David Matthews Band: Opens the bottle for a good time

Dave Matthews Band show with friends as a wine party, most of the songs are warm, familiar flavors. Many fans have had them before, but never, ever mind another glass, as they good times remind.
Every so often, though, Dave will pull out a somewhat rare, great bottle from the cellar something like the song “#41″, which served as the centerpiece of Friday’s show at Cruzan Amphitheatre.
And the audience savored “#41″ understanding that for a little while, that glass, and all of the wine, is going to be put away for a while when Matthews and his band take a sabbatical from the road in 2011.
For the song, on stage DMB was joined by Warren Haynes, estimable guitarist from the show’s support act, Gov’t Mule. Haynes gave “#41″ a bluesy gravity as it stretched past 10 minutes, as it usually does.Otherwise, the pair settled into a comfortable pattern for the show although the set started with “Minarets”, a winding song which stretches all the way back to DMB’s 1993 debut EP, Remember Two Things. It was populated with well known songs like “Don’t Drink The Water” and the band’s first big hit, “What Would You Say” at first, settled into a slower, more experimental groove in the middle, then picked up again at the end with “Crash Into Me”, “Why I Am” and “Ants Marching.”
As always, each of the adept musicians performing alongside Matthews had a opportunity to shine from drummer Carter Beauford, who held things together all night; to bassist Stefan Lessard, who actually bounced his way through funkier songs like “Seven” and “Shake Me Like A Monkey”; to violinist Boyd Tinsley, who blazed his way through a solo on the chestnut “Dancing Nancies”; to guitarist Tim Reynolds, whose arpeggios add texture to the familiar; to an estimable horn section, led by trumpeter Rashawn Ross and saxophonist Jeff Coffin.
For the encore, Matthews came on alone and brought out a “bottle” only a few fans may have partaken in the song “Little Red Bird” which was on an EP that came with a particular edition of the band’s most current LP, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. That kind of fun unpredictability is one big reason why Matthews’ fans comeback for one more sip.

Dave Matthews Band Announce in their Live Trax Series The Next Installment

Dave Matthews Band Announce in their Live Trax Series The Next Installment was a top story. Here it is again: Dave Matthews Band have selected their VA Beach concert from 1996 for the 18th volume of the Live Trax series. Here is what they had to say about it:
In the states this concert was the first concert after DMB's tour in Europe. Dave notes how the band is still taking in "this thing that's been going on with us", referring to the success achieved with the release of Crash. Highlights of the 96 show include Too Much, followed by never before released in the Live Trax series, "Deed Is Done" into So Much To Say.
Carter's intro to #36 is also noteworthy. The VA Beach home state concert has long been a summer tradition. We hope you enjoy this fresh release from the archives as much as we do.
Live Trax Volume 18 is available for a particular Pre Order only price until August 27th. We are also offering a couple of bundles. Order the 2-CD set with: - 100% ringspun cotton shirt in light blue featuring a King Neptune design or - Live Trax volumes 10-17

Dave Matthews Band musical let down at Citi Field was commercial success

The Dave Matthews Band helped give mouth to mouth to a gasping concert industry last night. The group headlined the first of two shows at the 40,000-plus Citi Field, playing to a nearly full house. (Tonight's show is sold out).
Together, that makes these gigs one of the few successful stadium runs of this recession whacked season. The only other act to exceed this feat is Bon Jovi, who currently pulled off four packed dates at the New Meadowlands Arena.
Unfortunately, the business aspect of last night's show made a more striking impression than the musical one. The performance, while respectable and fitfully entertaining, seemed a routine affair for DMB, despite the triumphant setting.
Matthews' strengths remain his band's mastery of briskly intricate rhythms and unusual melodic structures. The music they put on display last night wove elements of funk, jazz fusion, rock, Cajun music, country and pop into something that, for better or worse, sounds like no one else.
But their music can also often fall victim to ungainly melodies, homely solos,and clunky beats. While Matthews has gone a long way toward smoothing out those tendencies in the studio, the sound at the gaping Citi Field coarsened things again. In a song like "Seven" Matthews' falsetto sounded particularly squeaky. In "Rapunzel," Boyd Tinsley's violin seemed more screechy than ever.
The night was not without redemptive stretches. In "Lying In the Hands of God," the snaking and busy sax solo from Jeff Coffin had fluid invention, while Carter Beauford's muscular drumming gave it the perfect goosing. Likewise, Matthews found his finer voice in "Stay Or Leave" and in a funked up cover of Daniel Lanois' gorgeous "The Maker."
Too often, though, the show played up the band's ongoing lack of sensuality. Despite all their history, and commercial command, at times they sounded like little more than a first rate bar band that got out of control.

