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| Waiting to Be Liberated...
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added on 5/17/2013 |
In keeping with the tradition at the start of a tour, we have updated the "liberation list." This time, we have also updated and simplified the rules regulating which songs qualify for the list. Here are the updated ground rules:
1) A song joins the list when it goes 1000 days without being fully played live by the full band, and it is "liberated" when it is fully played live by the full band. Our definition of "full band" is fairly loose but generally includes a minimum of Dave, Carter, and one other member of the current touring band.
2) A song qualifies if it has been fully played live by the full band five or more times. The exception is that officially-released, Dave-penned studio songs qualify as long as they have been fully played live by the full band at least once (e.g., Baby Blue, Let You Down).
3) A song is disqualified if it has not been fully played live by the full band five or more times or if it is in the Defunct category (e.g., #36, Leave Me Praying).
Days Missing and Shows Missing are as of May 17, 2013. Shows Missing are approximate, especially for older songs.
Songs in danger of joining the list by the end of the summer tour are Sweet Up and Down (5.27), Busted Stuff (5.30), Sleep to Dream Her (5.30), Break for It (6.1), Baby Blue (6.6), Water into Wine (7.12), Cry Freedom (8.6), Lover Lay Down (8.8), I'll Back You Up (8.13), Spoon (8.15), Long Black Veil (8.16), and The Last Stop (8.16).
There are currently 114 qualifying songs that are not on the list. |
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| Sitting Crosslegged On the Floor, UMB Bank Pavilion or Fenway Park to Classic Amphitheatre
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added on 4/20/2013 |
On April 18th, DMB management announced that the 5.30.06 show from Maryland Heights, Missouri would be released as Live Trax volume 25. This marks a return to full band shows for the Live Trax series after v23 and v24 captured Dave & Tim shows. Appropriately, the 2006 Summer Tour opener ships on the same date that DMB opens their 2013 Summer Tour in The Woodlands, Texas. This was the third consecutive year that the Summer Tour opened at what was then named UMB Bank Pavilion and the third Summer Tour opener that has been fully released following Live Trax v18 from Virginia Beach in 1996 and the DMBlive series release from 1995’s Memphis show.
The most significant enduring legacy of this show is that this is the first show that Rashawn Ross had joined the band as full-time touring member. Ross was born in 1979 in the Virgin Islands and performed with many groups both live and in the studio. One of these bands was Soulive, who had a relationship with DMB going back to before Ross was with the group in 2001. Their opening run that May featured one of the all-time guest highlights when band members Eric Krasno, Neal Evans & Sam Kininger sat in on #41 on 5.15.01 in Phoenix. Ross himself guested for the first time in Hartford on 6.18.05 when he sat in on Louisiana Bayou. He guested the next night, then again later that summer at SBC Park with Krasno and finally at Red Rocks. By the end of the Fall Tour, where Soulive opened many shows, Ross was guesting on the majority of the set including several opened by Mike Doughty. He sat in on the entire Jazz Festival show on 4.29.06 and then joined the band for every show thereafter beginning with this tour opener to the present. According to interviews and behind the scenes videos, Ross has as much knowledge of the DMB catalog as the original members, has been a driving creative force and smoothed the transition from Leroi Moore to Jeff Coffin. His backing vocals have become as much of a live DMB staple as his trumpeting.
The 2006 Summer Tour is mostly known for the new songs that debuted. Pre-tour, Dave made a series of appearances in the United Kingdom in May. There, he debuted the new song Sister. This followed the debut performances of Ayhee (now spelled Eh Hee) that he performed with the Dave & Friends side project group on their Caribbean Cruise Getaway in February. Once the tour started, they spent several shows soundchecking new songs that were written prior to the tour. This led to a month-long series of staggered debuts beginning the third show of the tour with The Idea of You played on a new Veillette soprano 12-string guitar. Songs that followed were Kill the King (played a handful of times then abandoned), Break Free (with the ending jam severely trimmed after a few shows), Shotgun (a work in progress at its debut that evolved through soundchecks before the structure was finalized in August) & Can’t Stop (a bass riff that was expanded into a full song). At least two more songs were written in this period, but weren’t played live until 2010 – Break For It (this was known by its fan title “Run While We Can" until played and named officially) & Blackjack (a song not known about at all until its debut). The latter’s lineage was confirmed to one of our staff members by a member of the crew that night. As this release is the tour opener, none of these songs are on the release. But it does contain the first performance of Sister at a full band and United States show.
In general, the tour is perceived as a second year of Stand Up promotion, but the stats don't confirm that as truth. The 2005 & 2006 Summer Tours featured almost the exact same number of shows - 54, then 53. While Hunger For the Great Light and Louisiana Bayou still were the two most played songs in 2006, they are the only two Stand Up songs out of the ten most played that year. This is in comparison to seven of ten in 2005. The most played song in 2005 was Dreamgirl at 52 of 54 shows, but that number fell to 13 in 2006 and five songs were shelved for the whole year. Furthermore, more songs without a studio release were played in 2006 (mostly due to new songs) and from Crash than from Stand Up. The same number of songs was played from Before These Crowded Streets as Stand Up and only four more than Under the Table and Dreaming. In total on the 2005 Summer Tour, 43% of all songs played were from Stand Up (401 of 943 songs) while in 2006 the number fell to 15% (146 of 968).
Like many tour openers, on this night the band brought back a few songs that hadn’t been played full band in a while. Raven hadn’t been played since the 7.29.02 show at Saratoga Springs (1401 days) while Proudest Monkey was played for the first time since 9.8.02 at The Gorge (1360). These two performances are the 10th and 11th released liberations. Below this write up, we keep a running list of songs that have been liberated. We have highlighted the eleven that have now been officially released. This show is one of just seven shows in the band’s history that contain more than one song liberation and the first that has been released. It’s worth noting that even though its official liberation performance was a month earlier at Jazz Fest (the show before this), before that night JTR hadn’t been played since 8.28.01 tour finale in Salt Lake City. Another aspect to this show is the uniqueness of two of the power slots. This show is one of only ten shows that has opened with Granny since 1993 and one of nine shows that has closed with Everyday since its debut in 2001.
