The best concert I never went to

I spent a good portion of my afternoon today donned in rubber gloves helping a fellow teacher clean up piss that a certain 4 year old had sprayed all over the bathroom earlier in the day. Yup, school is back in session leaving the smell of freshly sharpened pencils and urine lingering in the air. And while I am still not entirely used to a school year that isn't accompanied by a cool crisp in the air and the musty smell of falling leaves, there is no doubt we are making our way into fall, a time to look back on the musical highlights of this hot hot summer. 

Except the musical highlight of my summer, the concert that left me giddy, clutching my hands at my chest and singing along to every song as I simultaneously danced and bounced in excitement wasn't even in Austin. I wasn't even there in person! Such is the awesome power of Dave Matthews, who streamed his final Caravan performances online this past weekend from the Gorge. It wasn't like being there in person, as I have done 9 times before, but it had so much of the same magic. He is an astounding artist who surrounds himself with incredible musicians. He said during the concert, "I'm here because I love to play." He does and it shows. It is infectious and his music seeps into the parts of my soul I never knew existed. 

I'm gushing. But he played Everyday! And he played Lying in our Graves and didn't even finish the song until the ENCORE! AMAZING!

But fangirl gushing aside, If you have never experienced Dave in person, standing in the hippie and prepster haze, letting the music wash over you, add it to your bucket list. Even his streamed version in my living room was the perfect way to end my summer and ring in a fall full of amazing concerts.

Setlist from his final Caravan concert on 9/4

Everyday
Seek Up
Why I Am
Alligator Pie
Crash Into Me
Say Goodbye
Digging a Ditch
Warehouse
Raven
Gravedigger
Lie In Our Graves
Loving Wings Good Times Bad Times (cover)
Black Jack
Granny
All Along The Watchtower

__________________

Baby Blue *
Lie In Our Graves (reprise)
Halloween
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)  (cover)