An Entirely New Perspective

Strolling through a stadium parking lot immediately prior to a Dave Matthews Band concert can be quite the experience. During my six previous trips to see the world-famous jam band, I had never really taken the time to experience this pre-party atmosphere. During the band's 2001 summer stop in Hershey, PA, I finally enjoyed this opportunity. Dave Matthews songs from various stages of the band's career could be heard from dozens of parked vehicles, fans were reliving old shows and speculating about the evening's event, and a good time was being had by all. Is this not what the Dave Matthews Band is all about?

In line with the new experiences this show afforded me, it was interesting to see what sort of prices tickets would fetch outside the stadium. Seats that were priced somewhere between forty-five and fifty-five dollars were selling for upwards of one hundred dollars, nearly approaching $150! Then again, can someone really put a price on this type of experience? (Let it be known that this fan can most certainly do so, and one hundred dollars is not it!) Then again, at this particular venue, where the back of the stadium opens up onto a large parking lot with a hillside in the distance, is there any good reason to spend that kind of money? With the band's sound wafting over the cars and the dozens of fans freeloading on the hill, the Dave Matthews Band sensation was not confined to the stadium itself.

For the first time in my tenure as a Dave Matthews fan, I was able to see the band perform three times this year. Three different venues produced three vastly different experiences with only one common thread - sets laden with songs from Everyday. Each show has featured no less than seven songs from the band's 2001 release, and the amount of repetition is downright staggering. This much can be said - three months on the road have brought some much-needed seasoning to a handful of the new album's offerings. "So Right" continues to impress, highlighted this time by a jamming Leroi Moore stretch to close the song. "What You Are" is growing nicely, as is "The Space Between," even if the latter still remains eerily close to its studio form. If only there were flattering remarks to be made about "Sleep to Dream Her"...

As was the case during the band's stop in Washington, DC, Lillywhite Sessions songs provided some of the evening's best moments. "Big-Eyed Fish" and "Bartender" continue to make a nice pair, marked by a smooth Moore transition between the two. "Ain't It Funny How Times Slips Away," a Willie Nelson cover which has been in heavy circulation during the 2001 summer tour, proved to be a nice introduction to the encore, and a smooth lead-in to "Ants Marching." This fan's favorite closing number echoed throughout the park grounds, providing the perfect sendoff on a clear, starry night. With the summer ending and an uncertain fall season - will the band hit Europe? - this fan is left to look forward to forthcoming tours and a return to the Dave Matthews magic.

Setlist:

JTR
When The World Ends
One Sweet World
Big-Eyed Fish
Bartender
So Right
Jimi Thing
#41
The Space Between
What You Are
All Along the Watchtower
Crush
I Did It
Sleep To Dream Her
Grace Is Gone
Fool To Think
Stay

Encore:

Ain't It Funny How Time Slips Away
Ants Marching

See Also: Dave Matthews Band Tribute

Submitted 8/4/01.

If you have any questions or comments about this or any other concert, please feel free to e-mail me.