A DMB kind of Summer

This weekend I am seeing the Dave Matthews Band for the first time in 2 years. That may not seem like a long time but for me, it feels like an eternity.

I started seeing the Dave Matthews Band in concert in the summer of 2010. My first concert was in West Palm Beach, Florida and I’ll admit, before the show, I wasn’t the biggest DMB fan. My boyfriend, now husband, was obsessed and I liked them well enough so I thought it’d be fun.

Little did I know that that night would change my life forever.

Since then I have been to 28 shows over the course of 8 years. If you’re a DMB fan/concert goer that’s not even that many times. It became a summer tradition. We go to Tampa and West Palm Beach in Florida and then find someplace else to travel and go see them. We’ve seen them all over the country and it’s a great excuse to travel. We’ve seen them in Atlantic City, Alabama, Wisconsin, Charlottesville, and even Texas! The dream has always been to see them in Washington State at the Gorge Amphitheater.

Alpine Valley – Wisconsin 2016

But 2017 was the first year the band didn’t tour at all in over 25 years! So this year we may have gone a little overboard with our tickets. Being that it’s the summer of van life – we can literally follow them around the country if we wanted to (or could afford to).

Related: The Vanlife Adventure Begins!

It’s not just about seeing them in concert – it’s about the gathering of friends. There’s tailgating and meetups, seeing old friends, and making new ones.

Alpine Valley – Wisconsin 2016

This weekend in Indianapolis was kind of spur of the moment though. We were in New York and our Colorado-ian concert-addicted friend, Will, said he was going to this show so we decided we were going too!

When we get home in a few weeks, we’ll see them again in Tampa and West Palm Beach. Then, in August, we’ll see them in Colorado and Washington State – finally living the dream. And making that a total of 10 shows this summer.

For me, seeing the Dave Matthews Band is more than tradition, more than seeing my favorite band. It’s summertime in the rain, it’s cooking out before and after the show. It’s meeting new friends because their grill got ran over and they asked to use ours. It’s learning new tailgating games, it’s food and drinks and long summer days.

Related: Summer Tailgate Essentials

It’s being with family.

Alpine Valley – Wisconsin 2015

Cruzan Amphitheater West Palm Beach 2016

You just never know how long something so amazing can last and this summer we have the ability to take full advantage of our freedom on the road. And who knows what kind of surprises the next year may hold. That’s why we’re doing this now, van lifing it and seeing the Dave Matthews Band as much as we can.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for a concert? Or an excuse to travel? Let me know in the comments below! And don’t forget to follow us on Feelintookish for the van life journey!

The real #vanlife

A post shared by Christina & Nate (@feelintookish) on Jun 20, 2018 at 10:01am PDT

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Christina

Christina is a twenty-something living with her beagle, Mash, and husband, Nate in their van. She loves traveling, shopping, art, and photography. She’s also a vegetarian, pop-culture enthusiast, book-lover, and Dave Matthews Band fanatic. Catch her somewhere around the country in a converted camper van or at home in Florida for a visit.