The Bud Light Port Paradise cruise featuring Dave Matthews Band took place this weekend. DMB fan Jake Huff was aboard Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas and filed nightly updates for us:It was much easier to get off the boats on Sunday. We were anchored about a mile offshore and had to get on smaller boats to go ashore. We got on boat No. 2 and were on the island by 10 a.m. Once there we walked around the entire island just trying to get away from the craziness for awhile. And it worked! We met a couple from Denver on our walk and saw some beautiful scenery and sea life.
The concert was originally moved from 2:30 p.m. to 2 and then moved again to 1. We headed over to the stage at about 12:15 and were able to weave our way to about five-deep, dead center. We then saw some of the other New Jersey winners and Rob Messina, the lead singer of a New Jersey Dave Matthews Band cover band, right in front of Rashawn Ross and Jeff Coffin, so we moved over by them.
The band came out EXACTLY at 1 p.m. on the dot. And the crowd was fired up. It didn't take long for the girls on shoulders to become topless, and Dave Matthews remarked that it was a "very handsome crowd. "
It was a Boyd Tinsley-heavy show, with his new solo in "Funny the Way It Is," "Tripping Billies" and "Everyday." Because of the sweat from the heat, he actually lost his sunglasses a few times.
This was the first show that I've seen where Tim Reynolds really just stayed in the background. Except for "So Damn Lucky," I don't recall any long solos from him.
Jeff and Rashawn were amazing on "Jimi Thing" as they always are. I got a few great shots of Jeff playing 2 saxes at one time. The "Sexy M.F." outro was more fitting surrounded by bikini-clad women. :)
I'm sure some of you have seen the
setlist, and to be honest, seeing them on a beach in the middle of the ocean, I didn't mind "Satellite" or even "Stay" to end the main set.
After the show, I stayed where I was to try to get a drumstick, which never happened. My girlfriend left right away, jumped in the ocean, walked back up as the band was heading to their boat and held Dave's hand as he walked back to the boat. She said thanks and asked how he was; all he could muster was, "I'm tired. I'm so very tired. " She shook hands with all of them except Carter Beauford as they left. Carter was still throwing sticks.
After the chaos subsided a bit we went back in the water for an hour and headed back to our boat at about ... I don't even know. We got on the first boat back to the ship that we were waiting for. It was about a 20-minute wait. I heard later that some people had to wait over an hour and a half to get on the shuttle back to their boats. There were more boats going to the Monarch of the Seas than the Majesty, because they had a much farther way to go to get back up to Port Canaveral, Fla.
That evening we had dinner in the buffet as soon as we got back on the boat with a cool kid from Suffolk University in Boston. Very nice kid, even got some studying done on the boat. Good luck on that exam on Wednesday, man!
After dinner we headed up to the top deck to watch the sunset, and it was amazing. Words will not do it justice, but I will have pics. Suffice it to say that when the final sliver of sun disappeared, there was a round of applause from all those watching. I am getting chills just remembering it.
After a short nap we headed to the back of the boat where Rob Messina was playing an impromptu acoustic set -- a very chill, relaxing evening with some new good friends. It was a wonderful way to wind down after a chaotic couple of days.
It was very hard to stay in contact with anyone on the boat and especially those on the other boat, so I do completely and sincerely apologize to those who I missed. Andy: I did run around looking for a White Sox hat, and I couldn't find you. Laurens (both), Jeff and Amber and the rest from the Monarch: My apologies for hitting Senor Frog's late. I had a beautiful brunette engulf my soul for the day, and time stood still as it has with her many times over the last four and a half years.
I was surprised that the crowd was as cool as it was. After seeing the parties on the pool deck the first two nights, I was very afraid that there would be a negative vibe from what I could only describe as a crowd that didn't look like your typical DMB crowd. I also think that the Warehousers and Ants that were fortunate enough to make the trip created such a vibe that it spread to those around us.
There were die-hard fans, casual fans and some who had never heard them before, but in the end we were all friends and we all enjoyed our day together. All, that is, except the guy in front of us throwing beer all over everyone. No one was his friend.
Thank you, Royal Caribbean for your hospitality and service, although spotty at times. You worked to make everything right when it wasn't, and that goes a long way.
Thank you, DMB. Killer show. Thanks for the enthusiasm and passion. And hey Fonz, can I have my suntan lotion back? I was the one that threw it on stage when Dave said he was getting sunburned.
Thank you, Rob Messina for a great night of music after the show. Even though we bullshitted more than you played, it was a nice night spent in great company. We can't wait to see you play again.
Thank you, Bud Light for the opportunity to take a much-needed mini-vacation and for all the hard work your people poured into this event.
And finally, thank you, Colin for asking me to do this. I am sorry that I failed you on the daily updates that I promised, but there was never a spare moment for me to sit in a computer lounge with all we had going on. I hope this recap will give you at least some of what you were expecting or hoping for from me.
I'm on the plane about to land in Newark, and taking two hours to think over the trip has given me smiles and goosebumps and chills and even maybe choked me up a little. It was a weekend I will never forget.
Thank you, Jake!Subscribe to RSS | Follow on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook
