A great night in Charlottesville – Dave Matthews Band

Tonight was a night that I was looking forward to for a long time. Putting objective photojournalism aside, I have always wanted to photograph Dave Matthews and his band. I’ve been a fan since the early 1990’s, following DMB all over Virginia, DC, NC, NY, and points in between. I’ve missed that last few opportunities to shoot Dave and the guys in Charlottesville and tonight was special (at least for me).

I’ve watched Dave and Co. at least a dozen times — but none since 2003 (front row seats at Madison Square Garden). Tonight was the first time the band has performed in Charlottesville since LeRoi Moore’s tragic passing in August 2008… and from what I was able to photograph (the first 3 songs of the set), the band still continues to entertain. LeRoi’s presence is certainly missed (I can’t imagine anyone replacing him, especially on songs like “Don’t Drink the Water”). Much to my delight, instead of starting with a fresh batch of new songs from the latest album, the band opened the show with old-time favorites “Rapunzel”, “Satellite”, and “When the World Ends”. Here are a few of my shots from the show… I’m going to buy a ticket and sit in the stands for tomorrow’s show – it was that good.

Dave Matthews Band, Charlottesville 2009

20090417 – Dave Matthews Band (Music) – Images by Jason O. Watson