dmb - something happened

Amphibyus

I was the BIGGEST DMB fan in high school. Trading bootlegs, moving mountains to get to shows, learned to play every single song on guitar... then something happened.

My feelings toward the band were beginning to wane just a touch, then I saw them in Pittsbrugh 2003 after college. Good show, totally pleased with the event, but then I saw Pearl Jam the next night in Toronto for the first time. Holy fuck what a great show. That was the beginning of the end for me and DMB. It wasn't overnight, but close enough. The oddest thing is that I can't stand to listen to any of dmb's music now. I just tried to watch a show on YouTube and had to turn it off after 2 songs.

Anybody ever experience such a flip when it comes to music? I know tastes change, but the music is repulsive to me now and has been for years. I dunno, its just feels odd looking back on it. I'm sure Freud were have a field day with me.

lando

Yeah guns and roses. Used to love them until axl became the worlds biggest douche. Now they're a joke, basically a cover band

Amphibyus

lando wrote:

Yeah guns and roses. Used to love them until axl became the worlds biggest douche. Now they're a joke, basically a cover band

haha, I hear ya. November Rain. nuf said.

Sometimes I just wonder if the band's talent just dried up. Yeah axl's a tool, but I just don't think they had the talent to evolve, at least not together.

Wilds

I think I've seen DMB upwards of 8 times. Saw an amazing show with Dave and friends, and loved it.

Then in 2006 I saw 1 or 2 shows of DMB for the Bridge School Benefit.

DMB was terrible. I couldn't stand it.

Don't know what happened. (Other than perhaps I saw 10 PJ shows that year....)

Now I haven't had DMB on CD/Spotify/etc. since then, and have no urge to put them on.

I can't say I hate them, have many fond memories, and perhaps if I put them on I would find that love that I once had.... but I'm skeptical of that.

Can't really explain it.



Nate

Amphibyus

Wilds wrote:

I think I've seen DMB upwards of 8 times. Saw an amazing show with Dave and friends, and loved it.

Then in 2006 I saw 1 or 2 shows of DMB for the Bridge School Benefit.

DMB was terrible. I couldn't stand it.

Don't know what happened. (Other than perhaps I saw 10 PJ shows that year....)

Now I haven't had DMB on CD/Spotify/etc. since then, and have no urge to put them on.

I can't say I hate them, have many fond memories, and perhaps if I put them on I would find that love that I once had.... but I'm skeptical of that.

Can't really explain it.



Nate

Thanks for sharing, glad I'm not the only one out there. The two things I point to in the demise of my affinity for the band are that I now find the lyrics trivial (repulsively quaint), and the new music is a caricature of the formative years. I guess I feel like I grew up and the band didn't.

CJMST3K

When PJ changed drummers from Dave Abbruzzese, that's when my interest went down for their music, because the music itself changed. Though No Code was a great album, all the early music live didn't sound as good with Jack. Then after Jack, with Matt, even more so it went further and further away from the sound I liked. Their sound is nowhere near as good as they were when Dave played with them. So, I go to shows to essentially watch an ok "cover" of their music, but with nowhere near the love I had for the way they used to be able to perform.

On the converse, a band like Radiohead is experimenting and changing their sound constantly, but when they play an early song, its with such amazing talent that it sounds precisely like it did back then, and their new music doesn't pander to a desire for record sales. While I like Radiohead less than early PJ, their live playing today runs circles around any other touring band today.

SatansFuton

CJMST3K wrote:

When PJ changed drummers from Dave Abbruzzese, that's when my interest went down for their music, because the music itself changed. Though No Code was a great album, all the early music live didn't sound as good with Jack. Then after Jack, with Matt, even more so it went further and further away from the sound I liked. Their sound is nowhere near as good as they were when Dave played with them. So, I go to shows to essentially watch an ok "cover" of their music, but with nowhere near the love I had for the way they used to be able to perform.

