It was in August of '09 and the video was You & Me from the Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King Album. A few days before the shoot I found out that someone I knew, worked with someone who was going to be in the video (this is not uncommon in L.A.). And that's how I knew where it would be.
Because it was such short notice, none of my Dave Matthews Band (DMB) friends were able to go. I ended up taking a friend who was visiting from out of town and staying with me but was not a fan. This may have been the best decision I made all day.
We showed up and parked about two blocks away from the hangar. The street was lined with large, mainly empty parking lots and a few hangars which for all appearances had long been converted into other things. Before we even made it to where we needed to be we could hear snippets of song: "You and me together can do anything baby! You and me together. Yes. Yes" being played loudly over and over again. My heart started racing.
I was crazy with excitement, but nervous because now here we were and I didn't know that to do next. The hangar was directly behind a small two floor office building that had seen better days. The front lobby area was open but there was no one to be found and the lights were off. On either side of the building were two parking lots which had entrances to the hangar. Also on both sides were a couple of security looking people standing around. Despite the area having the appearance of being open, there were gates (also open) which kind of signaled where we shouldn't cross. We stood there for a while not knowing what to do during which time a guy with a walkie-talkie kept walking back and forth eyeing us suspiciously.We tried to look friendly and harmless but I don't know that it worked.
Now that we were there it was looking kind of pointless. We were just too far from the hangar entrance and it was too hard not to look like stalkers just standing out there casing the joint. The other problem was that I had no idea how long they would be in there and just sitting there was not a lot of fun. There was very little going on out there. Couldn't even people watch. And I felt bad for my non-DMB friend. At least I had the hope of seeing the band at the end of this little "adventure", but for him, that meant precious little.
I decided that it was just a waste of time and that we could go, but before we did my friend and I stood there giving the place one last look, hoping for some way to get in there when a woman walked out of the building, purse in one hand, car keys in the other. I thought for sure she'd tell us to leave.
"Oh my God, I love that place!" she said pointing to my friend. I looked at him who looked just as thrown off as I did and he looked back at her, puzzled. "On your shirt. The place on your shirt. Have you been there?" She asked. Well. It was the name and logo of some dive bar near the city he's from which started a whole conversation with this somewhat eccentric lady.
And then, she said the magic words, quite as an aside: "I own this place, you know." I looked at my friend and we both did the big eye stare where it was obvious we were both thinking the same thing: Did she just say what I think she said? So, I asked "Seriously? You own this place?" Yes, she did. And I know what you're thinking: I'm making this up, but I swear, I couldn't if I wanted to. And I have no reason to.
She told us how they were shooting a video in the hangar, to which I replied that I knew. She was surprised and thought it a was funny coincidence that I was a fan and that I just happened to be walking by and heard the music. I explained to her it was not a coincidence but didn't tell her now I knew they were there (I didn't want to get anyone in trouble) and that I was a big fan hoping for a glimpse of the guys. I asked if she could get us in there.
"I'm actually headed home but just walk in there" she suggested ever so casually. Um, no I didn't think that would work. "No, really, just walk in there like you own the place. They won't stop you." Ha! As if. That's when my friend spoke up and told her that she did own the place and couldn't she please just get us in? She gave us a long appraising look. "You promise you won't get into any trouble?" My heart was racing. "We swear, we don't want to get in anyone's way or bother anyone, we just want to see them", I answered, practically jumping up and down with excitement.
She called over the walkie-talkie guy who'd been eyeing us suspiciously and told him to take us in. He looked at us with obvious doubt, then back at her and cocked an eyebrow in an "are you sure?" gesture. She nodded and told him we'd be fine and we'd promised to behave. After that, he was very, very friendly. He walked us in after making sure with the DMB crew that it was ok.
Let me interject to say: If you're skimming, at least read this part, it's funny:
Immediately upon entering there where rows upon rows of blue chairs lined up. The first six or so of which were filled with musicians holding their many different instruments. Walkie-talke guy (I wish I remembered his name!) suggested we take a seat towards the back. There were a few empty rows between us and the musicians. "Yeah?" my friend said to him, not quite sure. "Yeah, go ahead" he responded nodding encouragingly and then walked back out. I honestly don't believe he was being mean. I really do think he just didn't know...
