It’s not often that an event pans out exactly as you hope it will.   My Dispatch-Berkeley-Concert weekend with my sister had big shoes to fill (“On Sisters and Pineapple”).  It turned out to be Everything. I. Wanted. And. More.

We settled in to a dusky Berkeley evening, beer in hand, and as the show started, I did my mental concert checklist: free-spirited dancing guy who I could watch during the show?  Check.  People at least as old as me, or older?  Double Check.  Hip parents with two kids about my kids’ ages?  Check.  (LOVE that!!)

The band members stage diving, a’la Grunge, circa 1992?  Not so sure about that, but it was funny.

I knew Dispatch would put on a great live show.  In 2007, they were the first independent band to sell out Madison Square Garden….not one night, but three in a row.  All those fans can’t be wrong.   As cheesy as it sounds, my heart soared when they hit the opening notes of the first song.

I’ve always wanted to build a concert playlist, and I just might have built this one.  I heard nearly every song I wanted, and “The General” (my kids’ favorite sing-along song) got all the slackers on their feet.  I usually hate new material during concerts, but I tolerated some (left me scratching my head as to whether this was a one-time reunion tour, or whether they are back together).    Two encores later, we were released into the night with “Out Loud”, the final song and my daughter’s favorite (“You Know I Would”).   I gave a silent shout-out to my girl, sleeping soundly 1,000 miles away amidst a mountain of stuffed animals.

You can keep your huge, overblown concerts with special effects that rival a SuperBowl halftime show.   I don’t want to watch through binoculars or see the lead singer up on a huge screen.  I want music that I can feel in my gut, played by guys who seem to be having as good a time as the crowd.

Make it happen under a beautiful sky with someone I love, and really, that’s all I need.  Not such a tall order after all.