![[Proudest Monkeys]](images/monkeybutton.jpg)
More than ten years after the Dave Matthews Band took the music world by storm, the band continues to add fans. Each year, I marvel that, as I continue to age right along with the band, a new generation of young fans fills the parking lots at venues across the country. How can this be? How can a band continue to dominate the concert season with such an ever-changing base of fans? Personally, my appreciation for the band has only grown over the years, even if my advancing years have forced me from the raucous crowds on the lawn to the more tempered – albeit drier – crowds under the pavilion. Whatever the case, the Dave Matthews Band can still light up the nighttime sky, a fact that was very much in evidence during its June 2006 show at Nissan Pavilion. Northern Virginia has seldom had it so good!
Building on last year’s welcome return, the Dave Matthews Band delivered another pulsating effort this year. A standard “What Would You Say” gave way to a truly rollicking “Everyday,” complete with some seriously enthusiastic audience input. Never one of my favorite tunes, this version may have kicked the 2001 crowd-pleaser up a notch or two on this fan’s list. That being said, it will likely never equal the might of “So Right,” Everyday’s best offering and a song I have waited five long years to hear again. To say it blew me away would be a complete understatement! Alas, a lull in the set – even as the rain was pounding the helpless fans on the lawn – followed, rescued only by the moving “Grace Is Gone” and a Boyd Tinsley-led “Louisiana Bayou.” (As wonderful as the latter tune might have been, it will forever be measured against the Robert Randolph-aided 2005 version, an effort that I fear may never be equaled.)
The middle of the set brought with it some highs and some lows. “Steady As We Go,“ I am sorry to say, really puts a damper on a live show, lacking any real spunk or zest. “Bartender,” despite its somber meaning, shows how such songs can still pack a punch, even though I was hoping (in vain) for a transition to “Big-Eyed Fish.” Likewise, “Grey Street” – a song that keeps getting better and better – and “Dancing Nancies” were top-notch, although I held out some small hope that the latter would spill nicely into “Warehouse.” (On this night, it was not to be.) What came next was six years in the offing, yet well worth the wait. Bashed as too radio-friendly and not a favorite of the “true” Dave Matthews fans, “Crash Into Me” is nevertheless one of the band’s finest singles, a billing it lived up to on this night. There is something to be said for a song that can deliver time and time again, especially one that can bring a little “Dixie Chicken” magic to the proceedings.
As much I enjoyed performances of “So Right,” “Grace Is Gone,” and “Crash Into Me,” the evening came down to two songs, one old and one new. Having seen the band thirteen times before this show, there are precious few classic tunes that I have not seen live. One such tune is “Proudest Monkey,” a shocking omission given this site’s web address. Another is “Typical Situation,” an absence that was finally addressed in 2006. This song shook me to the core, and the band backed it up with a thrilling, seemingly endless rendition, whipping the crowd into a state of unbridled euphoria! The other dazzling effort came on “The Idea of You,” easily the prize of the new offerings. Dave Matthews totally let loose at the end of each verse, promising a song that will soon become a fan favorite. In fact, performances like this leave fans salivating at the thought of upcoming recordings.
The band finally ventured into Before These Crowded Streets territory near the end, closing the set with four straight numbers from this oft-overlooked album. “Rapunzel” served as a suitable close to another fine, fine set, while “Pig” and “Stay (Wasting Time)” brought the show to a wicked conclusion. Once again, the band offered its fans a dizzying array of old & new favorites, spanning nearly fifteen years of hits. How many bands can so consistently pack stadiums and amphitheatres without the promise of single song? How many fans would so blindly trust their beloved heroes to deliver a set that speaks to all their needs and wants? The Dave Matthews Band does it each and every year, and, based on the last two shows that I have seen, they have not lost their touch. This might be the end of my involvement in this year’s tour, but that does not mean I won’t be waiting breathlessly for this fall’s new album!
Setlist:
Encore:
See Also: Dave Matthews Band Tribute
Submitted 7/3/06.
If you have any questions or comments about this or any other concert, please feel free to e-mail me.