Dave Matthews Band And The History Behind ‘Labor Dave Weekend’
The Gorge is a magical place. Nick was lucky enough to visit there for the first time last year. It’s a natural amphitheater, located in the Columbia River Valley, about 2 1/2 hours east of Seattle in Washington State. It’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere. The closest town is called George, and its population is 809. So why do tens of thousands of people flock to the concert venue there? Every year, there are several shows throughout the summer, and every year, at the end of the summer season, that pilgrimage is made by diehard fans of the Dave Matthews Band.
At The Gorge, Labor Day Weekend is now affectionately known as “Labor DAVE Weekend”. And the reason why, of course, is because the Dave Matthews Band has taken up a residency at The Gorge Amphitheater for three days and nights of peace, love, and music.
Recently, Nick McIlwain had a conversation with one of the founders of “Dave Matthews Band Gorge Crew”, Nathaniel Shoshan, and discussed why The Gorge is so incredible, its history, what it’s like to be there for Labor Day weekend, and why it’s become so magical and so transformative for so many people. Nathaniel started going there in 2008 and hasn’t missed a year since, except for 2020 when there was no festival. On top of that, DMBGC has become the go-to fan site. Their Instagram posts are very reflective of what it’s like to be a DMB fan, and the crew helps build that sense of community. And they are lightning fast, especially when the band is touring!
In this conversation, Nick and Nate talk about chasing songs that they may or may not have seen live, want to see live again, and why it’s so cool to see bands that change up their setlists every night. They also discuss the occasional bout of concert fatigue, when maybe, just maybe, you get a LITTLE tired of seeing your favorite band over and over.
Some cool photos from Labor Day Weekend 2022:
Nick McIlwain has a conversation with Nate Shoshan of the Dave Matthews Band Gorge Crew aka DMBGC:
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