The Dave Matthews Band

   In early October, The Dave Matthew's Band, along with Soul Coughing rolled into Boston's Fleet Center. Soul Coughing started the night off, and put most people to sleep. However, after an hour, they gave the stage up to the main act - The Dave Matthew's Band.

With almost no warning the house lights went down and out came Dave, Boyd, Leroi, Stefan, and Carter, The Dave Matthew's Band, to open the night with the upbeat song "Tripping Billies" to get the crowd in the mood. After this opening song, they continued with an array of fan favorites including a normally fast celebration song "Two Step." This time, the song started off slowly and more acoustically, but by the last verse, Dave was back to his old self C upbeat, crowd-motivated and moving. Through the two hours plus, the band played such favorites as "Dancing Nancies," "Crash Into Me," "Too Much," "Jimi Thing," "So Much To Say," and the always crowd-oriented "Ants Marching." During the evening, they also played two new songs previously unrecorded.

This was typical The Dave Matthew's Band show with such improvisations in songs like "Dancing Nancies" when instead of following the normal lyrics, "Could I have been lost somewhere in Paris" Dave said "I could have been lost somewhere in the Boston Garden" The Dave Matthew's Band also made fan favorite "Ants Marching" into a sing-along where it was easier to hear the crowd singing than Dave. Dave was his normal self, talking to crowds, reminding them if they were going to do anything, to do it responsibly and socially. He also spoke to the crowd personally and reminded them, as always, to stop and talk to the Greenpeace people, and "Keep the sky blue and the grass green. Well, the grass doesn't have to be green, just keep it growing."

The band ended their set with "Ants Marching," then retreated to the dressing room for a break, while every lighter in the Fleet Center was on, and very mouth was chanting for Dave. The Dave Matthew's Band came back and played another favorite (written by Bob Dylan [see review at right]), "All Along the Watchtower." After an almost fifteen-minute version, Dave thanked everyone for coming out.

Despite the absence of such trademark songs as "Satellite," "Warehouse," and "Say Good-bye," they put on an excellent show for a packed arena. On this evening they were in rare form and, as always, played to the crowd. The show was upbeat, and kept the interest of the crowd, unlike the opening band. They left the crowd wanting more.