I'm can sort of understand, except with me I like both the Abbruzzese period and the Jack period, but haven't enjoyed them nearly as much since Matt joined. He's a phenomenal drummer, but when it comes to playing the songs that were recorded prior to his joining, he can't seem to get a lot of them right. I really hate Corduroy since Matt joined, he makes it sound so bouncy, and instead of keeping a beat he bangs along to the guitars. I don't mind a song not sounding exactly like the album, I love different arrangements, but I don't like the way he plays those old songs. The newer songs sound better because they're either written by or with Matt or with Matt's style in mind. I just haven't enjoyed the post Yield output as much as I did Vitalogy - Yield which are my three favorite PJ albums. I do enjoy the Matt albums, I like all PJ's albums to varying degrees and various reasons and haven't given up on them . I have wanted to a couple times though. I'll go through periods where I listen to them a shitload and burn myself out and not listen to them for months. I haven't heard any of the new songs except Mind Your Manners which I didn't really care for, I didn't hate it or anything though. It's better than Ole.

CJMST3K

SatansFuton wrote:

CJMST3K wrote:

When PJ changed drummers from Dave Abbruzzese, that's when my interest went down for their music, because the music itself changed. Though No Code was a great album, all the early music live didn't sound as good with Jack. Then after Jack, with Matt, even more so it went further and further away from the sound I liked. Their sound is nowhere near as good as they were when Dave played with them. So, I go to shows to essentially watch an ok "cover" of their music, but with nowhere near the love I had for the way they used to be able to perform.

I'm can sort of understand, except with me I like both the Abbruzzese period and the Jack period, but haven't enjoyed them nearly as much since Matt joined. He's a phenomenal drummer, but when it comes to playing the songs that were recorded prior to his joining, he can't seem to get a lot of them right. I really hate Corduroy since Matt joined, he makes it sound so bouncy, and instead of keeping a beat he bangs along to the guitars. I don't mind a song not sounding exactly like the album, I love different arrangements, but I don't like the way he plays those old songs. The newer songs sound better because they're either written by or with Matt or with Matt's style in mind. I just haven't enjoyed the post Yield output as much as I did Vitalogy - Yield which are my three favorite PJ albums. I do enjoy the Matt albums, I like all PJ's albums to varying degrees and various reasons and haven't given up on them . I have wanted to a couple times though. I'll go through periods where I listen to them a shitload and burn myself out and not listen to them for months. I haven't heard any of the new songs except Mind Your Manners which I didn't really care for, I didn't hate it or anything though. It's better than Ole.

With regard to MC, I think the band doesn't hear it because they're so close to it (or have said "meh, close enough"). Can't see the forest, for the trees - so to speak. Either way, it makes for a happy band, but at the expense of the music.... and fans. But there's a number of fans who will enjoy anything, so they've still got them.

mysticweed

Amphibyus wrote:

I was the BIGGEST DMB fan in high school. Trading bootlegs, moving mountains to get to shows, learned to play every single song on guitar... then something happened.

My feelings toward the band were beginning to wane just a touch, then I saw them in Pittsbrugh 2003 after college. Good show, totally pleased with the event, but then I saw Pearl Jam the next night in Toronto for the first time. Holy fuck what a great show. That was the beginning of the end for me and DMB. It wasn't overnight, but close enough. The oddest thing is that I can't stand to listen to any of dmb's music now. I just tried to watch a show on YouTube and had to turn it off after 2 songs.

Anybody ever experience such a flip when it comes to music? I know tastes change, but the music is repulsive to me now and has been for years. I dunno, its just feels odd looking back on it. I'm sure Freud were have a field day with me.

i lost love for dm when he sang for some award show for neil young
he wrecked the needle and the damage done

Tim Simmons

to the OP, you burned out on DMB because of all the over collecting of live shows and listening to a fairly limited catalog. They didn't help things by putting out sub par releases after 2000 (well, the Lillywhites) and dumping any good live song they wrote up and released easy, little thought drivel.

I know because it happened to me in about 02-03 as well.

dustinpardue

DMB hasn't made a listenable record in over a decade, that's part of the problem. I used to be a huge fan as well. The more time goes by the longer their live songs get as well. Do we really need an 8-minute intro into "Everyday?" I mean seriously. They've slowly morphed into a jam band which is just terrible. Jam band=a bunch of guys that can play instruments very well but can't write songs.
Their frat-boy poser fan base doesn't help much either.

Better Dan

Amphibyus wrote:

I was the BIGGEST DMB fan in high school. Trading bootlegs, moving mountains to get to shows, learned to play every single song on guitar... then something happened.

