Dave Matthews Band is composed of a group of musicians that never stop giving. Even when the heat index climbed to 115 degrees on Sunday, July 24, Matthews continued to show off his signature dance moves and joke with band members while wiping the sweat from his forehead and guitar with a towel between songs. It seemed that nothing could stop DMB from giving back to their loyal fans at Alpine Valley this weekend. Even though a violent storm and tornado warning threatened to stop the concert hours before the band was supposed to perform, many fans remained positive despite the long line of traffic waiting to enter the venue. When DMB heard that many people were waiting to get into the venue, they postponed the concert for 45 minutes allowing fans to catch the show. It was almost 9 p.m. when DMB took the stage, and I had stepped into the venue ten minutes before show time. Thank goodness the rain had stopped because I had lawn seats!
As I made my fourth trip to Alpine Valley to see DMB for my 15th and 16th shows this weekend, I was ready to join the long line of cars full of fans all waiting to hear their favorite songs, rarities that hadn’t been played for years, and catch a glimpse of front man, Matthews. I had already been to two DMB shows earlier this summer, including the June 2 show in Chicago at Tinley Park and I was fortunate to catch DMB’s set at Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, TN. But there’s just something about Alpine that makes it one of the best places to see DMB.
Alpine has a great vibe, and it is by far one of the best places to see an outdoor concert in the Midwest. While Red Rocks, located in Colorado, and Gorge Amphitheater ,also known as “Heaven’s Amphitheater”, located in Washington, remain prime spots to catch DMB during their annual summer tour, Daveheads from all over the country flock to Alpine in search of the fun tailgating scene, diehard DMB fans, and in hopes of hearing their favorite songs.
During the two night stand at Alpine, Matthews noted that Alpine was consistently one of his favorite places to play. Well, Matthews must like Alpine because he opened up Saturday night’s set with the song #41, a favorite in the DMB community. Long and beautiful solos by violinist Boyd Tinsley and saxophonist Leroi Moore and an “Everyday” outro were a great start to the concert on this cool night.
The surprises didn’t stop there though. Drummer Carter Beauford made fans cheer during his introduction to the rare song “Say Goodbye”. DMB brought back “Say Goodbye” after two years, and it was a pleasure to hear this song for the first time after all my years of following the band. DMB also played their most recent cover “Time of the Season”, originally by The Zombies, which let keyboardist Butch Taylor shine. The highlight of the night was when Tinsley began his epic solo that lasted well over six minutes, during “Lie in Our Graves”. This song had not been played at Alpine Valley for five years, and many fans were eager to hear this one.
Even though many fans dislike the new DMB album “Stand Up” compared to older albums (“Before These Crowded Streets” and “Under the Table and Dreaming”) the new songs translate well to a live setting. The groovy “Louisiana Bayou” got the crowd dancing as Tinsley sawed away on his violin and the band picked up speed as they jammed their way to the end of the song. “You Might Die Trying” started out slow with Matthews strumming his guitar, but suddenly erupted in a frenzy of color and sound as Moore filled the amphitheater with his vibrant saxophone solo.
Fans were also in for another treat that evening. DMB came out after the encore break and played “The Best of What’s Around”, another classic tune from their album “Under the Table and Dreaming”. Later on I learned that another song from “Stand Up” was supposed to be played, but Matthews opted to switch the song “Stolen Away” and replace it with “The Best of What’s Around.” Once again, DMB kept on giving Alpine what they wanted- more and more surprises.
Sunday night was even more eventful. Although there were no tornado warnings, the weather channel reported deadly heat advisory warnings with heat indexes climbing to 115 degrees. Armed with a bottle of water, I made my way down the steps of the amphitheater for my first front row experience. It was my 16th show, and I had never been this close to the band before. That night the band opened with “Everyday” and the crowd did their part by singing “Hani Hani” along with Matthews. Other new songs, the funky and energetic “Stand Up (For It)” and DMB’s newest love ballad, “Steady As We Go” were a nice addition to the set. Another crowd favorite “Dancing Nancies” segued into “Warehouse”. Bassist Stefan Lessard pumped his fist as the crowd shouted “woo” during the stop-time introduction of “Warehouse”. And after 12 years, the rare song “#34” returned during this year’s summer tour. DMB decided to play “#34” although it was not originally on the set list in the first place as I later found out. Behind me, a couple experienced another surprise, as a man proposed to his girlfriend during this song.
Despite the heat, the band kept on playing an amazing and energetic set. Matthews scatted up a storm during “Jimi Thing” and led the crowd singing a “For What It’s Worth” outro. As the night went on I became even more entranced by the light set up and the band’s jamming capabilities. This band never ceases to amaze me. Even when drummer Carter Beauford’s drum head broke during “Crush” he still kept the beat going while a drum tech fixed his kit. After Matthews chuckled at Beauford, the crowd gave Beauford a rousing cheer for his efforts to keep the song going.
As the set came to a close, Matthews teased a rare song, “#40”, which many fans hoped to hear. Suddenly fans began chanting “#40! #40!”. Matthews held up his finger and mouthed “After this song”. Minutes later Matthews strummed the first chords of “#40”. Fans couldn’t believe what they had just heard. It had been years since DMB had played a full version, and they finally decided to debut it at Alpine Valley. During the encore break many fans phoned their friends to tell them they had just heard “#40” and were speechless. It was a great moment to witness in DMB history.
The show closed with “Two Step”, or what I like to refer to as DMB’s musical monster. Taylor’s keyboard solo provided smooth jazz as the song picked up intensity sending the crowd into a tremendous uproar. In my opinion there is no better way to close a DMB show than to close with “Two Step”. The energy the band kept giving the entire night was unbelievable. In all of my 16 shows, this show was definitely the most upbeat and energetic I have ever seen.
I loved being able to see the band up close and interact with each other between songs. Matthews is a hilarious character who dances around the stage in cowboy boots, but he’s also an average guy who just happened to find his niche in the music world with the right musicians that compliment his musical abilities.
As I watched the band playing this weekend I realized something. I feel that whenever I see DMB I am not only watching amazing musicians, but I am having a get together with old friends. And when I say old friends I mean, the fans that I have met before, during, and after every show, and the feeling I get when the band takes the stage, plays their first chord of the opening song of the night and makes me smile.
Show:
Dave Matthews Band
