Dave Matthews Band "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King"

On episode 18 of Past Prime, Steve and Matty confront their demons which, as it turns out, do not look like Jam Bands. Nor do they resemble hacky sackers or fratty teens drinking Zimas and smoking joints in the parking lot. No, Matty and Steve come face to face with the most insidious of fiends -- their own biases. The problem apparently was not with Dave. The problem was with our co-hosts and their pretensions. So, after decades rolling their eyes, making snarky asides and generally avoiding the subject, they immerse themselves in "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King," the seventh studio album from the Dave Matthews Band, released in 2009.

Following the death of saxophonist LeRoi Moore, DMB made a sprawling, celebratory album for their legions of fraternity and sorority alums. In middle age, Dave, Carter and the band were among the biggest rock bands in the world and in full control of the "GrooGrux" -- a nickname for their musical "flow" or "juju." As with their previous albums, there are a couple tender ballads, some B- middle school poetry, and the unlikely combination of lite, worldly Jazz and athletic Funk. There are still songs with numbers for titles, lots of sex talk and several of references to monkeys doing things. But, in the end, Matty and Steve have to admit the thing they tens of millions of fans already knew: Dave Matthews Band aren't so bad. In fact, they're pretty impressive. Spoiler alert: Matty even loved one of the songs on this one. Not liked. Loved.

To read more about Dave Matthews Band's "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King," check out the full essay at Past Prime.