Collegiate Times

Dave Matthews performed last night in Lane Stadium for the Virginia Tech community.

The Virginia-based band played the gamut of its career recordings including "Dream Girl," "Crash," a collaboration with John Mayer on "#41," and a meshed "So Much to Say," with "Too Much."

Though Matthews and the others did not receive any monetary compensation for the concert, they seemed to have received an even greater reward.

"Thanks for having us," Matthews said, "It's been a great night for us, we will remember it for all time."

"We always feel united here in Lane," said Patrick Curboy, a marketing management major. "Some nights more than others though. After a tough football game, a great concert really felt good. The atmosphere was great."

Matthews, Boyd Tinsley, violinist, and Carter Beauford, drums, were all smiles on stage and seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves up there, happy to be among the Hokies, and entertaining the crowd with their upbeat and jamming tunes.

Perhaps the most poignant and touching moment of the night was when Dave and crew covered Bob Marley's, "Everything is Going to be Alright," which had the crowd's hands clapping and voices in unison during the chorus. The cover warped into "Stay," which ended the regular portion of the concert, and the double screens opposite the stage showed a ribbon with a VT in honor of the victims.

"Have a great year," Matthews said to the crowd, "I hope it's the best year you guys have."

The band returned after a short break to perform an encore of "Ants Marching," to which Tinsley burnt up the strings, Beauford beat up the drums, and Dave strained his voice a little harder to liven up the crowd for their last song of the night. The band waved goodbye and stood in front of the crowd arm-in-arm, united to a warm and thankful round of applause from the fans.

"We are so lucky," said Georgene Clements, a freshman. "I don't even know what to say; it was an amazing way to start my college career." Clements said the events of 4/16, and the rally of the students in the weeks after, "Only made me want to come here even more."

The crowd, bedecked in orange and maroon, boasted smiles a mile-wide and hummed happy tunes recently played during the procession out.

The memory of April 16 may linger for Tech students, but as the students and fans dispersed, sorrow and grief were at least temporarily forgotten.

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