nostalgia and gives it an entirely new chapter. And for a guy who just turned 35, trust me: I can use all of the new chapters I can get.
And for those who are curious, despite Cuyahoga Falls being just the sixth stop of the tour, the show currently holds the No. 1 spot for rarity thus far thanks to the Crash Into Me opener (first time since 2007) and a slew of tour debuts. That five-song encore sure as hell didn’t hurt.
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My thoughts on Chance The Rapper’s Coloring Book are well documented at this point. As I’m a person who appreciates affirmation, it was great to hear Andre Knott discuss the album at the end of the latest A to Z podcast. It was great to hear Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan on The Watch do a complete 180 and refer to Chance as “The Truth.” It’s also great to see it be the first stream-only album to crack the Billboard Top 200. While I’m still unsure what benefit there is to killing the stream four days from now, I’m glad to have had the chance to soak this album in as it’s been a fantastic experience.
Speaking of experiences, however, I have to direct you all to Day of the Dead, a 59-track project produced by The National that gets the biggest names in today’s Alternative and Indie space—Kurt Vile, Mumford & Sons, Wilco, Bela Fleck, Bruce Hornsby—and covers what equates to six hours of Grateful Dead songs, translated by each artist in to their own style and arrangement. If you still buy CDs, this one comes on five discs. If you stream music, as it’s 2016, it’s a six-or-seven-flick scroll to get to the bottom of the track list.
Hardcore Dead fans may wrinkle their face and pass this off as some silly money-making scheme that leverages something they hold so dearly, but fans of today’s Indie space who may not have been huge Dead fans (arguably a higher ceiling in terms of ears) will really, really dig what Bryce and Aaron Dessner put together. Save for a few tracks—the 17-minute “Terrapin Station”, for instance—the “jam” portion of covering a jam band is thinned down. “Touch of Grey,” “Sugaree,” and “Candyman” open up the album, the longest of the trio topping out at 5:30.
If you’re spending your day in an office, or have a ridiculous commute ahead of you, you could do a lot worse than to pop this one in from start to finish.
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There’s an excellent piece by Josh Levin over at Slate Magazine discussing ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe, titled “Zach Lowe is America’s Best Sportswriter.” Not only is that title arguably very, very accurate, it discusses how a smart, hard-working writer works his sources and produces analytical pieces with reporting elements, but has also had the ability to be even smarter because he covers a forward-thinking NBA and not a protective MLB or stodgy NFL.
His columns are basketball tutorials, articles that draw on stats, video cut-ups, and interviews with players and coaches to teach you how the sport works. Lowe’s prose is clear, but it isn’t dry; his writing crackles with a kind of conspiratorial glee, like he can’t wait to share all the cool stuff he’s just figured out. …
Lowe speaks in points per possession, understands the finer points of flare screens, and knows his way around a GIF. He’s sourced up in the league, and he’s an unrepentant goofball.
There’s a reason he went from blogger to Sports Illustrated to Bill Simmons’ lead NBA writer in just a few short years. Much like Simmons himself, he works his ass off and strives to stay ahead of the league’s dinosaurs. He mixes video analysis with sharp writing and a handful of reported elements that not only provide something for every level of fan, but urge lede-to-kicker reading of his pieces due to the layering of every ingredient.
For some of Lowe’s latest work, you’ll want to check out this interview with the guy who has decided to stop being the San Antonio Spurs’ mascot after the last 20 years.
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Opinion. Open In. Oh. Pin in. Oh Pin in my eyeballs. Here’s this week’s #ActualSportswriting:
“How LeBron James is pushing the Cavs to new heights” by Shams Charania (The Vertical): “Gradually, as [Kyrie] Irving reached full strength from last June’s fractured kneecap, James has relinquished the basketball. No one around Cleveland’s staff doubts James’ judgment, but his dominance of the ball had hampered the roster’s growth earlier in the season. It was required a season ago, when Irving and Kevin Love suffered season-ending injuries in the playoffs, but James has now let go.”2
“Can LeBron Deliver?” by Jesse Washington (The Undefeated): “Keeping that promise may be even more difficult than breaking Cleveland’s championship drought, which extends back to 1964 when the Browns finished atop the pre-Super Bowl NFL. He’s promising to push kids — some of whom can hardly read — all the way to college, to defeat a societal problem more devastating than any Steph Curry jump shot.