Dave Matthews Band to headline Wrigley Sept. 17-18

The Dave Matthews Band will headline the season’s sole Wrigley Field concerts Sept. 17-18, promoters confirmed Tuesday. Tickets ($49.50, $65, $75, $85) go on sale at 10 a.m. July 17 at www.tickets.com and by calling 1-800-THE-CUBS. Tickets will not be sold at the Wrigley Field box office. There is a six ticket limit per customer.

Matthews, who played two concerts last weekend at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Wisconsin, will become among a handful of bands and artists to headline a concert at the North Side ballpark. Past headliners have included Jimmy Buffett, the Police, Billy Joel and Elton John and Rascal Flatts. Joel and John were to play another Wrigley Field set this week, but the concert fell through months ago when Joel announced he would not tour this year to attend to personal matters.

Dave Matthews Band's blissed-out jams pack 'em at Blossom Music Center

Dave Matthews Band's blissed-out jams pack 'em in for sold-out show at Blossom Music Center.

Announced plans Dave Matthews Band to take a break from touring in 2011, so it came as no surprise to find Blossom Music Center filled to capacity Friday night for a 2½-hour going-away party.
When other acts at a time are struggling to fill seats, nothing still packs ’em in like the promise of blissed out jams (incorporating rock, jazz, funk and other genres) under a full moon on a perfect summer evening.
Fronted by singer guitarist Dave Matthews, a former bartender from South Africa (by way of Virginia), this Grammy winning group got the sold out bash started with “Big Eyed Fish,” a midtempo tune with a touch of bluegrass.
Matthews, 43, told the crowd it was good to be back at Blossom.
“A lot of wood,” he noted, completely at home beneath the pavilion’s soaring rafters.
Fans were glad to have him back, too. They greeted the opening bars of “Shake Me like a Monkey,” “Warehouse,” “Ants Marching” and other songs like old friends. They thoroughly enjoyed Matthews’ crazy hot coals dance during “Corn Bread.” And they laughed knowingly at his inscrutable banter.
“Once upon a time there were three bears,” Matthews said at the start of “Stand Up (For It),” seemingly apropos of nothing.
With eyebrows arched and eyes closed, he cooed and occasionally caterwauled, tilting back his head and opening his mouth wide enough for 19,000 plus concertgoers to admire his dental work.
Slipping a few bars of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” into the middle of an emotional rendition of “Don’t Drink the Water,” Matthews struck a topical chord when he lingered on the line about Gulf Stream waters. The BP oil spill immediately came to mind.
As on previous outings, the band’s core lineup -- Matthews, violinist Boyd Tinsley, bassist Stefan Lessard and drummer Carter Beauford -- was abetted by Matthews’ songwriting partner Tim Reynolds on guitar, Rashawn Ross on trumpet and Jeff Coffin on sax.
Tinsley dignified “Dancing Nancies” with some of the most well received fiddle playing this side of the Charlie Daniels Band, while the spry horn section of Ross and Coffin vamped in unison during an epic version of “#41.”
The latter song stretched over 15 minutes. It started out at a mellow simmer, then boiled over when Coffin cut loose with a scorching sax solo. Matthews nodded approvingly.
It’s not going to be the same around here next summer without a visit from these guys. After years of memorable performances like this one, though, Matthews and friends deserve a hard earned break.
SET LIST:

Big Eyed Fish
Grace Is Gone
Seven
Stay or Leave
Don’t Drink the Water
#41
Stand Up (For It)
Squirm
Eh Hee
Shake Me like a Monkey
You and Me
Dancing Nancies
Warehouse
Can’t Stop
Corn Bread
Ants Marching
ENCORE:
Little Red Bird
So Right
So Damn Lucky

