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This is a bittersweet time to be a Dave Matthews Band fan. On the one hand, we just topped off almost twenty years of touring with an amazing finale, full of outstanding performances that were jam packed with enormous variety and unmistakable vitality. Those who were lucky enough to attend last weekend’s Charlottesville shows were treated to nearly 50 different tracks, (including a double encore!) over two nights of pure musical bliss. And, most everyone, who got to a Fall concert, was fortunate enough to hear “The Last Stop,” which is always a crowd pleaser. But, as much as we all want to hear that song, the majority of us would rather not think about it’s shadowy significance.

By now, even casual observers of the band are aware that DMB will not be touring next year. I realized this when the teenager in front of me in Atlanta informed me that Dave will be “retiring” in 2011. While I did my best to set the record straight, I would be lying if I said that those words weren’t hanging on me like a wet rag. It’s hard enough to stomach the idea of one summer without hearing these musicians live. I don’t even want to imagine what it would be like to know that these spectacular evenings of sound would continue to exist solely in our memories. Of course, at the same time, I completely respect and applaud these men for taking a well-deserved break for themselves and their families. I can only contemplate how draining it must be for them to live a traveling life.