Dispatch Album: “Under the Radar”

Back when i first heard dispatch, I was hooked. My friend played the song The General for me, and i was an instant fan. This underground band sells out every venue they play, venues like the Irving Plaza... and there is a reason why. Unlike the cookie cutter teen pop bands of the day, they pur their heart and soul into every performance, they rock, and you can feel it in the crowds energy. Nobody sits, everybody sings, and it leavs you with a "high" for months afterwords. For those of you who have never seen them, this DVD brings you into their world. While you don't get the vibe and energy of a live show, it is still great fun. A ton of work, effort and love went into making this... this DVD was truely made for the fans. A great Buy, from a GREAT band.

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The DVD is worth the money alone. "Patchwork" only makes this unquestionably worth the money. The version of "Passerby" on this DVD is amazing, as are many of the other alternative live versions of songs on the "Gut the Van" album. The bonus material is great....I didn't even watch it for four months after I owned the DVD, being that the compilation of live performances on the general bulk fo the DVD kept me happy for the time until I watched the extra features on "All Points Bulletin," which piqued my interest in what could be on the bonus features here.

The cd contians live audio footage of a few of the songs from the DVD, along with remixes of "The General" and "Bang Bang" that are pretty good....they're filler, but not bad. The DVD contains some superb versions of songs, the best being, "Passerby," "Time Served" and a chilling just-after-9/11 (performed in NYC, no less) version of "The General" that, well, it captures the sentiment of the time, I'll say. The live version of "Mayday" rivals the version on "APB," with Braddigan kicking into a "Shine On" (Pink Floyd/David Gilmour)-like guitar solo in the middle of the song.

Overall, a great concert DVD with some really good camera work, that was carried through in the "All Points Bulletin" DVD/CD set, which is the only piece of work that really rivals this one, but the thing is, there shoudln't be cometition between them. You should have both!

...I got this DVD because I had never seen Dispatch concert footage. I had only listened to 'Bang, Bang' and 'Silent Steeples'. So, when I saw this DVD I was surprised to see that the three members move around the instruments a lot. The concert footage is awesome. Some great guitar solos I must say. This DVD also helps you learn about the background of the band. It explains their touring history, and their views on Napster. I love it. The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is due to me not being familiar with a lot of the songs. I guess I just have to get used to it. The CD is good as well. A bunch of great tunes.

Dispatch, formerly One Fell Swoop, are an amazing trio of musicians who bring the FUNK to the stage. I've had the pleasure of seeing them numerous times in Boston and the New England area, and during the hiatus of Phish, Dispatch has filled a void with surprising funk and finesse! I haven't yet seen this DVD, but have been following the setbacks of it's release for the past six months, and am stoked to pick it up tomorrow, as no doubt, it will be bomb! Show this downhome, funky, good-time lovin' band some love, and spend the 20 bucks on this DVD! You will be rewarded in the viewing! PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST!