30 May 2007 at the Wembley Arena!

For the past many weeks, I’ve been trying almost every other day to check if the timetable for the final exams has been released. Right now, I know only vaguely that they are slated for sometime in May through to June. That hardly provides any certainty. And now I learn that the information won’t be issued for another two weeks. Damn. I really, really, really need to know – right now, right away – when my papers are scheduled.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m certainly no geek or nerd. For the Singaporean readers of this blog, it means that I’m definitely not a chao mugger! So, why am I so anxious?

Because Dave Matthews is performing in London! Imagine that! And for one night only on 30 May at the Wembley Arena! Wah lau!

The cooler ones out there will know right away who Dave Matthews and the Dave Matthews Band are, for the Grammy-award winning group is surely one of the top pop acts to have emerged in the past decade, although they began performing much earlier in the 1990s in Charlottesville, Virginia. And since then, they've rocketed to the top, capturing a huge and devoted following, but one – alas – that seems pretty limited to the United States.

And of course it was during my time there that I was introduced to his amazing music – to most sensational songs such as Grey Street, Where Are You Going, The Space Between, Satellite, and more. It’s may not be useful to describe in words what his music sounds like – edgy, jazzy, underlined by his deep, distinctive voice. The band employs a wide range of instruments as well, including the violin, the saxophone, and the flute, going beyond most pop groups. It makes for a very good formula. And so it’s best to listen to it yourself, and be instantly captivated, as I was. Here are links to a few good clips on YouTube – a live performance of Grey Street, the music video for Crash Into Me, and an acoustic version of Crush.

I would also admit a particular liking for pop acts whose repertoire includes long tracks – longer than the standard three or four minute lollipops out there. Because it isn’t every group out there which can pull off a lengthy performance. And so Dave Matthews and his band have earned my respect in this regard, in being able to sustain a song for eight minutes, in a song like Crush, or even one that lasts a full ten minutes – the monumental Bartender. And check out this awesome and powerful live performance of Bob Dylan's All Along The Watchtower. Simply heart-thumping.

And so, back to the exams. I’ve been level headed enough thus far to have refrained from placing an order for the concert tickets. What I dread is the prospect of having a paper scheduled for the day right after the concert, when I might be high on life and low on sensibility, not to mention hearing. It would definitely mean me giving up on this amazing opportunity.

But the full timetable should be published soon. And I’ll be sure to pounce on it right away. Will studies come first? Or will I get to go to the concert? I’ve already found someone from class who’s also keen to go. I’m sure there will be others, too. So let there be no clash, please, please, please…