My feelings toward the band were beginning to wane just a touch, then I saw them in Pittsbrugh 2003 after college. Good show, totally pleased with the event, but then I saw Pearl Jam the next night in Toronto for the first time. Holy fuck what a great show. That was the beginning of the end for me and DMB. It wasn't overnight, but close enough. The oddest thing is that I can't stand to listen to any of dmb's music now. I just tried to watch a show on YouTube and had to turn it off after 2 songs.

Anybody ever experience such a flip when it comes to music? I know tastes change, but the music is repulsive to me now and has been for years. I dunno, its just feels odd looking back on it. I'm sure Freud were have a field day with me.

Same thing happened to me with DMB. I was a big fan in the early 2000s and then I suddenly lost all interest in keeping up with their music. I've seen them live 4 times..I enjoyed the first 3 shows but thought the 4th was awful for some reason. I recently started listening to some of their earlier stuff again and still like it, but don't feel the need to listen to it often or catch up on what I've missed.

Tim Simmons

The only way I'd really listen to them again is if they pressed their first 3-4 albums on vinyl. Its really the only thing that would make me want to go back to them at this point.

AiCPearlJamWeen

I was never a DMB fan (as to where I need to listen to his music day in and day out) but could listen to his music without cringing. Then the summer a 2010 came and I had a buddy squatting at my apartment and the ONLY music he listened to was DMB and Lil Wayne. I'd try to put on something else and he'd complain and want to listen to one of those two.

Now, I can't stand DMB and his terribly materialistic fan base. If I wanted to listen to rock, I'd listen to Pearl Jam or a number of other bands. If I wanted folk music, I'd listen to Woody Guthery or Bob Dylan. If I wanted to listen to jam band stuff, I'd pop in Widespread Panic or Grateful Dead....all of these genre's I don't see DMB pulling off well. I find his music tedious and obnoxious to listen to.

Tim Simmons

AiCPearlJamWeen wrote:

Now, I can't stand DMB and his terribly materialistic fan base.

Bold phrase to throw that around these parts.

DewieCox

Tim Simmons wrote:

AiCPearlJamWeen wrote:

Now, I can't stand DMB and his terribly materialistic fan base.

Bold phrase to throw that around these parts.

+1

Never been a big DMB fan. He was really good solo when I caught him at Farmaid and he has some cool tunes. My favorite album of his is probably Busted Stuff, though I can understand some gripes with that one from his hardcore fanbase.


I'm glad to say I've never really had the op's experience with any band that I've really loved. Are there bands I don't listen to as much as I once did? Sure...but I can always put them on and enjoy the music. There have been bands that I've soured on, but all of my favorite bands have remained.

Thirty Bills Unpaid

Sort of tired of the attack on these guys. I wish to offer something to the contrary: I think DMB is right on top of their game. I am as critical as the next guy and would pile on if I felt like it was warranted, but it's not.

Their level of enthusiasm for playing is rising in the wake of Leroi's death.

As far as live shows... man... I've gone to the Gorge the last 5 years, have seen them in Vegas, have seen them in St. Paul... and I am comfortable saying they are a great live experience that not many bands can equal. How many other bands can monopolize three days at the Gorge every year and sell to the fans they do?

They tour. If you want to see these guys live... you don't have to go too far to do it and you don't have to wait 4-10 years to do it either.

Big Whiskey kicked the shit out of Backspacer. AFTW was solid as well and continues to grow on me.

I will agree that some of their fans are incredibly obnoxious (the spoiled frat boy description is pretty accurate for some), but most of the fans are cool people that like the unique sound the band offers.

AndySlash

dustinpardue wrote:

DMB hasn't made a listenable record in over a decade, that's part of the problem.

i disagree. i mostly hated everything they put out between everyday and big whiskey, but the last record- away from the world- is their best work since 2000. too bad they played so little of it this summer tour, but at least the sets had more variety than any in recent memory.

anyway, it was definitely extremely hard to get into any music from them in the last 13 years, so i don't blame the original poster for falling off the wagon with these guys- they kept putting out terrible material and their shows were full of those songs, so... kinda hard not to, you know? those of us who stuck it out were gluttons for punishment, i guess.

despite my strong dislike of their material in the 00's, i still enjoy going to shows and at least try to see them once a year.