Dispatch has earned the distinction of being the only unsigned act to headline Madison Square Garden. And they not only headlined the world’s most famous arena this weekend, they sold out three nights at MSG. Since we know nothing about them except The General, we asked our friend Matty Mac to do the honors.
Whenever anyone asks me “Who’s your favorite band?,” I always say “I don’t have a favorite per se, as my tastes are constantly changing with the wind.” But I realized this past weekend that my response is total bullshit.
I definitely have a favorite band, and they go by the name of Dispatch. If you have never heard of them before, well, I am not surprised. Born of out the dorms of Middlebury College in Vermont, Brad Corrigan, Pete Heimbold and Chad Urmston show a versatility and musical ability like no other band I have seen or experienced. Though the band has “officially” broken up, to this day they have a loyal following that could rival Phish, if only comprised of a younger demographic.
My roots in this band go back a long way. During the first few weeks of my freshman year of college, my roommate had a tape of a band called “One Fell Swoop” that he insisted on me listening to. During this time, I had only really listened to hip hop and thought that this “hippie, tree-hugging shit” was exactly that: shit. But after my first listen all the way through (the album happened to be “Silent Steeples”), I was a changed man. I listened to that tape so much that it pretty much melted in the tape deck. I was in love. Like, “let’s get married” love, but in a completely heterosexual way.
Read on for more of Matty Mac’s full review of Dispatch at MSG…
