Dave Mattews Band 2005 Summer Tour

Just got back from the first of two show here in Pittsburgh. Why am I back so late (4:30) you ask? Holy cow, getting in and out of Starlake Ampitheater is insane. You have no idea how easy you have it at CWMP!! I used to think that Selma's theater was awful to get in and out of . . . hahahaha . . . combine that with the fact that I was about 3 miles short of running out of gas (I had to drive to West Virginia to find a gas station that was open!!!), and here it is 4:30 . . .

So anyways, onto the show. My seats weren't that great -- I didn't order Warehouse tickets this year because I didn't know where I'd be and what my schedule would be. Anyhow, I had to work HARD to get two tickets for tonight, but my perseverance paid off and we were on the far right of the theater. On this place -- the lawn kicks ass. We watched Jurassic 5 from the lawn and it's a heck of a lawn. I don't know how you define a great lawn, I just really liked it. Our seats sucked, flat out. But I met a bunch of people around us and we had a great time.

Opened with #41 -- this was a shocker! That's not a typical opener at all. It was pretty good and had the Everyday outro -- but Dave didn't sing the outro at all, it was entirely the crowd. That was really awesome -- the folks up here seem to really know their DMB!

Granny was next. Always a great song, a lot of fun, foreshadowed a great show. American Baby next. Of the new songs they played, I hate to say it, but this was perhaps the worst. I hate to say that because it's one of my favorites on the new album. It was good, just not great. Didn't really grab the crowd either. But I still liked it.

Rhyme and Reason -- pretty solid, got the crowd going. Not the best I've seen, but very good. Next new song: Out of My Hands. This is the debut of this song -- first live performance. I loved it. I met a guy at the end of the show who'd been to 68 shows and this was his favorite new song. The crowd didn't really get it, but it was a nice, mellow song to just sort of chill to. In truth, after hearing it live, I think it would be best lived as an intro to something else -- like sort of an Out of My Hands -> ???? thing. Everyday was next. That might have been the highlight of the show. The band really nailed it, and the crowd got really into the #36 thing at the end. I had a lot of fun seeing this one again. Dreamgirl next. I don't know why the crowd didn't get up for this one more. I guess just because it's new. But it was really very good. Leroi really killed on this one.

The new song higlight of the night came next, in You Might Die Trying. I liked the song a lot, but live, this is as strong as it gets. The crowd didn't start out too into it, but by the end, everyone was having a lot of fun. It's way too early to say, but I think this might become the next great jamming song for DMB. They really jammed all of the new songs, but this one was especially GREAT. I think that in 3 years from now, this will be a concert classic up there with Rhyme and Reason or Stone. It's not quite a Two Step or #41, but it's going to make it close to that status.

Lie in Our Graves -- Boyd just went CRAZY on this one. He was flat out awesome. He's always great, but he really took it up a notch here. Everyone else was good, but I wasn't completely blown away overall. It just wasn't as good as some others I've seen. Louisiana Bayou -- another GREAT live song. This one will be played an awful lot.

Crash -- pretty standard fare. Nothing remarkable here. Stand Up -- this is another one of those potential classics. WOW they really hit a home run here. The crowd got the most into this one of any of the new songs. It was a lot of fun.

Where Are You Going? Good song, good performance, but nothing spectacular. Hunger for the Great Light was next. I didn't care a huge amount for this song, but it was awesome live. I really enjoyed it a lot and will have to reevaluate my thought that it was below average for DMB. Watchtower closed the set and it was great. The band really killed on this one. Nice way to close it, and they kicked ass. Stefan was especially great. Boyd was great too.

After the Encore, first song was Steady as We Go. I thought "oh damn, this will suck", but it was a lot of fun. Very, very good. Crowd liked it too. Second song was Warehouse. A bit short, but the band went out on a very positive note.

I think 2005 is going to be a tour up that just might be there with 98 and 2000 as one of the very best tours ever. This show was a bit above average for the shows I've been to, but it was still great. The new songs will translate even better in a couple of weeks, but right now they really add a neat dimension. All in all, I can't complain if tomorrow night is like tonight -- it was very, very good. I really hope they bring back Joy Ride, Crazy Easy, and Sugar Will this year. I really wanted to hear Joy Ride, but there's still one more night. I'll post a bit more tomorrow when I'm not so tired.

 

I saw the cover and read part of the article -- when I get a chance, I'll buy it. What I saw of the article was pretty good.

You're in for a huge treat in Selma and in Houston. By then, they will have played these new songs a lot, and the setlists will probably be pretty diverse.

Just got back from tonight . . . W O W . . . Probably the 2nd best show I've ever seen. Musically, it was as good as anything I've been to, but I didn't have as much fun as I've had in some other concerts because there was too much distraction. I'm getting really tired of people not showing up on time, then having to disturb two dozen people while they look for their seat in the dark. And then the people who just decide to take whatever is open, but then leave after like 2 songs. Why can't people get there on time, stay in their locations, and just enjoy the music. I dunno, it was just frustrating is all. There was so much activity going on around me that it got distracting and I didn't get to focus on the band as much as I would've liked.

My seat tonight was incredible. I was not as close as I've been before, but I had a GREAT view of the stage, and it was mostly unobstructed by people in front of me, so I really got to take it all in. I got to see all the new lighting stuff this year, and it's really awesome. The firedancer in the background is awesome, but it's not on all the time. I don't really know why, but when it is on, it adds just a little bit to the overall enjoyment of the song.

The opener tonight was Robert Randolph and the Family Band. I saw them two years ago at Austin City Limits Festival and on TV and DVD several times. Each time is a renewed pleasure -- if you ever have the opportunity to check these guys out, you MUST go see them. You aren't going to see a concert, you're going to have an experience. They put on a live performance on par with anyone in the business -- DMB, Phish, Widespread Panic, etc. The highlight of their set was a cover of "Billy Jean" and two folks from the audience sang the chorus. It was awesome!!

One Sweet World - It was pretty good -- nothing spectacular, not a long intro or anything, but it was a nice fun song to get started. The crowd loved it.

Rapunzel - VERY, VERY good. You could tell early on that this show was really going to be special. Dave really had a lot of energy tonight.

Dream Girl - one of four repeats from last night. The crowd loves the "Yeaaaaaaaaaah" thing the whole band does at the beginning (like on the CD). About 80% of the crowd was into it -- not a whole lot of singing along, but most folks seemed into it.

Grey Street - Dave got the 12-string and I was REALLY hoping for Bartender, but it turned out to be Grey Street next -- the crowd got really into this one, and it was a WHOLE LOT OF FUN. The band really tore into it and everyone looked really good.

Smooth Rider - I really, really enjoyed this song live. The crowd responded pretty well to it, and the band really extended it and made it a lot of fun. By the end of the tour, I think this one will be a crowd favorite. It was definitely a favorite tonight, in a huge group of LOTS of favorites.

Too Much - crowd got really into it, and it was great, but this was nothing compared to what came next . . .

Louisiana Bayou -
THE highlight of both evenings -- Louisiana Bayou. This song will be a staple for years to come. The band brought Robert Randolph out to play and this may be the definitive version of this song for a while to come. Everyone was on fire for this one. Dave got going early, then Robert Randolph just went crazy. The crowd just loved it as he hit this one out of the park. He added a whole new dimension to the song, and it was easily the most slammin' song of the night -- everyone was pumped, Boyd got into the act and did the face off thing with him, it was just flat out awesome. That's going to be a performance I'll never forget.

Lover Lay Down - Everyone responded well, and it was nice to hear something that's been sort of rare in recent years. I think it's "back" for the year, b/c it's been played 2/4 shows.

Hello Again - great -- probably the best I've seen. Carter's drum solo in the middle was awesome, and Dave ran across the stage pumping his fist. Carter even did a little Halloween tease during it. The whole band went to town on this one, and it really stood out.

Jimi Thing - remarkable. Not the best I've seen, but close. They broke it down to a great jam at the end, and Butch Taylor stood out. Dave did a neat new scat in the middle that was a lot of fun to watch -- he was basically just making the noises of all the instruments in the band and pretending to play them. At the end of the song, they didn't do the "Stop, What's that Sound?" thing, but the crowd did, and it will be clearly audible on the recordings. For the most part, the folks up here really know DMB.

Die Trying - not as good as yesterdays, and in truth, I think I might have been wrong about it being one of the next BIG songs. Today was good, but nothing special, especially compared to the rest of the show.

So Much To Say - really got the crowd going again, and the band did a great job.

Stand Up - Stand Up really translates well Live, and the crowd responded more to this song than anything else new (other than Louisiana Bayou).

Two Step - Highlight of Pittsburgh #2. Right after Stand Up, somehow, the crowd all started chanting for Two Step. The entire stadium was yelling "Two Step" in unison. And what do you know, they played it!! Probably the best I've ever seen in person. Butch was just incredible. Boyd and Stefan got a little jam going and this song had a completely different middle than usual. Carter got going on the drums and really kicked ass. Towards the end, Dave sang something new, but I have no idea what it was. It was a great way to end the set.

Encore: While we were waiting for the encore, a spontanious "Here we go Steelers, Here we go!" chant got going. It was a lot of fun.

Old Dirt Hill - WOW. This was awesome. This song is going to be a fan favorite for a long time. Butch and Carter do backup vocals, and it becomes one of the most fun songs they play. Dave just kicks ass, and Leroi came through huge towards the end.

Ants Marching -- This is how you end two great nights of music. The crowd went completely nuts. The light show was incredible, and the band really finished strong.


I really hope I get to see them again later in the year. I'm sad that I won't be able to wake up tomorrow all excited to see them again -- it's been a really fun two days. The band is back, and dare I say, better than ever. Maybe not at that level yet, but they have kicked it up a notch. Louisiana Bayou is THE HIT of the new album so far, I think, followed by Stand Up and Hello Again. If they can play Die Trying like they did last night, it'd be at the top with Louisiana Bayou -- hopefully it will mature and get even better as the tour goes on.

Anyhow, is anyone else going to see the band this summer? If you have the opportunity, now is definitely a good time to check them out -- you won't be disappointed.