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DMB Caravan sprouts new life on
old steel mill's gravesite

Dave Matthews Band Caravan
Lakeside
Chicago, IL
July 8, 2011
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
DMB
DMB
Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers

Story & photos by Pete Schoen

Friday July 8, 2011 kicked off the long awaited arrival of the Dave Matthews Caravan to Chicago at Lakeside venue. This three day mainstream musical event was hosted at one of the most unusual concert venues in the hard knock south side neighborhood off of 83rd street. This was previously the site of the long-closed U.S Steel Corporation's South Works plant (170 vacant acres) and is now in the early stages of becoming one of Chicago's largest green musical venues as well as a site for large festivals.

The opening day of this festival was full of amazing music, local food, and a large assortment of micro brews. The atmosphere took on a carnival like feel with a Ferris wheel and numerous attraction tents. Vendors sold everything from tie dye shirts to fine wines.

The Dave Matthews Band Caravan consisted of three stages that were spread out perfectly. Acoustic levels from each set never seemed to overlap each other, yet all of the stages were only a short walk apart. Friday's lineup of music consisted of popular artists like Ray LaMontage, Gary Clark Jr., Amos Lee, Drive-By Truckers, O.A.R., and many more.

I was pleasantly surprised by the start of the festival with the performance of Austin Texas native, Gary Clark Jr. His music seemed to cover all genres from R&B to Delta. Gary hit the crowd with his guitar set on overdrive, performing songs off his latest self titled album. Gary eased in to his set with the song "Bright Lights," a bluesy rhythm driven tune. He then hit the crowd with "Don't Owe You a Thang," a fast paced rockabilly ride that set the tone for the remaining acts.

Another one of the afternoons electrifying performers was Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes. This American indie-folk ensemble grabbed the audience and never let go. Lead man Alex Ebert started off the set by jumping off of the stage and into the crowd. He spent the majority of the show frantically pacing around while engaging the crowd with his unpredictable stage antics. The group then performed their hit song "Janglin," an energetic free flowing song reminiscent of the '60s peace and love era. The group concluded their set with the uber infectious "Home," which left the majority in the crowd wishing that they had worn flowers in their hair.

The Dave Matthews Band performed Friday evening with a three hour set chock-full of old and new songs. Dave kicked of the set with one of the bands newer songs entitled "Squirm," an emotionally angry song that shocked the crowd. He then performed the song "Don't Drink the Water," which was elevated by a flawless towering guitar solo by guitarist Tim Reynolds.

The entire show carried a funky vibe that was driven by Dave's crazy footwork and energy filled power strumming. To conclude the first night, Dave performed a beautiful encore of "Stay or Leave," an emotional acoustic ballad of lost love. This was a perfect song to conclude a steamy summer night at Lakeside.

While the tunes were wonderful, I must say that there were a number of major problems with this festival. Large bricks and rocks were scattered all over the travel paths that mutilated the feet of unwary walkers. Many of the bricks were hidden under sparse piles of wood chips, causing toes to be stubbed and beverages to free fall. Lack of directional signs in the parking areas also caused traffic jams that lasted for more than three hours. I was able to exit Lakeside by 10:15 p.m., but I didn't leave the parking area until 12:45 a.m.

The truth about Lakeside venue is that it leaves a lot to be desired. Major improvements need to be made involving transportation, properly cleaning and maintaining the grounds, a more helpful staff, and functional signage along with the overall ambience of the place. A cleanup of the neighborhood could be in order as well. However, the quality of the music and the vibe that I experienced at Lakeside was unparalleled by any festival I've experienced to date. If The DMB Caravan becomes a staple of the Windy City music festivals, you can bet that I'll be there.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Amos Lee
Amos Lee
Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
DMB
DMB
Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers
Amos Lee
Amos Lee
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Amos Lee
Amos Lee
Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
DMB
DMB
DMB
DMB
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers
DMB
DMB
Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Amos Lee
Amos Lee

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