The Band Hipsters Love to Hate

Want to make a hipster snarl? Just utter this innocuous sentence — “Wanna go see Dave Matthews Band?” — and watch the fun begin. The mere suggestion of attending such a patchwork and patchouli-laced event will make your skinny-jeans-wearing, electronic-music-loving friends recoil in horror. Few bands are as polarizing, as ridiculed, and still as insanely popular as DMB. Whether you love the group’s songs for being earnest and melodic, or you despise them for being corny, annoying, and way too long-winded, the fact remains that Dave Matthews Band is one of the most successful live acts touring today. Despite a distinct lack of radio success, they stand strong among the RIAA’s top 100 highest-selling music acts of all time. And that’s entirely because DMB concerts are fun as hell.

You don’t go to a DMB show to be seen, to look cool, or to flash the latest designer gear. The dress code is casual to a fault, the dancing can best be described as adorably uncoordinated, and a quick survey of the audience reveals a distinct lack of melanin and a preponderance of frat boys. But a friendly audience, a steadily overhanging cloud of fragrant smoke, and the sweet crooning of the South African-born lead singer should soon reassure you that the trip to the Cruzan Amphitheatre (601 Sansbury’s Way, West Palm Beach) was worth it. Before long, you too will be dancing like nobody’s watching. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; the show begins at 7. Tickets cost $32 and $67. Call 561-795-8883, or visit www.ticketmaster.com.
Fri., July 11, 7 p.m., 2008