Comparing this show to what has been released previously, it’s the first full release from 2006 since Live Trax v6 packaged two shows from Fenway Park in Boston. Songs that were played at this that weren’t played either of those two nights are: Granny, Steady As We Go, JTR, Sister & Where Are You Going. This is the first time that Steady As We Go has been released as part of the Live Trax series and is only the third release for the song following Weekend on the Rocks (9.10.05) and the Warehouse 5 volume 6 (7.30.05). Other songs that have been released less than ten times are Hunger For the Great Light, JTR & Pig (six times each) as well as Raven & Smooth Rider (five times each). It’s also notable that it’s the first full show to be released that has featured then touring member Butch Taylor on keyboards since Live Trax v11 was released in March 2008. It’s the first full show released from what is now called Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre St. Louis, though a few individual tracks from the venue have been released: Captain (8.26.02) on the Warehouse 5 volume 5 and Gas Into Fire » What Would You Say (6.17.04) from Warehouse 5 volume 11.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that this version of Granny was available for download as part of a Twitter promotion. If you retweeted a promotional message from DMB’s twitter feed advertising the 2013 Summer Tour, you were to download what was then an exclusive version of the song. The mp3 file was tagged with a Live at Central Park label, but it was determined that the song was actually from this show. It may have seemed obvious that a full show release would follow, but the most similar precedent was in 2010 at Christmas time when the band offered up a different mp3 file each week to fans who ordered merchandise from the website. None of the previously unreleased shows (11.2.10, 9.6.07 or 6.16.97) have followed as of yet.
We have updated our Sporcle Live Trax song quiz here, the Length Minefield update will follow some time later.
Here are the official release notes from DMB management:
“We have selected DMB's 2006 tour opening show in Maryland Heights, MO for our 25th Live Trax release. This show represents Rashawn's first show as a touring member and showcases the synergy between him and LeRoi. Highlights include an energetic Granny as a show opener and, in our opinion, one of the best live Grey Streets out there! This era catches the band honing in and experimenting with the "new songs" of Stand Up such as Louisiana Bayou and Hunger For the Great Light and newer pieces like Sister which came after the sessions for that album. Some rarer tunes, Raven and Don’t Burn the Pig, make this a show we think you'll love.
Please note - This item is available for pre-order. Live Trax 25 will be released on May 21, 2013. All items in your order will ship on or around May 17, 2013. Digital album will be available to download on May 21, 2013."
Click here to pre-order Live Trax Volume 25.
Here is the updated table of full shows that have been released:
| # | Date | Show Type | Venue | City, State | Release Type | Release Date | | 1 | 8.15.95 | DMB | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Morrison, CO | in-store | 10.28.97 | | 2 | 2.6.96 | Dave & Tim | CFL Auditorium (Luther College) | Decorah, IA | in-store | 1.19.99 | | 3 | 9.11.99 | DMB | Continental Airlines Arena | East Rutherford, NJ | in-store | 11.23.99 | | 4 | 12.19.98 | DMB | United Center | Chicago, IL | in-store | 10.23.01 | | 5 | 7.11.01 | DMB | Folsom Field (UC–Boulder) | Boulder, CO | in-store | 11.5.02 | | 6 | 9.24.03 | DMB | Central Park | New York, NY | in-store | 11.18.03 | | 7 | 6.11.04 | Dave & Friends | Bonnaroo Music Festival | Manchester, TN | Live Bonnaroo | 6.12.04 | | 8 | 9.6.02 | DMB | The Gorge Amphitheatre | George, WA | in-store | 6.29.04 | | 9 | 9.7.02 | | 10 | 9.8.02 | | 11 | 12.8.98 | DMB | Worcester Centrum | Worcester, MA | Live Trax | 11.2.04 | | 12 | 9.12.04 | DMB | Golden Gate Park | San Francisco, CA | Live Trax | 12.17.04 | | 13 | 8.27.00 | DMB | Meadows Music Theatre | Hartford, CT | Live Trax | 3.17.05 | | 14 | 4.30.96 | DMB | Classic Amphitheater | Henrico, VA | Live Trax | 9.2.05 | | 15 | 9.9.05 | DMB | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Morrison, CO | in-store | 11.29.05 | | 16 | 9.10.05 | | 17 | 9.11.05 | | 18 | 9.12.05 | | 19 | 8.23.95 | DMB | Baldwin Memorial Pavilion (Oakland University) | Rochester Hills, MI | Live Trax | 5.26.06 | | 20 | 7.7.06 | DMB | Fenway Park | Boston, MA | Live Trax | 9.26.06 | | 21 | 7.8.06 | | 22 | 12.31.96 | DMB | Hampton Coliseum | Hampton, VA | Live Trax | 12.12.06 | | 23 | 8.7.04 | DMB | Alpine Valley Music Theatre | East Troy, WI | Live Trax | 3.20.07 | | 24 | 3.23.07 | DMB | MGM Grand | Las Vegas, NV | Live Trax | 6.5.07 | | 25 | 3.24.07 | | 26 | 4.22.07 | Dave & Tim | Radio City Music Hall | New York, NY | in-store | 8.14.07 | | 27 | 9.8.07 | DMB | Piedmont Park | Atlanta, GA | in-store | 12.11.07 | | 28 | 5.25.07 | DMB | Atlantic Pavilion | Lisbon, POR | Live Trax | 11.6.07 | | 29 | 8.29.00 | DMB | Saratoga Performing Arts Center | Saratoga Springs, NY | Live Trax | 3.25.08 | | 30 | 5.5.95 | DMB | L.B. Day Amphitheater | Salem, OR | Live Trax | 7.8.08 | | 31 | 6.7.08 | DMB | Busch Stadium | St. Louis, MO | Live Trax | 10.14.08 | | 32 | 7.20.08 | DMB | Dick's Sporting Goods Park | Commerce City, CO | in-store | 12.16.08 | | 33 | 4.22.93 | Dave & Tim | Prism Coffeehouse | Charlottesville, VA | DMBlive | 12.19.08 | | 34 | 4.26.94 | DMB | Town Point Park | Norfolk, VA | DMBlive | 12.19.08 | | 35 | 10.22.94 | DMB | Blue Note | Columbia, MO | DMBlive | 12.19.08 | | 36 | 10.24.02 | Dave solo | Benaroya Hall | Seattle, WA | DMBlive | 12.19.08 | | 37 | 3.29.03 | Dave & Tim | Holmes Convocation Center (Appalachian State) | Boone, NC | DMBlive | 12.19.08 | | 38 | 1.9.04 | Dave solo | China Club | New York, NY | DMBlive | 12.23.08 | | 39 | 6.28.08 | DMB | Nissan Pavilion | Bristow, VA | Live Trax | 3.24.09 | | 40 | 8.9.08 | DMB | Alpine Valley Music Theatre | East Troy, WI | Live Trax | 6.2.09 | | 41 | 3.26.94 | DMB | Irving Plaza | New York, NY | DMBlive | 7.22.09 | | 42 | 6.26.00 | DMB | Riverbend Music Center | Cincinnati, OH | Live Trax | 9.15.09 | | 43 | 4.10.93 | DMB | The Bayou | Washington, DC | DMBlive | 9.16.09 | | 44 | 5.10.95 | DMB | Warfield Theatre | San Francisco, CA | DMBlive | 9.16.09 | | 45 | 1.27.93 | DMB | The Flood Zone | Richmond, VA | DMBlive | 11.30.09 | | 46 | 6.26.09 | DMB | Brixton Academy | London, ENG | in-store (DVD) | 12.22.09 | | 47 | 7.5.09 | DMB | Piazza Napoleone | Lucca, ITA | in-store | | 48 | 12.12.09 | Dave & Tim | Planet Hollywood Theater | Las Vegas, NV | in-store | 2.9.10 | | 49 | 10.24.96 | DMB | Frank Erwin Center | Austin, TX | DMBlive | 2.25.10 | | 50 | 7.6.97 | DMB | Shoreline Amphitheatre | Mountain View, CA | Live Trax | 5.4.10 | | 51 | 12.21.92 | DMB | The Bayou | Washington, DC | DMBlive | 6.8.10 | | 52 | 6.4.96 | DMB | GTE Virginia Beach Amphitheater | Virginia Beach, VA | Live Trax | 8.31.10 | | 53 | 2.25.95 | DMB | Kirby Fieldhouse (Lafayette College) | Easton, PA | DMBlive | 9.14.10 | | 54 | 9.30.08 | DMB | Vivo Rio | Rio de Janeiro, BRA | Live Trax | 11.9.10 | | 55 | 7.17.10 | DMB | Citi Field | Flushing, NY | in-store | 11.9.10 | | 56 | 11.26.94 | DMB | Backstage Theatre | Seattle, WA | DMBlive | 1.19.11 | | 57 | 8.19.93 | DMB | Wetlands Preserve | New York, NY | Live Trax | 5.15.11 | | 58 | 9.17.10 | DMB | Wrigley Field | Chicago, IL | in-store | 5.31.11 | | 59 | 9.18.10 | | 60 | 7.20.95 | DMB | Mud Island River Park Amphitheatre | Memphis, TN | DMBlive | 9.29.11 | | 61 | 9.9.96 | DMB | Oak Mountain Amphitheatre | Pelham, AL | DMBlive | 9.29.11 | | 62 | 6.26.11 | DMB | Bader Field | Atlantic City, NJ | in-store | 12.16.11 | | 63 | 8.4.95 | DMB | SOMA | San Diego, CA | Live Trax | 2.28.12 | | 64 | 6.13.93 | Dave & Tim | Memphis | Richmond, VA | DMBlive | 3.15.12 | | 65 | 7.14.10 | DMB | Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain | Scranton, PA | Live Trax | 6.12.12 | | 66 | 3.2.94 | DMB | Masquerade Nightclub | Tampa, FL | DMBlive | 6.20.12 | | 67 | 2.19.96 | Dave & Tim | Whittemore Center Arena (UNH) | Durham, NH | Live Trax | 12.11.12 | | 68 | 2.8.97 | Dave & Tim | Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium | Spartanburg, SC | Live Trax | 12.11.12 | | 69 | 4.7.95 | DMB | Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke) | Durham, NC | DMBlive | 5.1.13 | | 70 | 5.30.06 | DMB | UMB Bank Pavilion | Maryland Heights, MO | Live Trax | 5.21.13 |
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| List of Liberations
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added on 4/19/2013 |
As the 2013 Summer Tour kicks off, usually there are a few songs that haven't been played in a while. We thought this would be a good time to compile a list of every such "liberation" the band has done in its history. See the most recent "Waiting to Be Liberated" post for the "ground rules." Songs that are highlighted have been officially released (see Live Trax v25 write up).
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| Warehouse 10 volume 1 & Warehouse 7 volume 1
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added on 3/5/2013 |
The annual Warehouse Fan Club CD tracklisting has been released. Every year there has been an effort to select songs that either have not been released on a previous disc, or if there is a repeat, it is a version that fills a hole that song's release timeline. This year is no exception as all songs fall into one category or the other.
The most notable and noticeable change this year is the move to ten tracks for members with status and seven tracks for those who have been a member for under three years. Previous packages have contained tracks with multiple songs that counted as one track. WH5v4 contained a spontaneous Blue Water verse and chorus played on a 12-string before fading into JTR from 12.8.00. In comparison to a full version of the song in its glory period, it is understandably left as one track. WH8v4 contained Daniel Lanois’s Still Water and Don’t Drink the Water as parts of the same track from 5.5.07. Though the former has been played in near entirety, it is still seen as an introduction to the latter and another drop-D song Bartender. However last year’s disc could definitely have justified having split tracks and the title changed. The Gravedigger Intro in Pantala Naga Pampa and the Everyday fake might have justified it. But the Water Into Wine that was listed as an outro to Halloween was actually the longest version of the song to date by a significant margin. Interestingly, it was played as a reprise outro a few times, including later that show and most famously out of Halloween again at Alpine Valley captured on Live Trax vol. 15. As it stands though, this is the first time since 2004 that the tracklist has officially expanded. On to the songs themselves (note: unless otherwise stated, this is the first annual Warehouse Fan Club release for each song).
1. #27 (9.16.11) – This is just the fourth release of the song and the first with Jeff Coffin. It is also the first release on any of the Warehouse discs from the Caravan tour.
2. Sugar Will (3.6.10) – Also just the fourth release and the only version that doesn’t come from the 2004 Summer Tour. It is the first song released from the 2010 European Tour and one of two major bustouts on that tour; the other being Big Eyed Fish on 3.14.10. The tour's setlists featured Big Whiskey due to the album getting more promotion in Europe than any of their previous efforts. But a sign-induced tease in Cologne led to more signs and finally on this night in London, it was played fully for the first time since 8.30.08 at the Gorge. In the dialogue preceding the song, Dave even jokes that they have no idea what the lights are going to do during the song. These versions are also notable in their jam structure with solos being taken by Rashawn & Tim, but not Jeff. One of the few consistent lyrics in the original versions “too much of a good thing may be not so sweet” is changed to “too much of a sweet thing maybe not so good.” They played the song the next night in Manchester as well, but it has not been played again since.
3. Tripping Billies (8.22.07) – This pick certainly stands out from the rest in a different way. While the song had yet to appear on a Warehouse release, this particular performance was previously released on the 2007 Summer Tour Sampler that came as a pre-order bonus to “Live at Piedmont Park.” It was included on both the eight track Warehouse only disc and the four track disc available to everyone. While there have been many instances of songs released twice, both as a single and as part of a full show, inclusion on two separate compilations has been pretty rare. Lying In the Hands of God from 6.12.09 was released on two online only compilations: iTunes’s exclusive pass to Big Whiskey and the Haiti Relief Project.
