Don't Worry 'Bout a Thing... A Mixed-Up, Jumbled Recollection of Two Great Concerts (Part One)

A Concert for Virginia Tech, Thursday, 9.06.07
I can think of a few times I've been really wrong in life. Predicting Titanic would be a huge flop springs to mind. On the heels of that would be thinking this concert, planned suddenly, mid-tour, would be less than impressive, disorganized, too crowded, full of college kids who didn't care and adults who didn't know. (I'm not proud of these thoughts, by the way, but they are what they are.)

Not so much. Not even a little. I might say, at this moment, THIS was our best concert of the year.

A few aspects or moments that made up the incredible whole in no particular order?

John Mayer, as the last of the opening acts. (If you're interested in some great white guy blues, play "Gravity" on this page- probably the best thing he's done.) He especially thrilled this DMB's fans heart, when he brought out LeRoi Moore to play with him on said song.

The many, many times throughout the night, when the kids around us started chanting "Let's Go Hokies." Chant isn't the right word. It was a rally cry, one half the crowd calling out "Let's go" and the other half responding "Ho-kies." They would start it, between artists, between songs, leaving the stadium. The word for that spirit, I think, would be "indomitable."

I've only recently grown fond of Mr. Mayer, but, in true Knitter fashion, when I fall, I fall hard and I'm crazy about him these days. So imagine my delight when Dave leaned up to the microphone and rasped, "I'm gonna ask John Mayer to come and join us for a song " and out came out John Mayer, again, to play with the band. And even better when The Hubba, call it intuition, call it second-sight, call it movie-gut, leaned up and said, '"It's #41. He's gonna play on #41." #41 happens to fight for top spot as my favorite DMB song. It's the pinnacle song to hear live (for me) and I've only had it one time this year. Until Thursday. I've now seen it played twice, once featuring John Mayer. And it was awesome, as in "extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear." At the end of the song, John Mayer held up his guitar to Dave, then laid it on the stage in front of him and walked off. My God, I love musicians.

Best of the night came towards the end, in a tune DMB has said was totally impromptu. David Ryan Harris, a friend of Dave's and John Mayer's and an amazing guitarist in his own right, came out and played on "Jimi Thing." Mr. Harris, having been given complete control of the song, led the band into Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds." Dave, looking delighted, started to sing the lyrics. It's such a short, funny little song that packs a punch. It's probably my favorite Bob Marley tune. It's the song I put on when anxiety wants to take over my brain and I can't find a better thought. It's probably one of the most uplifting songs ever written.

As Dave sang, people started to sing the refrain along with him and then, after the band stopped playing, the crowd kept singing. For several minutes, all the voices of the people of Virginia Tech and the few, such as The Hubba and I, who lucked our way in, were raised. Don't worry. 'Bout a thing. 'Cause every little thing. Is gonna be alright.

You know those moments when you think your skin and bones just have to fall off, there's no way a body can possibly contain so much emotion? The feeling that your whole physical presence might disappear in the face of so much joy? I've found those moments all over the place, from the teeny-tiniest seconds of driving a car on a sunny, spring day to the news of a friend's new baby- the scope for such times is incredible.

And the Concert for Virginia Tech was one of those nights. Moment after moment, wave after wave of ineffable joy, culminating in 40,000 people singing: Don't worry. 'Bout a thing. 'Cause every little thing. Is gonna be alright.

Dave turned to the other band members and, on the jumbo-screen television, you could see him say, "this is bad-ass." He might not be eloquent, but he's accurate.

At the end of the night, all seven members of the band came out, put their arms around each others shoulders, and bowed, something I've never seen them do. The crowd, in return, chanted, "Thank you Dave."

Thank you Dave. And thank you Virginia Tech. And, especially, thank you Hubba. It was the ideal birthday gift.

Part Two coming soon... Hotlanta, the Hubba and I, Or, Good News, The Allman Brothers Are Still Alive!