Book review: So Much to Say: Dave Matthews Band

Full title is “So Much to Say: Dave Matthews Band 20 Years on the Road” by Nikki Van Noy.

We didn’t discover DMB until around 2007, so this book back to the beginning of the band in Charlottesville was a great history lesson. Interesting how in the early days taping of concerts was allowed – even encouraged – to spread the music to a wider fan base.

Especially enjoyed the Alpine Valley references since our first DMB concert was there. Just missed one of the special moments by 24 hours: the next day of the two-night stand, after the band closed with “Thank You” the crowd kept singing the song for a long time after the band left the stage (page 199).

We listened to all four of our DMB CDs on the drive there and thought we knew all music, only to find out at the concert the band had so many more songs we never heard before. The book explains how it all got going, so I pulled out all our collected albums to play again and better understand the references.

For me, DMB is an acquired taste since the type of music is hard to categorize. What I like best is that live shows are always a different setlist.

For even a casual fan of Dave Matthews Band, the book is a worthwhile read to either learn something you didn’t know or reminisce of past experiences.