Can James keep his promise to Akron?”3
“Made in Oakland” by Macus Thompson II (Bay Area News): “The Warriors roster is stocked with players comfortable taking off their superstar capes and just being people. Yes, [Harrison] Barnes is a millionaire pro athlete with brand strategists and endorsement deals and image consciousness. But though he works in a world of self-obsessed types, he still cultivates his Regular Joe spirit.”4
“The adidas NMD is changing the way we buy sneakers” by Matt Welty (COMPLEX Sneakers): “Even though the sneakers are re-selling on a consistent basis, it’s not exactly the more-expensive pairs that people are going after. The Primeknit pairs are the ones going between $400 -$1,000, depending on which version a person wants, and the cheaper NMDs can be had for $200 or less. What makes the shoe so popular isn’t that folks are sitting on them for a future investment, it’s a sneaker that people will wear the day they get them. It’s signaling a change in the secondary sneaker market. With a majority of Jordan retros sitting on retailers’ shelves for weeks and months, the stores need something new to sell, and the NMD happens to be that sneaker.”5
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Have a killer Monday, you guys. Go Cavs.
- This doesn’t even include the bevy of message boards out there where Dave fans discuss the band whether he’s playing or not, guessing set lists, ranking everything, sharing live shows, etc. [↩]
- A game story that takes on an entire sidebar narrative with solid reporting. Very well done. [↩]
- As I was with Grantland, I’m very interested in the arc of The Undefeated, especially after the whole reboot sans Jason Whitlock. I’m a big fan of niche verticals, and a bigger fan of quality writing. This marries the two. For those who also nerd out on this stuff, you’ll want to read the launch letter from The Undefeated’s EIC. [↩]
- A cool story about an athlete showing interest in the life of a media member, a pleasant surprise after many choose to avoid them as much as possible. Another sign of how important it is to build relationships as opposed to only talking to these guys when you need something. [↩]
- I’m one of the fortunate few to have landed a pair of NMDs at retail, and have no intention of ever parting with them—they’re slippers with Boost technology in the sole. I’ll be living in them all summer. [↩]
49 Comments
I think I found the Brown’s new placekicker…
https://media.giphy.com/media/xT4uQd4sq5dTMX860U/giphy.gif
That would have been good from 50. Maybe 60.
The only Dave Matthews I own is Live at Luther College.
I get that ahole Draymond lying about how it wasn’t intentional, but I was disappointed to see Steve Kerr (who I generally respect) totally getting his back.
A plague on both of their houses…
Flimsy excuse to reference 1991’s seminal film: Necessary Roughness featuring Kathy Ireland as the placekicker with the memorable line:
“Welcome to foot in the balls!”
While I totally understand where you’re coming from, I’d be more disappointed in a coach who didn’t have his player’s back. What did you expect him to say, that Draymond told him it was intentional? I suppose he took it a little far calling for it to be rescinded, but again, that’s just Kerr being a good coach.
I’d like to think I’m being unbiased when I say they HAVE to suspend him. Intentional or no, the league set the precedent literally a day earlier with Dahntay.
Not a bad one to have. Acoustic stuff is always a thumbs up in my mind.
If Green doesnt get suspended, then the league better tell Adams that, if Draymond even comes close again, they will not hold him responsible for any and all retaliation.
I loved that movie. Not only did we have Kathy Ireland looking beautiful as ever, but Robert Loggia, Hector Elizondo, and Scott Bakula in his Quantum Leap prime (most underrated show of the 90s)
Saturday night’s show was fantastic. I could have done without a couple songs – Minarets and Stolen Away – the rest of the setlist was too good to complain. And I really enjoyed the new songs I haven’t heard yet.
I love everything about this comment.
I think Green has finally usurped the dbag crown from Garnett.
Will the NBA suspend a player from their beloved Warriors? I doubt it.
Quantum Leap is one of the great underrated shows of all-time. Especially that episode where he is a black guy in the civil rights era. I still remember that episode. Not sure that message has ever been done again on TV that well.
Don’t forget about Dean Stockwell.
They won’t if the Four Letter has any say in it…
Screaming A said with a straight face it’s not intentional and it would be a travesty if he’s suspended. ESPN ladies and gentlemen.
Dave Matthews + Golf = WHITE AS HELL!!!
Love Minarets. Bob Law was great. Good to see Dave on the keys.
I don’t think it was “intentional” in the sense that Green eyed up Adams’ junk and went for it, but he regularly flails his leg like that to add an element of danger when a defender decides to body him up. It’s never “intentional” because he always does it and it frequently doesn’t hit anything important. However, if you play that way, you live with the consequences when it DOES hit something important. There’s no way to argue it was a natural, basketball movement. If it kicked Adams in the head, would it matter if he aimed specifically for his head? Nope. I can’t see how the NBA could not give him a one-game suspension for this.
And I didn’t even mention the boat!
If only there were a place to discuss the Draymond Green thing… https://waitingfornextyear.com/2016/05/cavs-dahntay-jones-suspended-bismack-biyombo/
OKC needs to put that gif on the big screen every time Green’s name gets mentioned.
yeah, Al was awesome for sure. It was hard watching Beverly Hills Cop 2 again after Quantum leap become one of my favorite shows.
Oh boy
Too bad they don’t still have Perkins on the team. He would NOT be concerned about consequences for retaliation.
