I had the good fortune to see and photograph The Dave Matthews Band at The Gorge on Sunday night. The amphitheatre was packed for 3 days with the largest and most enthusiastic crowd that I had ever seen there.

Dave and the boys eased onto the stage in their laid-back style and the crowd was ready. They had been waiting all day in the hot sun for a show that they had seem hundreds of times before. You see, this crowd is different. Fans travel from all over the country for an event, not just a concert. A Dave Matthews show is more of a force of nature. It’s organic, like a ground swell of harmony and togetherness. It all sounds very 1960s and it should. There was a vibe and a pungent smell in the air that I hadn’t experienced since Pink Floyd and U2 years before.

This was my first Dave Matthews Band show and it won’t be my last. I had more fun at this show than ever before at the Gorge. If you get the same privilege, stay for the 3 day “Festival”. You will be transported to a different time and place.

Band: Dave Mathews Band
Photographer: John Rudolph