So there we sat taking it all in. There were a handful of people talking to the seated musicians up front as well as some cameras. No trace of the band though... next thing we know they shout for everyone to be quiet and there's some activity up front. They were going to start another take. Just as quickly it stopped and one of the guys up front starts walking towards us. Uh-oh. The jig is up! I was sure we're getting kicked out.
"You guys are great. You look great and everything, but, you're in our shot" he says. Oh, dear god. Please say you're joking. How unbelievably embarrassing. The chairs were the "set". "Would you mind just coming to stand over here, please?" and he points to the front of the room, where the cameras are.
We get to the front of the room red-faced and mortified and there, dead center in the front row is Dave Matthews. To his left is Carter Beauford on his drums and in the next couple of rows behind him are the rest of the guys sprinkled among the other musicians. It was a mixture of absolute embarrassment such as I cannot properly convey, and excitement beyond belief. Above all, I cannot believe how nice they were about the whole thing and that they didn't kick us out on the spot.
Luck was once again, on our side. We watched them do what would be the final take with the entire band there after which everyone stood up and mingled. I was like a chicken with it's head cut off. There are currently seven members in the band and they were all in one room. I didn't know which one to go to first because they were leaving and I didn't think I'd get a shot at all of them. I literally kept turning in circles not knowing which direction to go in looking at my friend frantically hoping he'd steer me in the right direction. I'd met Dave several times before but I made a beeline for him first. As always, he was kind and absolutely down to earth. I had him sign the Deluxe box set of the Big Whiskey album I'd brought with me and left him to everyone else who had lined up to have him sign something. He kept my Sharpie which was fine because I'd brought a handful of them for exactly that reason!
At this point I realized Boyd Tinsely (violinist) had left. I also didn't see Stefan Lessard (bassist) which really disappointed me because next to Carter, he was the one I most wanted to meet. Carter, however, had a lot of musicians surrounding him so I then went to Rashawn Ross (Trumpet), followed by Jeff Coffin (Sax) and got pics with them. Then, I just stood around watching Carter chat with the musicians and sign things. He is, just as the rest of the band is, unbelievably gracious with his time and just as down to earth as you'd want him to be. I had him sign the box, took a pic with him, mumbled something about how much I loved him/them to which he said thank you and that they loved all of us and appreciated how much we support them.
My friend and I then went outside to the parking lot and were surprised to see all the band members who weren't inside out there talking to the musicians! I went to Tim Reynolds (guitar) took a pic, had him also sign the box, then, shaking, went up to Stefan and did the same. Once I'd gotten everyone's autograph and pic (except for Boyd, who had, in fact left), I just stood around and watched them talk to everyone else.
I am absolutely bummed that my brain just froze and I could not think of anything else to say to them. Nothing. I mean, really? They were just standing there, expecting people to walk up and talk to them and I might add, quite willing to take time with anyone who went up to them and I could come up with nothing! I just stood there smiling stupidly and watched! It wasn't just a couple of minutes, either. We were all out there a while and I absolutely froze. It was just too much. All of them there. Stefan with his base in it's case and strapped to his back easily chatting with a guy. Carter, directly in front of me holding his cymbals and laughing with some young kid. Even my non-DMB fan friend commented that, "that guy seems like a really cool dude" And I just stood there like a dumbass in too much of a dazed stupor to do anything else.
Except for my brain freeze, it was the most awesome experience. Thank god I took my out-of-town friend and that he wore that shirt of some dive bar I'd never heard of. Even he said he enjoyed himself and was impressed with how kind and accessible the entire band was. As you might imagine I spent the rest of the day calling my DMB friends and recounting the story in giddy disbelief.
When/if you watch this video and you see Dave in that jacket, keep in mind it was August, ridiculously hot and humid and that hangar was not air conditioned. It was unbearably hot in there. I don't know how he didn't pass out.
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