DMB 2008 Review

The death of LeRoi marked a very terrible ending to what otherwise should be considered a stellar tour. LeRoi and his musicianship will never be replicated again; thankfully, we have plenty of recordings (and I am positive we will get plenty more) that will help us remember why we fell in love with the Dave Matthews Band to begin with.

Here are things that I thought were good about Dave Matthews Band this tour:

1) The band learned how to play without Butch Taylor. I like Butch playing in the background and strengthening the rhythem section, but I really disliked when he soloed...all it did was take the energy right out of the concert. For the record, I would love Butch to come back someday; I just see no need for his ten minute solos at the end of Two Step, Bartender, Lie in Our Graves, etc.

2) Tim Reynolds was amazing. He brings a very unique sound to this band that is FAR more valuable than anything Butch Taylor brought. I firmly believe that Tim Reynolds is the "6th member", and I really hope we are lucky enough for him to keep playing with the band. Hearing Tim at the beginning of Two Step in Burgettstown was probably one of the three greatest moments in my DMB concert going career...

3) DMB really took advantage of their huge catalog this year by continously pumping out songs they hadn't played in over 50 concerts as well as song debuts:

a) Stolen Away on 55th and 3rd - 62 TD
b) Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - 185 TD
c) Money - SONG DEBUT
d) Money (That's What I Want) - SONG DEBUT
e) Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) - 538 TD
f) What You Are - 81 TD
g) Bitch - SONG DEBUT
h) The Long Black Viel - 98 TD
i) Pay For What You Get - 145 TD
j) Recently - 169 TD
k) Water/Wine Jam - 1060 TD
l) Proudest Monkey - 114 TD
m) Out Of My Hands - 56 TD
n) Can't Stop - 99 TD
o) The Space Between - 316 TD
p) Sledgehammer - SONG DEBUT
q) Best of Whats Around - 53 TD
r) Sail Away - SONG DEBUT
s) Sugar Will - 285 TD
t) Drive in Drive Out - 169 TD
u) Help Myself - 211 TD
v) Lover Lay Down - 165 TD
w) Sleep to Dream Her - 154 TD
x) Burning Down the House - SONG DEBUT
y) Halloween - 111 TD
z) Spoon - 383 TD
aa) Stefan Solo - 59 TD
ab) All Along the Watchtower - 51 TD

4) DMB made some major changes to many songs...

a) Experimentation with changing the verses and adding a Dave and Tim only entrance to Ants Marching
b) Extended jam to end So Damn Lucky
c) Full band version of Stay or Leave
d) Bringing back the Too Much fake and alternating the song played after the fake
e) More intense Gravedigger and Out of My Hands
f) Using Halloween mid-set
g) Opening with Bartender
h) Putting Don't Drink the Water in the encore

5) Noteable concerts include:

a) SPAC Night 2 (http://www.dmbalmanac.com/TourShowSet.aspx?id=453056552&tid=98&where=2008). #40, Shotgun, Dream so Real all played for the only time all tour. Set ended with a Lie in Our Graves, Jimi Thing, So Much To Say > Anyone Seen the Bridge > Too Much run, followed by a Lie in Our Graves reprise in the encore.

b) Riverbend (http://www.dmbalmanac.com/TourShowSet.aspx?id=453056564). After a fan chant for Halloween, DMB played an Everyday fake followed by Halloween, followed by Water/Wine Jam, Everyday, Anyone Seen the Bridge, Too Much (fake), Tripping Billies.

c) Staples Center Night 1 (http://www.dmbalmanac.com/TourShowSet.aspx?id=453056569&tid=98&where=2008). DMB opend with Bartender and closed the encore with Two Step the first concert after LeRoi's death.

There were a couple negatives to this tour, however:

1) The encores, especially toward the beginning of the tour, were extremely predicatable and contained almost all cover songs.

2) DMB did not play a single new song they had worked on in the studio this past year.

3) The band will most likely never play #34 again, as it was used to commemorate the death of LeRoi.

My hopes for DMB next year are very simple; the band continues to play, despite LeRoi's death. LeRoi is only replaced by someone who has guested with DMB in the past, such as Jeff Coffin. LeRoi IS replaced. The band plays new songs THEY have written, not others. Encores and openers are less predictable. Tim keeps playing with the band.

Until we meet again, goodbye!