Dave Matthews Band

Thursday, 29 July 2010 11:56

The Dave Matthews Band played at the 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre last night, chasing away the rain for a hot evening under the stars. After an opening set by Gov’t Mule, Dave came on (shortly after 8pm) and played for well over two hours.

By John Davisson

I’ve been a fan since the time he almost played a free show at Flavet Field (he canceled because a Saturday Night Live slot came up, but he later made up for it with one of his early shows with Tim Reynolds—albeit at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, his popularity exploded in the interim).

The set was heavy on most recent material, including “Shake Me Like a Monkey,” “Funny The Way It Is,” “Why I Am,” “Seven,” and “You and Me” from the latest album Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. Of course, there were some classics like “Satellite,” “Dancing Nancies,” “Crash Into Me” and “Proudest Monkey.” (That’s song No.2 with “monkey” in the title—what is it with Dave and monkeys, anyway?) They also threw in a cover of the Daniel Lanois song “Still Water.” Warren Haynes from Gov’t Mule sat in on “Crush.” I’m sad to report that they didn’t perform “Ants Marching.” They tend to change their setlist so maybe I’ll catch it later, but it just doesn’t seem right to not include “Ants Marching.”

Still it was a nice evening, and the venue was packed. Dave and the band still enjoy stretching out with long jams on songs, making each evening unique and fun, and the entire band seemed to be in a good mood. The Dave Matthews Band always treats its fans right with reasonable ticket prices, presales for fanclub members with the good seats, and different sets each night. No wonder they pack arenas and shed year after year, with multiple shows in big cities.

Scroll through John Davisson's exclusive DMB pics on the left!