Amherst

Miles traveled - 826
Hours spent in the car - 16.5

States we drove through - 7
Police we spotted - 29
Hours Dave & Tim spent playing - OVER 3!!!

Eileen and I went to Amherst, MA (UMass) this weekend to see our first ever Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds show. We packed the car and left early Saturday morning with plenty of snacks and enough Dave & Tim music to last the entire trip. We were happy we left with plenty of time to spare because we were stuck in a long line in Jersey to get gas. Since you can't pump your own gas in Jersey you have to wait in long lines because they only have 2 attendants available. 16 pumps and only 2 were available. If that makes sense to anyone, please explain it to me.

An hour later, we were on our way again, only to hit more traffic near NYC. Here we are getting ready to cross the GW bridge. Are you starting to sense a theme here? :)

We FINALLY arrived at UMass 9 hours later. Tired, hungry and sick of the car, we checked into our hotel (which was right on campus...SO nice). We drove around Amherst to find food...it's a very cute little college town...and then got ready for the show.

This is the Mullins Center. We walked about a block from our hotel and got there in time to buy t-shirts and find our seats, which turned out to be amazing. Dave & Tim came out and started the show. Dave was in rare form and told a lot of funny stories. He wasn't feeling great and said he had a "fever", which I'm sure was partly because he was high as a kite. Tim never speaks, except through this incredible guitar playing. He had a solo called "Stream" and rocked out with a bit of Led Zepplin's "Kashmir" at the end, which earned him a much deserved standing ovation from the crowd. Dave's voice was great and it was nice to see him in a mellow, laid back setting where he could tell stories and make fun of obnoxious drunk guys in the audience. Why do people feel the need to yell our during pauses or quiet moments in the songs? SO annoying! Note to guys...DON'T yell out, "I love you Dave"! Dave doesn't want to hear it and neither so we! But this show was definitely worth the long trip and we're glad we went!

The ride home was uneventful and much faster than the ride there. We were smart and got gas before Jersey and enjoyed my car's sunroof and the beautiful weather. Here we are back home with our new shirts...only three shows on this mini "tour" and we were at one of them! I hear that there's a DVD coming out about the weekend's shows...can't wait! Now we're going to bed because we're EXHAUSTED!

Here's the setlist in case anyone is interested.

Saturday Apr 21 2007
University of Massachusetts - Mullins Center

Bartender
Dodo
Stay Or Leave
Crush
Old Dirt Hill
Grace Is Gone
So Damn Lucky
Gravedigger
The Stone
Sister
Lie In Our Graves
Oh
Save Me
Stream *
Kashmir * (Led Zepplin cover)
Corn Bread
Down By The River (Neil Young cover)
The Maker (Emmylou Harris cover)
Intro
Jimi Thing
Pantala Naga Pampa
Still Water
Don’t Drink the Water
#41
Dancing Nancies
__________________

Improv +
Some Devil +
Little Thing
Where Are You Going
Two Step

Show Notes:
Dave And Tim appear on all songs except where noted
* Tim Solo
+ Dave Solo