4. Recently (4.18.09) – This is one of two songs that have previously been released on a Warehouse disc. The previous version from 7.13.99 was released on WH5v3 back in 2003. This one is the longest performance of the song from the Spring Tour and contains the Pretty Pretty Girl and Take Me To the River outros. Most importantly, John d’Earth guests on trumpet. This is the live first song that has been released with him guesting. It’s a bit rare to get a whole lot of dialogue from Dave about older songs, but after this performance Dave explains that this is one of four songs that he and d’Earth recorded and played for Carter and LeRoi. At this point it’s obviously unknown whether any dialogue will be included with the release. Either way, this version is definitely one of the major highlights of a well-regarded show with fans. This is release number 27 for the song.
5. The Riff (9.7.12) – This is the first live release of the song and has one of the fastest tempos of the tour. It segues directly into You & Me.
6. You & Me (9.7.12) – This is the seventh release of You & Me. Lately the Warehouse has included full segue sequences. Within the first several discs, they left out Good Good Time from Rhyme & Reason, then left out Ants Marching and edited out the last section of the preceding #36.
7. Snow Outside (9.9.12) – This is also the first release of Snow Outside and is taken from the second show that played it at.
8. Typical Situation (partial) (9.19.07) – This is the 24th release of the song and it’s by far the most unique. The five versions from the 2007 Summer Tour are all considered partials on our site. This one starts off with Dave playing one quick chorus, then everyone jumps directly to the 7/8 jam through the rest of the standard live song. It’s the second single song release from this show after Stand Up (For It) featuring Joe Lawlor on guitar was released on the 2007 Summer Tour Sampler.
9. The Dreaming Tree (8.31.07) – This is only the song’s seventh release. Only three songs from Before These Crowded Streets have been less: The Last Stop (6), Pig (5) & Spoon (2).
10. Kill the King (6.6.06) – This is the second release, but first from the tour where it originated. It’s only been played a total of eight times; the only non-2006 performance was released on Live in Atlantic City. This is the third debut performance that has been released on a Warehouse disc following Mother Father (5.18.01) and Lying In the Hands of God (6.6.09).
Here is a list of studio album songs that have not been released on the annual Warehouse Fan discs.
Remember Two Things: none
Under the Table and Dreaming: none
Crash: Crash Into Me and Cry Freedom
Before These Crowded Streets: The Last Stop and Spoon
Everyday: I Did It, The Space Between, Dreams of Our Fathers (of course), Fool To Think, Sleep to Dream Her (still zero releases) and Everyday (just the fake on last year’s disc)
Busted Stuff: Where Are You Going
Stand Up: all except Hello Again, Steady As We Go, You Might Die Trying and Stolen Away on 55th & 3rd
Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King: all except Seven, Time Bomb, Lying the Hands of God, Why I Am and You & Me
Away From the World: all except The Riff and Snow Outside |
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| Waiting to Be Liberated...
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added on 12/8/2012 |
In keeping with the tradition at the start of a tour, we have updated the list of songs that have been missing from sets for over 1000 days.
The ground rules:
1) These are full band songs only, played in full (yes, we know that can be subjective, but we try hard to be consistent). Songs that were never played full band to begin with, such as Hold Me Down, Dodo, and Dreamed I Killed God are not included. If one of these songs is later played by the full band—such as Funny How Time Slips Away—it automatically qualifies for the list.
2) Dave Solo and Dave & Tim versions do not count as returns because they are not full band. The "Last Show" dates refer to the last known full band version. This is, after all, a full band tour. Our definition of "full band" is fairly loose but generally includes a minimum of Dave, Carter, and one other member of the current touring band.
3) We include only songs that have been played seven or more times, whether by the full band, Dave & Tim, Dave solo, or Dave & Friends. Songs such as Sex Machine, Eyes of the World, Sweet Caroline, and so on are not counted. We have made some assumptions, namely with Me and Julio, since there are so many unknown setlists from 1991–1993.
4) Studio songs that were played live are counted no matter what. The three songs confirmed finished in the studio but never played live—Dreams of Our Fathers, Trouble With You, Little Red Bird, and Belly Full (the latter two have been played, but not by DMB)—are not included.
5) Songs that are in the Defunct category, such as #36 and Leave Me Praying, are not included. However, if any of those songs happens to be played again, it will be moved from the Defunct category and retroactively considered a liberation.
6) Songs that have only ever been played with a particular guest, such as Love of My Life and Road, are not included.
Days since are as of December 8, 2012.
| # | Song | Last Show | Days Since | Notes | | 1 | People People | 1.26.1993 | 7256 | based on piano arrangement by Peter Griesar and not played since he left the band, mentioned in 1996 interview and 2010 tweet; teased once in 2012 | | 2 | Spotlight | 10.22.1993 | 6987 | confirmed likely to never be played again, mentioned in 1999 and 2010 interviews | | 3 | Get In Line | 12.31.1994 | 6552 | soundchecked in 1999, mentioned in 2004 and 2010 interviews | | 4 | Little Thing | 4.30.1996 | 6066 | played by Dave & Tim, Dave solo, teased a lot, some partials in 2012 | | 5 | Deed Is Done | 6.4.1996 | 6031 | played by Dave & Tim several times in 1997 and 1999, mentioned in 2010 interview | | 6 | Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago | 6.11.1996 | 6024 | teased twice in 2000 | | 7 | Let You Down | 6.20.1997 | 5650 | longest missing album tune, played by Dave & Tim in 1997, teased by Stefan in 2003 | | 8 | For the Beauty of Wynona | 9.10.2000 | 4472 | played by Dave & Tim in 2003, Dave Solo in 2002 | | 9 | Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard | 5.5.2001 | 4235 | nothing since last full band version | | 10 | Mother Father | 8.26.2001 | 4122 | nothing since last full band version | | 11 | Angel From Montgomery | 8.26.2001 | 4122 | played by Dave & Tim in 2009 | | 12 | Angel | 7.5.2003 | 3444 | nothing since last full band version | | 13 | True Reflections | 7.29.2003 | 3420 | played by Boyd twice in 2007 | | 14 | Crazy Easy | 9.8.2004 | 3013 | nothing since last full band version; mentioned in a 2009 interview | | 15 | Steady As We Go | 8.6.2006 | 2316 | nothing since last full band version | | 16 | Time of the Season | 3.23.2007 | 2087 | nothing since last full band version | | 17 | Hunger for the Great Light | 9.22.2007 | 1904 | nothing since last full band version | | 18 | Stand Up (For It) | 10.1.2007 | 1895 | partially played several times in 2010 | | 19 | #34 | 10.2.2007 | 1894 | nothing since last full band version | | 20 | Exodus | 10.2.2007 | 1894 | nothing since last full band version | | 21 | A Dream So Real | 6.21.2008 | 1631 | nothing since last full band version | | 22 | #40 | 6.21.2008 | 1631 | teased and partially played quite a few times | | 23 | The Space Between | 7.2.2008 | 1620 | Dave solos and one D&T in 2012 | | 24 | Pay for What You Get | 7.12.2008 | 1610 | teased once by Dave in 2009 | | 25 | Stolen Away on 55th & 3rd | 8.30.2008 | 1561 | nothing since last full band version | | 26 | Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) | 8.30.2008 | 1561 | nothing since last full band version | | 27 | Money | 9.6.2008 | 1554 | nothing since last full band version | | 28 | Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back) | 9.7.2008 | 1553 | teased once in 2009; played regularly by Dave & Tim | | 29 | Blue Water | 4.25.2009 | 1323 | full band partials in 2009, 2010, 2012 and twice fully by Dave & Tim in 2010 and 2011 | | 30 | Smooth Rider | 7.18.2009 | 1239 | played once by Dave & Tim in 2009 | | 31 | Solsbury Hill | 8.7.2009 | 1219 | nothing since last full band version | | 32 | Sugar Will | 3.7.2010 | 1007 | nothing since last full band version | | 33 | Sledgehammer | 3.14.2010 | 1000 | nothing since last full band version |
There are currently 121 qualifying songs that are not on the list. |
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| Maybe I'm haunting you, the way you consume each hour of my day
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added on 11/9/2012 |
Where to start…
When a band has released over 60 full shows and enough extra live material to make up another 40 or so, it’s easy to understand how some releases can fly under the radar or seemingly slip by. However today’s Live Trax announcement has as much impact as the first one in 2004. Before breaking down the shows , we wanted to break character and say that 2.19.1996 is a show that our staff holds in such high regard that given the show itself and the other shows and tracks that have been released the last 15 years, we would almost unanimously have this one at the absolute top of our wish list. Even excluding the “on-paper” setlist highlights, almost every track is a highlight; fans of Little Thing and Say Goodbye should look forward to all-time great performances. When you consider all of the possible things that could cause a show to not be released (e.g. diginoise, cuts, rights to songs, just being overlooked, etc.) we as fans are lucky that none of them affect this particular one.
