All too often, pop culture deaths have a more profound effect than they should.  However, I was surprised when in January, I was more affected by the death of Heath Ledger than I expected to be.  I guess I felt as though Ledger was part of my “generation.”  Fast forward to today, and I’m really quite upset to see that Leroi Moore, saxophonist for the Dave Matthews Band, has passed away. It appears that there were complications from an ATV accident in June. He was 46.

Leroi Moore, 1961-2008

This is a great loss for music in general, and while it might not be on par with the passing of Jerry Garcia or Kurt Cobain, I really think the Dave Matthews Band has an enormous following, and like The Grateful Dead, operate as a unit that will certainly be worse off without Moore’s unique style.  Not only was Moore the saxophonist for DMB, he also played a large role, we’re told, in helping Dave arrange his many songs.

In July of 1997,  I was fortunate enough to get to see Phish in Virginia Beach for their US tour opener.  We were so excited, not only because it was the tour opener, not only because they would end up opening the tour with 4 new-to-the-US songs, but also because it had rained torrentially and right before the show, and while we were all drenched, a fantastic rainbow enveloped us and everybody had to simply relax and enjoy the seemingly cosmic event.

Imagine our surprise when, not long into the second set, Mr Leroi Moore joined Phish on stage for solid renditions of Theme From the Bottom and Funky Bitch.

Leroi Moor will be missed, but I suspect his legacy will live on for some time via the Dave Matthews Band.

My grandfather, Ed Carton, passed away on Friday. I am posting a short bit that I read at his funeral. I’m posting this for posterity. More within…