The Dave Matthews Band and Some Final Thoughts

The Dave Matthews Band wound up Bonnaroo for the jam band faithful, still head bobbing and flinging glowsticks after four days.
I miss the old Dave Matthews Band. That was the eccentric five piece lineup of acoustic guitar (Mr. Matthews), violin (Boyd Tinsley), electric bass (Stefan Lessard), drums (Carter Beauford) and saxophone (LeRoi Moore, who died in 2008). With only one chordal instrument, the guitar, that lineup forced itself to come up with inventive ways to do what most rock bands take for granted. And it did, devising nimble, pointillistic arrangements that could lean toward country or acoustic funk, Celtic music or jazz. Mr. Matthews’ songwriting — visions of trouble, battles with inner demons and openly amorous vows of love, full of zigzagging tunes and meter shifts — was inseparable from the sound of the band.
Even before Mr. Moore’s death, the band was adding keyboards and backup singers to its onstage lineup. Now, the touring group includes a saxophone (Jeff Coffin), trumpet (Rashawn Ross) and electric guitar (Tim Reynolds, who also has a long running duo with Mr. Matthews). Two more horn players joined them for some songs at Bonnaroo, to make the sound “a little bit fatter,” Mr. Matthews said. “I hope you don’t mind.”
Actually, I do mind — not the horn players, who did their jobs pretty well, but the fattening. With this lineup, there are standard ways to arrange songs: using lead and rhythm guitar, bass and drums, with a horn section or violin for soul or country flavor. And with those possibilities, clichés arrive: the bass vamp under the wailing lead guitar, the boom chunk beat with the power chord. The band doesn’t always evade them.
Mr. Reynolds often dominates the music, taking solo spots that might have gone to violin or saxophone and filling them with blues rock clichés, bending or trilling every note. After hearing other guitarists at Bonnaroo, like Jeff Beck, or Dean Fertita of the Dead Weather (he’s also in Queens of the Stone Age), or the sidemen in various country bands, Mr. Reynolds sounded like a student player, fast but still learning the finesse of phrasing.
More instruments mean more possibilities, a springboard for Mr. Matthews’s extraordinary voice. Sometimes the fatter band did mesh. The funk of “Shake Me Like a Monkey” was angular and aggressive, and the prog-rock-hoedown-whatever of “Tripping Billies” let Mr. Matthews moan and howl. And it wasn’t a matter of how many instruments were being played; when Danny Barnes on banjo joined the band for three songs, somehow the arrangements made room to let his quicksilver picking gleam through the counterpoint. But to hear the brisk, transparent syncopation of an older song like “Two Step” give way to the wah wah and whammy bar abuse of an electric guitar solo was a letdown. One thing the Dave Matthews Band doesn’t need is the finger exercises known as shredding.
For the festival’s finale, the band played Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” with the horns quoting “Stairway to Heaven” and golden fireworks blooming overhead. It’s the three chord apocalypse for all occasions, except perhaps this one: Pearl Jam used the same song for its last Bonnaroo encore in 2008.

Dave Matthews Won't Tour in 2011

he prospect of a year off touring in 2011 has Dave Matthews hatching a few ideas -- although he notes that "I'm much better at not having any plans. The success of my career...has depended heavily on me having no control over it."

"I want to look at music not as a professional," Matthews told Billboard.com during a conference call with reporters to promote this year's Bonnaroo Music Festival, which the Dave Matthews Band will close on June 13. "I'm always...a professional to a degree, but I'd like to do it for a year where I'm just an amateur, where the only reason I'm doing it is out of love so I can come back with this group of people that I've played with for 20 years and have something more. I'm really excited about playing this year and not having a real plan other than trying to make the most of it and...then next year hide behind a tree. And I hope that anyone that's hunting me doesn't find me."

Matthews said that he does have a few new songs "that I'm messing around with," but is not sure if any of them will be ready to play live during the nearly 16-week tour, which starts Friday [may 28] in Hartford, Conn. "My problem is I'm good at starting songs," he explained, "then I have to work, and to end it is always hard. I'm always sort of hoping I'll find something new, desperately hoping that something will come into my mind that will sound like anything interesting. But I have a few things that are in their beginnings."

As for the decision to take 2011 off the road, Matthews said that it's something he's contemplated throughout the past 20 years, but it never seemed like the right time. "Right now," he said, "I think the band, in our relationships with each other and with the music, we're in the best place I can remember us being. For that reason I thought that taking a year to sort of recharge my creative juices and sort of not have the safety net of touring with the band for a year and just see what my head comes up with was sort of my idea. I thought there's no time like now."

Matthews also felt that, given the devotion of a fan base who treat DMB tours as an annual rite, it was important to announce the break rather than simply taking it.

"For us it's a big deal," he said. "I certainly feel an obligation to the people that support the uniqueness of the band's career and have made it...sort of habitual or a moment of quite a few people's summers, it would be, I guess, ungrateful to not say everything. I felt that about everyone me as well, the crew and the band and the people that work with us. I wanted to give everyone a long heads-up." And, Matthews promised, he has "every intention of going back to these same people," meaning the band. "That's my plan, to come back to these same people and reconvene, just having taken a little time to star at the stars and stare at our kids."

Besides Bonnaroo, the DMB will also play the Hullabal.OU Music Festival on July 25 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., and the Mile High Music Festival on Aug. 15 in Commerce City, Colo. The group is currently scheduled to wrap the tour on Sept. 15 in St. Paul, Minn.