If they were on the fence, we may have Dahntay to thank for putting the NBA into a corner on the issue, lol.
truth, I just dont want to end up seeing OKC being short handed because Draymond is able to get away with this. The Warriors dont need any advantages.
You don’t understand. Given the centripetal force due to the rapid deceleration of his body, Green had no choice but to stop for a slight moment and kick with an upward trajectory between the legs of Adam.
Here is another angle that shows how obviously accidental it was:
http://i.imgur.com/7A2QE.gif
WWW was up first.
So, the hostile takeover was inevitable.
I totally loved that show. I’m also reminded what a dark era it was in the early to mid 90s for TV. I remember watching QL, Martin, XFiles, Fresh Prince.
I understand coaches generally getting players’ backs, but there is always a line. And there is a way to distance oneself/preserve integrity, ala “He told me it was unintentional. We will have to let the league decide.”
But I guess Kerr realizes how much he needs to go all in to have Green and that trumps integrity. So it goes.
I only ever went to one Dave Matthews Band show back in August 1995. It was a great one and I’m happy I went, but I’ve just never felt the need to go see another one for whatever reason.
Now looking back on the setlist I see that Dave Matthews’ career kind of time-capsuled for me there. I loved Before These Crowded Streets, but not anywhere close to the way I loved the first few.
http://dmbalmanac.com/TourShowSet.aspx?id=453055248&tid=38&where=1995
WWW is always up first. Hence the “Waiting” aspect.
Brisco County Jr!! I recall it being the Golden era of cheesy Saturday afternoon shows like Hercules, Xena and the million or so other Raimi-produced clones.
Not so, on Monday the C-Cap recap consistently beats the WWW out of the gate (much appreciation for that).
Yeah, that’s because we’ve tried to get the weekend recaps up ASAP. This, of course, as an impact on WWW as I spend my early morning (6-7a) creating Vines and editing that up. Glad you’ve noticed, and appreciated this.
Why else would a body get out of bed on Monday?
Thanks for the Lowe link. I’ve been a big fan of his for some time now. He doesn’t get enough recognition. (but maybe that’s changing now)
The “Complex” sneaker article bugs me a bit with its lack of hard data.
If you’re really going to make a proclamation about the state of any maket, it seems you should get some charts and graphs up for folks to look at. Otherwise, as is the case here, folks are left to read quantitative opinions by shoe store managers, and click on links to other “Complex” stories on the matter. There isn’t anything to show me proof that this is happening. Sounds like an adidas ad, to me.
I grew up in a house with 3 channes (3,5,8) and we got 19 if the wind was blowing in the right direction (which was maybe 12 days of my entire childhood). I lived in Hunting Valley, and the cable companies wouldnt put cable in out there. You could get a dish, but we were tenants on an estate, not land owners.
So, yeah, TV in the early 90’s was a “take what you can get” deal for me. Thank God for Friday Night Videos and the George Michael Sports machine
That’s fair. StockX has NMDs moving at a pretty decent pace, but the band is so tight that they’re not going to be made for resale. If you pay $200 now, you’re not going to get more for them if you try to swing them like a retro Jordan. adidas is just going to keep rolling them out, keeping the ceiling low on the resale front.
Minarets is certainly a great song, just not high on my personal “hope they play” list. I started going to shows right around the time you did, and once I got past the “blackout drunk” concert going stage and into the “music appreciation” stage, I always felt they went a little softer/slower at Blossom. The last few years not so much, but it felt like that for a while, and I think it conditioned me to always hope for a full-blown rock out performance. Saturday was actually the perfect blend.
How often do you use StockX? Why weren’t they consulted for a story like this? It’s amazing to me that a tool like StockX is available, and which does the exact thing your story is reporting, yet it’s ignored.
I guess Kerr has that card in his hand, and figures what better time to play it.
Father Time is undefeated
Agree with every word that guy wrote about Zach Lowe, the Everyman who knows everything. When NBA players and lifers like
Tom Thibodeau treat his opinions with such deference on his podcasts he must know of what he speaks. I do miss his hilarious pods with Simmons – so much fun.
I like how Draymond “Who me?”s before Adams even doubles over. Adam Silver will blow a lot of cred if he can’t make himself issue a suspension without first putting a pinky to the wind. And he should add a game just for bad acting. Even J.R., the league’s worst thespian, walks away from victims poker-faced and then pretends to try and figure out what everyone’s yelling about.
If something is truly an ACCIDENT, then it makes sense that you would have the tiniest smidgen of concern for the aggrieved party after the fact. That’s the real giveaway on this incident. That’s how you know it’s intentional.
Being early in the tour helps. I often felt that late-year shows lent to fatigue.
I’m on there almost daily, but have yet to be matched. (Admittedly trying to get old LeBrons on the cheap.) I know Craig has transacted on there and had nothing but great things to say.
Go read Ethan Sherwood Strauss’s article on the “absurdity” of the situation. It’s not even worth pasting the link. More ESPN ladies and gentlemen.