I can’t say I am truly from anywhere. My childhood can best be described as my family being blown wily nilly all over the globe for over 20 years. I CAN say that I went to college in Virginia. So. In my heart of hearts, I am a Virginia Girl. The Old Dominion can boast of many many things such as the Cardinal being the state bird or milk being the official state drink. Personally I think the state drink should have been whiskey since it is the main ingredient in a Lynchburg Lemonade. But I digress. Virginia is the birthplace of not only 7 presidents, but our nation as well. Yes, Virginia is an amazing state with all sorts of amazing qualities. However, when I think of Virginia I think of the Dave Matthew’s Band.



I can remember exactly where and when I first heard their music. I was working a rather uneventful bartending shift when a song caught my attention. I asked a coworker who was singing and she laughed in my face and said “DMB stupid”. I filed that information away, but for the rest of the evening I made sure to take my time making her drinks. No one gets away with calling me stupid. The next day I went out and bought the Crash CD and spent hours and hours listening to it over and over and over. I drove my roommates insane. Since they were already crazy, insane wasn’t a remote distance. I got a reputation for being a DMB junkie and my regulars would play DMB on the jukebox whenever they saw I was cranky. Needless to say.. Dave Matthews was played quite a lot.



I won’t play myself by retelling all sorts of stalkerish Dave stories or put on Front Street why DMB concerts had to be some of the happiest, laid back concerts I have ever been to. You can read between the lines on why people were happy and laid back.


To this day, I love the Dave Matthew’s Band as I love my next breath. Their music touches me in ways few things do. Today I was feeling sorry for myself because I am in exile in Texas. I am missing my friends, family, and my dog. In the middle of this Miss Havishamlike pity party I’ve been throwing myself, the song The Best of What’s Around came on. I think there are times when divine intervention is undeniable. The main lyric is “whatever tears at her, whatever holds her down, if nothing can be done she’ll make the best of what’s around”. This song has always been my theme song during tough times. When I hear it, I know I can do anything I put my mind to and while I am working it out, things aren’t so bad. So. I am resolving my situation but for now I am going to make the best of what’s around.



I have generously provided a link to a live performance of the song. It is worth watching.



ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNmbnIQDaPQ


Side note: The person who this is directed towards will understand. “You and me have a better time than most can dream, we have it better than the best, so we can pull on through whatever tears at us whatever holds us down, if nothing can be done we’ll make the best of what’s around” I’m coming home.

RIP LeRoi Moore. You are greatly missed.