Took yesterday of Alt Rock Autumn off because I had a game and then ended up going home for the long holiday weekend, but we’re back today with my favorite series that I’ve done since the blog was born.
Today was an odd yet relaxing day for myself. I woke up at like eleven and pretty much played Madden all day. The weather was gloomy, didn’t really give me positive autumn vibes so I shuffled my Alt Rock Autumn playlist and the third song that came on was way out of left field, but I loved it.
In my playlist I have a plethora of bands from every subsection of Alt Rock. Punk rock, grunge, and even some bands that fall into multiple categories like blues rock and roots rock. Today we get one of those hybrids that falls into both of those categories.
My favorite Dave Matthews Band song of all time has to be Why I Am from their 2009 album, Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King.
Why I Am is the fifth song from the album, stuck right between Lying in the Hands of God and Dive In.
When Why I Am debuted, it did very well on the U.S. charts. It hit number two on the U.S. Adult Alternative chart and thirty four on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. The songs massive success led for them to hit the late night circuit.
Dave Matthews Band performed Why I Am on Letterman, Conan O’Brien, the Today Show, Jimmy Fallon, Austin City Films, and Ellen.
While Why I Am has a very upbeat sound from its guitar and drums with quick tempo from the trumpet, saxophone, and fiddle, it has a sadder meaning. It’s a tribute to the bands former saxophonist, LeRoi Moore who passed away in 2008 due to complications from an ATV accident.
It’s a song remembering the life of Moore while simultaneously sending the message of how fragile life is and that you need to live everyday like it’s your last.
A cool feature of the song is that it was written before Moores death and has some of his playing on it. It was after his passing that the band decided to make it a tribute to the late musician.
My personal favorite part of the song is that about two and a half minutes in, there is a sweet fifteen second guitar riff that just pulls the whole song together.
If you’ve read my past Alt Rock Autumn articles you know that I like to relate the song that I’ve chosen back to autumn and the only way in which I can relate this to autumn is that it’s the best time of the year and you need to get to living.
The weather is awesome and every day you waste in this awesome season, is just another day of autumn you’ll never get back. Hang out with your friends or family, watch some football, or just enjoy the awesome weather. Get living.