Today DMB management announced volumes 23 and 24 of the Live Trax series. Choice of shows aside, this announcement is significant for several reasons. First, all Dave & Tim shows that have been released have either been in-store or DMBlive releases. For eight years and 22 releases (comprising 24 shows), all of them had been full band shows. While there have been longer periods between Live Trax releases, because there hasn't been a DMBlive or in-store full release since mid-June, this is the longest period of time between full show releases since Live Trax volume 5 came out almost 6 months after the Complete Weekend on the Rocks. Of course this is due the Away From the World release that contained several live audio and DVD tracks on the deluxe edition. This is the third time that multiple shows have been released together in the Live Trax series, but the first time that have been given separate volume numbers.
These two releases stand out because they fill gaps in the released catalog. While the 1996 Dave & Tim tour was only 15 shows long, there hasn't been a release from the tour since the second official release Live at Luther College. Luther, still considered one of fans’ favorite shows, was released on the start date of the 1999 Dave & Tim tour. Outside of a handful of bonus tracks on Crash album CD singles and promos, nothing else from the tour has been released. 2.19.96 concluded the tour and it’s clear, especially when listening to early shows from the tour that both Dave and Tim were much more comfortable with set up and arrangements of the songs. The band had wrapped up recording the Crash album, of course this show is heavy with tunes from the album.
If you throw out Dave & Friends shows (there’s only been one released), there are very few shows left that would have three (or four) unreleased songs in the setlist. Depending on whether you consider Weight of the World as unreleased (listed as Leave Me Praying on the official tracklisting), this show has four unreleased songs. The first is the Soul Coughing cover Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago from their 1994 Ruby Vroom album. This is the debut performance of the song. It was played once full band that Summer Tour, a handful of times on the 1997 Dave & Tim tour, not played since. Next is an original, Hold Me Down. As mentioned in the understated official DMB release notes, Tim broke a string and while changing it, Dave played this one solo. However while he does mention it’s the first time he’s played it, of course it was played three times at the end of July in 1995. It hasn’t been played since this show, but the main riff was extracted and used as the outro riff in the Some Devil outtake Cigarette Lit. Next is what has traditionally been called Weight of the World. It is the first incarnation of Don’t Drink the Water. This version and its debut the night before have used that title and when it appeared again the next year’s Dave & Tim tour, it has been referred to as Leave Me Praying. This continued all through the Summer Tour until the Before These Crowded Streets release. Through the years, we’ve debated changing these first two versions to Leave Me Praying as there isn’t the clear separation between the two that there is in other cases. This will certainly cause us to revisit the way we have listed these first two versions. We’re never opposed to going against official tracklisting inconsistencies, but when it’s a toss-up, we’ll usually side with what’s official. Finally, Tangerine gets its first release. It was played a few times Dave solo in 1992 and 1993, but not played again until the night before this, and not played again. Rights issues are always tricky. No one except management can say why Tangerine is, but the Stairway to Heaven outros in All Along the Watchtower aren’t always releasable.
Looking at the two releases, Luther College has the following exclusive songs: One Sweet World, Deed Is Done, Halloween & Granny. Exclusive to New Hampshire are: Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago, Lie In Our Graves, Proudest Monkey, Angel From Montgomery, Hold Me Down, Leave Me Praying/Weight of the World, Tangerine & All Along the Watchtower.
Not to be overlooked, Live Trax volume 24 is 2.8.1997 from Spartanburg, South Carolina. This is the first release of any kind for this tour. The only track from the tour that has been released is a version of Christmas Song that was released on A Very Special Christmas 3 from 2.18.1997. Songs that are being released for the first time on this show are the Tim solo Letting Go and Dreamed I Killed God. The later was only played on this tour. It was born from the Minarets outro two nights earlier, expanded the next night, but this version is the first one that contained lyrics. The refrain that gave the song its title was not yet added. This is the first Dave & Tim release for Let You Down & Captain. It’s also the first full show with Let You Down, the only other version was full band on the Warehouse 5 volume 3. This version of Captain is before it was reworked in the 2000 album sessions. For a long, these versions were called Crazy. While we have dedicated most of this write up space to Volume 23, this show is a more than deserving release as well.
We have updated the following Sporcle quizzes:
Songs played on Live Trax releases – click here.
Top 40 Songs on DMB Live Trax By Their Combined Song Lengths click here.
Here are the official DMB management write ups:
LIVE TRAX 23: 2.19.96 Whittemore Center Arena, Durham, New Hampshire
Live Trax Volume 23 is the first Dave and Tim show to be released in the series. For the special Dave and Tim debut, we have selected an exceptional 1996 show from the University of New Hampshire in Durham. This last show of the Dave & Tim tour that year includes Dave’s solo performance of never-before-played Hold Me Down. Tim broke a string and while replacing, Dave played the solo song asking the audience to name it. The jam from What Would You Say into Minarets is a definite highlight along with Leave Me Praying which is one of the coolest versions of the song we’ve heard. Other noteworthy parts of the show include What Will Become of Me at the end of Jimi Thing, the cover of Led Zeppelin’s Tangerine and the Cry Freedom closer.
