Dave's World

Contributing writer Liana Rose focuses her discerning eye on the area that a regular R&R editor fears to tread-a Dave Matthews concert.

America is losing the war on drugs. Alcoholism and public drunkenness is rampant. Big tobacco companies should not worry about lack of business-well, at least based upon the practices of Dave Matthews's fans.

The concert was held on a hot summer night in June at Walnut Creek. The crowd was indeed an eclectic gathering-from preppy college kids to former Grateful Dead fans to teenage couples who were forced to go with mom and dad. However, the most disturbing attendees I found were a 48-year-old man and his eight-year-old daughter. The child was not happy to be at the concert. She never smiled. As Dave played "Crash," the father tried to teach his daughter how to hold a lighter up in the air. Glad to see she can become a pyromaniac-smoker at such a tender age.

The attire worn by fellow Dave worshippers was amazing in its lack of good taste and impracticality. I believe in wearing clothing that reflects the weather. Simply a bra would not have been my apparel of choice. Okay, they were probably bathing suits-but sometimes you just can't tell.

As the fiddle guy jammed through the set, there was young love in the air. A teenage couple in front of me were "chaperoned" by the boy's older sister. As the night went on, they got closer and closer, kissed and were kissing and kissing and kissing.... Why did I have to watch this?

Instead, I concentrated on the band. The fiddle guy was cool. Yes, the fiddle guy was damn good as was the saxophone guy, who also plays the flute. As for Dave, he was just an average-looking guy. I wouldn't recognize him if I saw him walking down the street.

Forget seats, take the lawn-it's less expensive, and the music isn't so loud that you can actually hear yourself talk. You can relax with your friends and still have plenty of room to dance. Well, there is always a trade-off-visibility of the band. But you can always see their faces on the video screens attached to the overhang.

I left the amphitheater with a good feeling of music and confidence that I can make sound decisions for myself, unlike the drunken fools in the parking lot. There was a young women who was sitting on the top of her car with one leg dangling through the sun roof, as the car was driving away. To sound like my parents, what if the car stopped? Perhaps she decided to take Dave's advice-"it's always good on the grass."