Life is full of difficult questions and choices. What does it all mean? Where do we go when we die? Why does suffering exist? Which is your favorite Dave Matthews Band song?
In a recent interview for CNSnews.com before his Jane Goodall benefit concert, Dave Matthews responded to questions about Iraq and Afghanistan by saying that “fighting for peace is a broken model.” He supported his opinion with the fact that “there’s never been a time when there hasn’t been a war in the past 75 years on the planet,” indicating that war begets war. On a political level, it’s interesting to hear Dave speak so openly about his beliefs. The frontman has never been one to hide his way of thinking, but if we compare these statements to comments that he made in 2007 at Radio City Music Hall, it’s clear that his frustration with the current state of affairs is mounting. But politics aside, what’s perhaps even more compelling about Dave’s remarks are their relevance to the human condition.
As psychologists, we say that the first dream that a client has during treatment speaks to his or her therapeutic goals, and/or how the therapy will progress. I believe that this same thinking can be applied to understanding the first song that a band chooses for a tour opener. This year, the Dave Matthews Band began their premier summer concert on 5/28/10 at the Comcast Amphitheater in Hartford, CT, with “JTR,” a number that hasn't been played live since 9/3/06. So, what can we infer from this fantastic selection?
Despite the warmer nights, and abundance of green, it's hard to believe that another year has passed. After a long, and unusually snowy winter, the flowers are blooming, the pollen is flowing, and this weekend, the Dave Matthews Band kicks off their 51 date tour at the Comcast Center in Hartford, CT. Although the fairest season doesn't officially start until the solstice on June 21st, many believe that DMB's premier concert officially marks the beginning of summer in their hearts.
As I prepare for my first night out without my 3 month old daughter, I'm contemplating the enormous emotional strength required in the task of letting go. Just the thought of a few hours away from her raises all sorts of unsettling emotions even though I know how important a break can be for my sanity. It's interesting that this is my current mind-set in the wake of the Dave Matthews Band's announcement to take the year off from touring in 2011, but by now I've come to expect these synchronistic occurrences. And I know that I'm not the only one struggling to process the group's latest news.
For days, I've been struggling with whether to write this article. On the one hand, I'm not the right person to do it because I never had the pleasure of meeting Satu Harris, but even so, her name keeps circling through my consciousness, making it clear that I wouldn't be able to write an honest article about anything else. So, please forgive my lack of first-hand knowledge about this amazing and inspiring girl, who has left a gaping whole in the hearts of the Dave Matthews Band community since her tragic and untimely death this May.
As I'm on my second day without my super delicious and creamy Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee, I'm considering the psychology of addictions. Why is it that the best tasting foods and drinks are usually the ones that end up causing some kind of negative reaction (e.g. weight gain, gastrointestinal troubles, headaches, etc.)? Why do “comfort foods” make our bodies anything but comfortable? Is it the same reason that we sometimes gravitate towards people who don't meet our emotional needs? Are we destined to continuously attract that which doesn't serve us in the long run?
In my last article for Don't Burn The Pig, I talked about certain synchronistic events related to Dave Matthews Band. As I was pondering what to write about this week, I got the distinct feeling that I was not finished with that topic. I started to think about synchronicity and how it affects the creative process. Like many true fans, I am ever curious about Dave's tricks of the trade. How does he decide what to write about? Does he have certain rituals that he relies on for inspiration? Are there things that have spontaneously happened in his life, which ended up being the basis for some of our favorite tracks?
The former Mt. Zion Baptist Church has been site of the Music Resource Center since 2003.Synchronicity is not just an album by The Police. It is a psycho-spiritual construct developed by the late Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. Jung defined synchronicity as an “a-causal connecting principle,” where two events occur in chronological proximity to each other, so that the people involved deem it a meaningful coincidence. Jung believed that synchronicity occurs in relation to the collective unconscious, a universal information system that connects us all across time and space. Synchronistic events occur quite often, and enlighten us to the notion that everything, everywhere, is connected at a very deep level. Popular examples of this phenomenon include: receiving a phone call from the very person you were just thinking of; or running into an acquaintance who turns out to have information that you were recently seeking. Jung's most famous description of this sensation involves a patient who was not progressing in her treatment until a rare beetle appeared while she was retelling a dream about that exact type of insect. This profound development became a catalyst for her future growth.
Earlier this week the Dave Matthews Band announced their fiftieth full release, the upcoming Live Trax 17, recorded on July 6th, 1997 at Shoreline Ampitheatre. Along with old favorites like “#41” and “Say Goodbye,” this compilation boasts the rare “Leave Me Praying” which eventually became “Don't Drink the Water,” (and perhaps “Bartender,” as some would argue),and Daniel Lanois' “For the Beauty of Wynona.” For many fans, shows like this one in the late 90's contain some of our top picks, and because every performance offers a different spin, we can never grab enough versions of these classics. Hard to say the same for other 90's acts like Boyz 11 Men and Spice Girls. Remember them? Just saying.