LIVE TRAX 24: 2.8.97 Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, Spartanburg, South Carolina
When selecting Live Trax 23, we realized that we had two Dave and Tim shows from the early days that were both so good they had to be released together. Live Trax 24 is a show from Spartanburg, SC in early 1997. During the show, Dave refers to a billboard displaying a message “Jesus is coming to a soul near you” in several songs: Two Step, never-before-played Dreamed I Killed God and What Will Become of Me. Highlights of the show include a rare Let You Down and Captain with some alternate lyrics. Little Thing and I’ll Back You Up are both rare treats in this setting. One of our favorite stretches of the show is Minarets>Dreamed I Killed God>Typical Situation.
Please click here to order these shows. They will released around December 12, 2012.
Here is the updated table of full shows that have been released:
| # | Date | Show Type | Venue | City, State | Release Type | Release Date | | 1 | 8.15.95 | DMB | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Morrison, CO | in-store | 10.28.97 | | 2 | 2.6.96 | Dave & Tim | CFL Auditorium (Luther College) | Decorah, IA | in-store | 1.19.99 | | 3 | 9.11.99 | DMB | Continental Airlines Arena | East Rutherford, NJ | in-store | 11.23.99 | | 4 | 12.19.98 | DMB | United Center | Chicago, IL | in-store | 10.23.01 | | 5 | 7.11.01 | DMB | Folsom Field (UC–Boulder) | Boulder, CO | in-store | 11.5.02 | | 6 | 9.24.03 | DMB | Central Park | New York, NY | in-store | 11.18.03 | | 7 | 6.11.04 | Dave & Friends | Bonnaroo Music Festival | Manchester, TN | Live Bonnaroo | 6.12.04 | | 8 | 9.6.02 | DMB | The Gorge Amphitheatre | George, WA | in-store | 6.29.04 | | 9 | 9.7.02 | | 10 | 9.8.02 | | 11 | 12.8.98 | DMB | Worcester Centrum | Worcester, MA | Live Trax | 11.2.04 | | 12 | 9.12.04 | DMB | Golden Gate Park | San Francisco, CA | Live Trax | 12.17.04 | | 13 | 8.27.00 | DMB | Meadows Music Theatre | Hartford, CT | Live Trax | 3.17.05 | | 14 | 4.30.96 | DMB | Classic Amphitheater | Henrico, VA | Live Trax | 9.2.05 | | 15 | 9.9.05 | DMB | Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Morrison, CO | in-store | 11.29.05 | | 16 | 9.10.05 | | 17 | 9.11.05 | | 18 | 9.12.05 | | 19 | 8.23.95 | DMB | Baldwin Memorial Pavilion (Oakland University) | Rochester Hills, MI | Live Trax | 5.26.06 | | 20 | 7.7.06 | DMB | Fenway Park | Boston, MA | Live Trax | 9.26.06 | | 21 | 7.8.06 | | 22 | 12.31.96 | DMB | Hampton Coliseum | Hampton, VA | Live Trax | 12.12.06 | | 23 | 8.7.04 | DMB | Alpine Valley Music Theatre | East Troy, WI | Live Trax | 3.20.07 | | 24 | 3.23.07 | DMB | MGM Grand | Las Vegas, NV | Live Trax | 6.5.07 | | 25 | 3.24.07 | | 26 | 4.22.07 | Dave & Tim | Radio City Music Hall | New York, NY | in-store | 8.14.07 | | 27 | 9.8.07 | DMB | Piedmont Park | Atlanta, GA | in-store | 12.11.07 | | 28 | 5.25.07 | DMB | Atlantic Pavilion | Lisbon, POR | Live Trax | 11.6.07 | | 29 | 8.29.00 | DMB | Saratoga Performing Arts Center | Saratoga Springs, NY | Live Trax | 3.25.08 | | 30 | 5.5.95 | DMB | L.B. Day Amphitheater | Salem, OR | Live Trax | 7.8.08 | | 31 | 6.7.08 | DMB | Busch Stadium | St. Louis, MO | Live Trax | 10.14.08 | | 32 | 7.20.08 | DMB | Dick's Sporting Goods Park | Commerce City, CO | in-store | 12.16.08 | | 33 | 4.22.93 | Dave & Tim | Prism Coffeehouse | Charlottesville, VA | DMBlive | 12.19.08 | | 34 | 4.26.94 | DMB | Town Point Park | Norfolk, VA | DMBlive | 12.19.08 | | 35 | 10.22.94 | DMB | Blue Note | Columbia, MO | DMBlive | 12.19.08 | | 36 | 10.24.02 | Dave solo | Benaroya Hall | Seattle, WA | DMBlive | 12.19.08 | | 37 | 3.29.03 | Dave & Tim | Holmes Convocation Center (Appalachian State) | Boone, NC | DMBlive | 12.19.08 | | 38 | 1.9.04 | Dave solo | China Club | New York, NY | DMBlive | 12.23.08 | | 39 | 6.28.08 | DMB | Nissan Pavilion | Bristow, VA | Live Trax | 3.24.09 | | 40 | 8.9.08 | DMB | Alpine Valley Music Theatre | East Troy, WI | Live Trax | 6.2.09 | | 41 | 3.26.94 | DMB | Irving Plaza | New York, NY | DMBlive | 7.22.09 | | 42 | 6.26.00 | DMB | Riverbend Music Center | Cincinnati, OH | Live Trax | 9.15.09 | | 43 | 4.10.93 | DMB | The Bayou | Washington, DC | DMBlive | 9.16.09 | | 44 | 5.10.95 | DMB | Warfield Theatre | San Francisco, CA | DMBlive | 9.16.09 | | 45 | 1.27.93 | DMB | The Flood Zone | Richmond, VA | DMBlive | 11.30.09 | | 46 | 6.26.09 | DMB | Brixton Academy | London, ENG | in-store (DVD) | 12.22.09 | | 47 | 7.5.09 | DMB | Piazza Napoleone | Lucca, ITA | in-store | | 48 | 12.12.09 | Dave & Tim | Planet Hollywood Theater | Las Vegas, NV | in-store | 2.9.10 | | 49 | 10.24.96 | DMB | Frank Erwin Center | Austin, TX | DMBlive | 2.25.10 | | 50 | 7.6.97 | DMB | Shoreline Amphitheatre | Mountain View, CA | Live Trax | 5.4.10 | | 51 | 12.21.92 | DMB | The Bayou | Washington, DC | DMBlive | 6.8.10 | | 52 | 6.4.96 | DMB | GTE Virginia Beach Amphitheater | Virginia Beach, VA | Live Trax | 8.31.10 | | 53 | 2.25.95 | DMB | Kirby Fieldhouse (Lafayette College) | Easton, PA | DMBlive | 9.14.10 | | 54 | 9.30.08 | DMB | Vivo Rio | Rio de Janeiro, BRA | Live Trax | 11.9.10 | | 55 | 7.17.10 | DMB | Citi Field | Flushing, NY | in-store | 11.9.10 | | 56 | 11.26.94 | DMB | Backstage Theatre | Seattle, WA | DMBlive | 1.19.11 | | 57 | 8.19.93 | DMB | Wetlands Preserve | New York, NY | Live Trax | 5.20.11 | | 58 | 9.17.10 | DMB | Wrigley Field | Chicago, IL | in-store | 5.31.11 | | 59 | 9.18.10 | | 60 | 7.20.95 | DMB | Mud Island River Park Amphitheatre | Memphis, TN | DMBlive | 9.29.11 | | 61 | 9.9.96 | DMB | Oak Mountain Amphitheatre | Pelham, AL | DMBlive | 9.29.11 | | 62 | 6.26.11 | DMB | Bader Field | Atlantic City, NJ | in-store | 12.16.11 | | 63 | 8.4.95 | DMB | SOMA | San Diego, CA | Live Trax | 2.28.12 | | 64 | 6.13.93 | Dave & Tim | Memphis | Richmond, VA | DMBlive | 3.15.12 | | 65 | 7.14.10 | DMB | Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain | Scranton, PA | Live Trax | 6.12.12 | | 66 | 3.2.94 | DMB | Masquerade Nightclub | Tampa, FL | DMBlive | 6.20.12 | | 67 | 2.19.96 | Dave & Tim | Whittemore Center Arena (UNH) | Durham, NH | Live Trax | 12.11.12 | | 68 | 2.8.97 | Dave & Tim | Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium | Spartanburg, SC | Live Trax | 12.11.12 |
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| Everyone's dancing merrily in a new old-fashioned way
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added on 6/26/2012 |
Thanks to some great detective work by one of our users, Keith Kessler, we have added quite a few new shows to our database and updated a few others. Here's a list of additions and changes:
4.3.91 added
4.21.91 date changed from 4.20.91
