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09/29/2005

My friends share their concerts with me!

Dave Matthews Band and Avril Lavigne!

It was fun to catch concerts like Avril's and Dave's!
photos courtesy of Kurt Johnson

My friends are always introducing me to great new music and this is definitely the case with two recent concerts I attended - Dave Matthews at the Gorge with my friend Nick and Avril Lavigne at the White River Amphitheatre with my friend Kurt. Here are my mini-reviews-

Avril Lavigne - White River Amphitheatre - August 8, 2005

For this show, we had to arrive early to get to a primo spot in the pit area near the stage. I had never seen Avril Lavigne before, but knew she was gonna have lots of

young fans, so after a potty break, I stayed put. Kurt and I passed the time with travel books and camera manuals, (Avril's crew are one of the first for me to allow real cameras inside as long as there was no detachable lens, it was ok) That meant I got my zoom in, no problems. ;) There were two opening acts for this show. One a fun punk band and the other a solo act - Gavin Degraw. He had lots of passion and energy on stage, and I really liked his material, even borrowing some old school funk to teach the kiddies something.

Finally, Avril made her way to the stage. While I don't know much of her stuff, she had a bursting amount of energy that was infectious. Playing to the audience, she played fast and slow songs seamlessly. Towards the end of the night, she traded guitar for piano, then traded it again at the encore for drums! This is a versatile gal. Don't overlook the youth, as this show proves cause they do have something to say!

Dave Matthews Band - The Gorge - August 20, 2005

Those guys from the Dave Matthews Band have done it again. Seeing them for my second time out at the Gorge, they proved why it is their virtual playground out there. While my friend Nick is the true fan of these guys, it is hard to not really get into the spirit of things when they shake the place up so well. We headed out to the Gorge stopping for some ice cream, (it was hot!), and joining the throngs who were there as we got a great side seat on the lawn.

The band did have an opening act (Mississippi All-Stars or something like that), and several Dave-spottings later, the band themselves took the stage. Playing lots of material from their new album, the songs took on a party vibe as brightly colored bracelets whizzed through the air for their happy recipients (I got one too!) Everywhere you went, people were dancing or half naked. That and the stars in the sky were a sight to see. What a show!

Mariam