Don’t Be So Quick to Dismiss Dave Matthews

Legitimate criticism requires at the least an open mind and sufficient knowledge to place that performer and that performance in a critical context. Both were sorely lacking in Sandy Masuo’s review of the Dave Matthews Band concert at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre (“Dave Matthews Gets in a Crowd-Pleasing Jam,” July 12).

The DMB’s massive success is not the least bit inexplicable to millions of people around the world. Matthews offers heartfelt, intelligent (if occasionally somewhat obscure) lyrical content; a musical amalgam of virtually every quintessentially “American” genre (folk, blues, country, R&B;, gospel, jazz, bluegrass, rockabilly, rock ‘n’ roll, you name it), with some world music elements thrown in as a result of his South African upbringing; stellar musicianship (particularly in the rhythm section, which not surprisingly went unmentioned in Masuo’s review); and catchy songs with strong choruses and muscular rhythmic underpinnings (some of us would even say Matthews’ songs are built atop some pretty snappy grooves).

Perhaps this is inexplicable to Masuo, whose tastes run to the three-chord grunge/metal/hip-hop/rap brigade. But to those of us who really do crave some musicianship and soul in our music, the DMB is an oasis in the midst of a sonic Sahara.

Next time, please send someone a bit more musically mature and informed, who has an open mind for the artist in question, whether it be DMB or someone else.

BILL WOLFE

Shafter, Calif.

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Perhaps Masuo would be better served reevaluating what it is she thinks rock music should be. I’ll take the opinions of those 12,000 raucous souls who enjoyed a three-hour improvisational masterpiece that is too seldom heard in today’s four-minuteradio-cut music society.

CARLO MEDINA

Westwood