8.15.91 added
11.26.91 added
1.28.92 venue changed from Flood Zone to Trax
3.3.92 added
3.10.92 added
4.21.92 added
5.12.92 venue changed from Trax to Atlantis (Nags Head)
5.28.92 added
6.12.92 added
10.4.92 added
11.29.92 added
1.29.93 added
2.2.93 added
A few years ago, one of our admins, Daniel, spent some time at the UVa library going through old copies of the school newspaper, the Cavalier Daily, looking for information about any show for which there was no record. He had some success, but he obviously missed the 15 shows listed above. Keith's method of research was similar but more efficient: Google News has a digital archive of over 3,000 copies of the Cavalier Daily, and Keith has taken the time to look through most of the early 1991 issues.
Please note that we only include shows that have been confirmed or close to it and for which we have exact dates. All of these newly-added shows are specifically mentioned in articles or advertisements, so they are all but confirmed; however, it's possible that some of them may have been canceled, postponed, moved, etc. |
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| Waiting to be Liberated...
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added on 6/22/2012 |
In keeping with the tradition at the start of a tour, we have updated the list of songs that have been missing from sets for over 1000 days.
The ground rules:
1) These are full band songs only, played in full (yes, we know that can be subjective, but we try hard to be consistent). Songs that were never played full band to begin with, such as Hold Me Down, Dodo, and Dreamed I Killed God are not included. If one of these songs is later played by the full band—such as Funny How Time Slips Away—it automatically qualifies for the list.
2) Dave Solo and Dave & Tim versions do not count as returns because they are not full band. The "Last Show" dates refer to the last known full band version. This is, after all, a full band tour. Our definition of "full band" is fairly loose but generally includes a minimum of Dave, Carter, and one other member of the current touring band.
3) We include only songs that have been played seven or more times, whether by the full band, Dave & Tim, Dave solo, or Dave & Friends. Songs such as Sex Machine, Eyes of the World, Sweet Caroline, and so on are not counted. We have made some assumptions, namely with Me and Julio, since there are so many unknown setlists from 1991–1993.
4) Studio songs that were played live are counted no matter what. The three songs confirmed finished in the studio but never played live—Dreams of Our Fathers, Trouble With You, and Little Red Bird (the latter has been played, but not by DMB)—are not included.
5) Songs that are in the Defunct category, such as #36 and Leave Me Praying, are not included. However, if any of those songs happens to be played again, it will be moved from the Defunct category and retroactively considered a liberation.
6) Songs that have only ever been played with a particular guest, such as Love of My Life and Road, are not included.
Days since are as of June 22, 2012.
| # | Song | Last Show | Days Since | Notes | | 1 | People People | 1.26.1993 | 7087 | based on piano arrangement by Peter Griesar and not played since he left the band, mentioned in 1996 interview and 2010 tweet | | 2 | Spotlight | 10.22.1993 | 6818 | confirmed likely to never be played again, mentioned in 1999 and 2010 interviews | | 3 | Get In Line | 12.31.1994 | 6383 | soundchecked in 1999, mentioned in 2004 and 2010 interviews | | 4 | Little Thing | 4.30.1996 | 5897 | played by Dave & Tim, Dave solo, teased a lot, some partials in 2012 | | 5 | Deed Is Done | 6.4.1996 | 5862 | played by Dave & Tim several times in 1997 and 1999, mentioned in 2010 interview | | 6 | Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago | 6.11.1996 | 5855 | teased twice in 2000 | | 7 | Let You Down | 6.20.1997 | 5481 | longest missing album tune, played by Dave & Tim in 1997, teased by Stefan in 2003 | | 8 | For the Beauty of Wynona | 9.10.2000 | 4303 | played by Dave & Tim in 2003, Dave Solo in 2002 | | 9 | Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard | 5.5.2001 | 4066 | nothing since last full band version | | 10 | Mother Father | 8.26.2001 | 3953 | nothing since last full band version | | 11 | Angel From Montgomery | 8.26.2001 | 3953 | played by Dave & Tim in 2009 | | 12 | Angel | 7.5.2003 | 3275 | nothing since last full band version | | 13 | True Reflections | 7.29.2003 | 3251 | played by Boyd twice in 2007 | | 14 | Crazy Easy | 9.8.2004 | 2844 | nothing since last full band version; mentioned in a 2009 interview | | | Everybody Wake Up (Our Finest Hour Arrives) | 12.15.2005 | 2362 | -=LIBERATED on 6.3.12=- | | 15 | Steady As We Go | 8.6.2006 | 2147 | nothing since last full band version | | 16 | Time of the Season | 3.23.2007 | 1918 | nothing since last full band version | | 17 | Hunger for the Great Light | 9.22.2007 | 1735 | nothing since last full band version | | 18 | Stand Up (For It) | 10.1.2007 | 1726 | partially played several times in 2010 | | 19 | #34 | 10.2.2007 | 1725 | nothing since last full band version | | 20 | Exodus | 10.2.2007 | 1725 | nothing since last full band version | | 21 | A Dream So Real | 6.21.2008 | 1463 | nothing since last full band version | | 22 | #40 | 6.21.2008 | 1463 | teased and partially played quite a few times | | 23 | The Space Between | 7.2.2008 | 1451 | Dave solos and one D&T in 2012 | | 24 | Pay for What You Get | 7.12.2008 | 1441 | teased once by Dave in 2009 | | | Help Myself | 8.29.2008 | 1368 | -=LIBERATED on 5.28.12=- | | 25 | Stolen Away on 55th & 3rd | 8.30.2008 | 1393 | nothing since last full band version | | 26 | Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) | 8.30.2008 | 1393 | nothing since last full band version | | 27 | Money | 9.6.2008 | 1385 | nothing since last full band version | | 28 | Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back) | 9.7.2008 | 1384 | teased once in 2009; played regularly by Dave & Tim | | 29 | Blue Water | 4.25.2009 | 1154 | full band partials in 2009, 2010, 2012 and twice fully by Dave & Tim in 2010 and 2011 | | | Beach Ball | 5.1.2009 | 1113 | -=LIBERATED on 5.18.12=- | | 30 | Smooth Rider | 7.18.2009 | 1070 | played once by Dave & Tim in 2009 | | | You Never Know | 7.31.2009 | 1022 | -=LIBERATED on 5.18.12=- | | 31 | Solsbury Hill | 8.7.2009 | 1050 | nothing since last full band version | | | Typical Situation | 9.10.2009 | 1016 | -=LIBERATED on 6.22.12=- |
Other songs in danger of joining the list by the end of the year are Sugar Will (12.1) and Sledgehammer (12.8).
