Last night the most disturbing text message rang through on my phone from a friend. Leroi Moore, a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band, died yesterday due to complications from an ATV accident in June. He was 46. He was also a fine musician, and I had the pleasure of hearing him play many, many times over the years with one of my favorite live bands of all time.
Moore was extremely passionate in his playing but still managed to possess a child-like quality in his live work that endeared his audience to him. With his music he celebrated the naivety we are sometimes ashamed of in a world where sophistication is the mark of credibility.
I'm not the only one who feels this way. Matt, of WMAT, made comment this morning of the little additions to Moore's solos that reminded him of child-hood and, consequently, of good days long gone. I recall dragging Matt to his first DMB show many years ago in Virginia Beach. This was a particularly amazing show with an appearance of "Say Goodbye." At the time, this song was a rarity at shows and somewhat of a treat to hear. The band delivered the song with the raw passsion and technical perfection they are known so well for in live performance.
I don't know what this means for the Dave Matthews Band in terms of their future as a band, but I know that a light in the band has been extinguished. As I spend today celebrating my memories with the band and, especially, my favorite Leroi moments, I will mourn the loss of a good man and great musician.
Goodbye, Leroi Moore, I'm gonna miss you.
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1 comment:
i love leroi. he was vibrant, energetic, enigmatic, and a class act. i seriously had tears for someone who has touched my life in a unique way. i didnt even need to know him to catch the vibes of his furious talent :(
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