When I went to see this movie tonight I really did not know what to expect. I didn’t get my hopes up for it in fact I went in thinking this is going to not be that great. The film features three bands. It opens with Gogol Bordello. Bordello’s performance was amazing. The song selection was perfect and the 3D really made you feel like you were a part of the audience. The theater I go to has an exceptional sound system so it was a real treat to listen to. The movie showed a lot of crowd scenes which only added to the effect of being at a concert. My only complaint is that they only showed two songs from Bordello.

The second performance was from Ben Harper and Relentless 7. I am a bit confused why they picked the songs they did. Two of the songs Ben Harper was just sitting on a chair playing a slide guitar, which is not the most exciting thing to watch. All though Jordan Richardson made up for it with a kick ass drum solo at the end of one of their songs. Something that amazed me during their performance was looking at the lights on stage. They were really bright and it was just like looking into a flashlight, it made me squint. For some reason the Relentless 7 part of the movie really hurt my eyes, I got some sharp pains in them a few times and had to take the 3D glasses off at a few points.

Finally the main event. It is dark out and Dave Matthews Band steps on stage. The crowd goes wild and the band starts to play. They play mostly songs from the album Big Whiskey and GrooGrux King. Sadly though this is where the movie lost its heart. Just about the entire time Dave Matthews Band is playing the film shows the crowd maybe 10 times. I really fell out of the concert experience by just seeing closeups of all the band members. I guess that is going to be great for a DMB fan, but it wasn’t great for me. Also the 3D effect really loses all steam here since its nighttime you no longer get the depth that you get from Bordello and Relentless 7.

The entire time sitting in the movie theater I just couldn’t help but notice the movie was missing one big thing. Atmosphere. They almost get it right with the Gogol Bordello performance but you still feel like something is missing. I guess a concert just isn’t a concert without the crowd around you, and the constant smell of some strange herb burning in the air. But mostly I felt it hard to get into the music seated in a quiet movie theater. A little shake of my foot or the the moving of my leg up and down was about all I could do without surely being thrown out or told to sit down.

If you are a Dave Matthews Band Fan then go and see this. There is no doubt in my mind that you will love the performance,  love seeing the band up close and personal, and love the exceptional sound the movie theater produces. If you are someone that is looking for a 3D experience than this movie is not for you. The 3D experience starts off as “okay” and only goes downhill from there. The best 3D thing in the film were the crowd shots which unfortunately the movie seriously lacked.

Movie: 2/5
3D Experience: 1/5