There are currently 117 qualifying songs that are not on the list. |
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| Art thou bored? (Dig It!)
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added on 6/15/2012 |
| If you're here just refreshing the home screen during a show waiting for the next song, we have something for you to do. If you aren't following us on twitter (@dmbalmanac), you might not know that for the last few months we've been publishing several DMB related quizzes per month on the Sporcle website. You can see what we've posted so far and follow us here to be notified when we post another. Though we do always publish an announcement to the twitter feed as well. |
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| No we can't dance together, no we can't talk at all
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added on 5/19/2012 |
It's not a groundbreaking notion that information spreads faster each year. Yet over the past six months, very little information has been revealed or leaked about DMB's return to the studio. Any sort of official word has come slowly and infrequently. It was rumored that the band was working with Steve Lillywhite (follow @sillywhite)when he was publicly speaking about his time with DMB and it was clear that he was going through old tapes. Then a series of tweets starting in November 2011 (including pictures of Seattle) made it all but official that right after New Year's they would be back in the studio together. Even after this, however, their collaboration still wasn't confirmed until mid-February by management.
Near the end of the sessions, Steve started giving a few updates as to where he was in the post-production process and began answering the occasional questions on twitter. But aside from that, neither he nor management divulged anything about the tracklisting. The first big reveal came on April 24, 2012 when Dave played "Mercy" solo on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. But the silence was broken with a blast on May 18, 2012 when the band/ management released the studio version of a new, unheard song called "Gaucho" to celebrate the return of the Summer Tour. Contributing to the surprise was the release of a lengthy video tribute to 2010's tour opener the day before. It was worthy of celebrating the opener by itself because included rare archive video of an unreleased show and the full JTR tour opener.
A link to the song (click here) was sent out to DMB's mailing list with a unique code for a free download. However if you don't have a code, they will e-mail you one. The message from Dave was as brief as he usually is: "Hey everybody, here's something new. We had fun making it. Hope you like it, Dave." The mp3 was tagged with generic artwork borrowed from the 2012 Summer Tour logo. A message also narrowed the known release date of the album from "Fall" to "September."
The song has unique traits that haven't been used on any song that they've recorded before, but also contains classic DMB musical and lyrical themes. Dave's political song lyrics have been across the board in regards to their clarity. Lyrically, this one can interpreted as a generic call to arms to make the world better, but the two most powerful words in the song are "believe" and "change" and their affiliation with President Obama's 2008 campaign can't be ignored. It seems clear, if you buy into this interpretation, that the call isn't going to the administration but the voters who were told to believe then stopped making changes. Dave has shown that not all of these songs need to be as blatant as Everybody Wake Up. As recently as Big Whiskey he laid the entire foundation of a song with political snark (Dive In). But this could also be a song like Cry Freedom that uses broad terms about a specific political situation. If you believe it's more generic, then it falls in line with the lyrics of the other confirmed song Mercy. These ideals are repeated through the choruses and the verses launch into a timeline of human history starting with fire, through structures for shelter, exploration, movies and finally landing on the moon.
Musically, the song is about six minutes of music layered and neatly packed into just over four minutes. The most obviously unique-to-DMB aspect of the song is the children's choir which is confirmed via Steve Lillywhite's twitter to be Dave's kids' school's choir. Unless there is some sort of special circumstance, the part sung by the choir will likely be sung by Dave with backup. Though similar to Everyday, this could become a song which when the band's parts relax, the crowd takes over the vocals of the choir. This mid-song respite is also unique in DMB's catalog and the studio version is complete with a heartbeat effect created by Lillywhite tapping himself in the chest with a microphone. This could also be a reason why this particular song was chosen for release at the beginning of the tour. If the album comes out after the tour, which given the current dates seems likely, a full tour's opportunity for that to happen is negated. Due to the widespread nature of the release, anyone who wants a copy can get one and the chorus will be well-known at shows.
The music also has classic DMB characteristics. First and foremost are alternating time signatures between the verse and the choruses/bridge/outro. The mechanical, relentless triplets perpetuate through just about the entire song. They drive the 6/8 verses, but fall into the background as the time signature shifts to 4/4 for the choruses in changes that are as jarring to the listener as the lyrics aspire to be. Other classic DMB characteristics are the use of a partial first chorus before the second verse. Also there is background noise that is reminiscent of the Crash studio version of Lie In Our Graves.
After soundchecking the song on May 17th, the band debuted a faithful version on stage about four hours after its release. To download and listen to the song live, go to http://www.dreamingtree.org as always for audience recordings.
Thanks to the discussion group at TDC for a lot of these ideas. |
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All statistical information and computations copyright ©2002, Matias Nino and Rob Bokon. No portion of dmbalmanac.com may be reproduced without permission.
Portions of the site, specifically lyrics and songtitles are copyright Colden Grey, Ltd., Bama Rags Records, Red Light Management, RCA and/or BMG. Show posters are copyright their respective artists.
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