Dave Matthews Band sucks. Really. They are surely decent enough, but the amount of hype they are prone to receive makes me want to hate them all the more. After having listened to some of Before These Crowded Streets last night for the first time in a while, i was simply struck by the fact that i listen to easily a dozen bands that are more dynamic than DMB. Matthews is all about abstract storytelling and thinly veiled sexual metaphor while the band totally obscures Dave’s dynamic guitar playing. On some songs like the uniquely executed “Stay” i love every second of it, but otherwise i am left reminiscing about when “Ants Marching” first came out and i could never discern between DMB and Blues Traveller.
I know that DMB are all talented musicians, and i know they’re a band and not a backup for a solo act, but jesus, why does every drunk frat boy and arty college girl love them so much? The only argument in their favour comes from the blue Luther College set that features Dave Matthews and his sideman Tim Reynolds all alone. Here we can see that Dave goes way beyond his empty bombastic vocals and prolific undifferentiated songs to prove himself as one of the premier singer-songwriters in our generation. Of course, afterwards he went back on tour with his DMB, which lets me easily forget why i found any reason to like him at all. But, i do have those blue discs…