The last time I saw The Dave Matthews Band at Darien Lake was on June 14, 1996. It was the first time they headlined at the venue, and at the time, they were riding high on the success of their “Crash” album. The show went down as legendary because they shut down the New York State Thruway, and many fans never even made it into the venue. It also rained, much as it did nearly thirty years later.
In that time, DMB has evolved into what I always hoped they would become, a band that knows when to jam and knows when to be tight. Their July 3 show at Darien Lake proved to be a little of both, a combination of slick production values with the occasional jam.
Over the years, I have been a fan of DMB. I buy the live recordings and listen to them faithfully even though this was the first time since 1997 the stars have aligned in a way that I could actually be in attendance at one of their shows.
They opened with “The Best of What’s Around” and closed with “Ants Marching. Heck, it’s like 1996 all over again when you get those tracks and “Tripping Billies.” In fact, the set relied heavily on the “Crash” album, they played four songs from it, the most from any album.
Nevertheless, DMB is not mired in the past. They play with a conviction and finesse that was not present in 1996. Perhaps its confidence, perhaps its natural evolution, whatever it is, it works.
Much like The Grateful Dead, DMB’s career is placed into era’s and based on what I saw on Thursday they are in the midst of a great era musically. The band is on fire.
The only complaint I have is that I soon remembered why I haven’t attended a DMB show in some time. The crowd they attract consists of too many kids that attend for the party and have no idea that something magical is going on onstage.
Set List:
The Best of What’s Around
Big Eyed Fish
Rooftop
Write a Song
Typical Situation
Don’t Drink the Water
Kill the Preacher
Shake Me Like a Monkey
Tripping Billies
Snow Outside
Eh Hee
Crash Into Me
Belly Belly Nice
Spaceman
Drive In, Drive Out
So Much to Say
Pantala Naga Pampa
Rapunzel
Encore:
JTR
Louisiana Bayou
Ants Marching
All Photos by Gus Griesinger.
We would like to thank Lynn McDonnell from Livenation for her assistance in helping BackstageAxxess review the show.
