Despite the fact that I have been a huge fan of the Dave Matthews Band for over 16 years now, I had never before seen them play live. Before you tar and feather me, I understand how egregious an error of my ways this is. Not seeing Dave Matthews live and calling yourself a fan, is somewhat akin (in current pop culture terms) to Snooki admitting that she is part Chilean… and yet still calling herself Italian (ponder that strange analogy for a while).
Last night at the Hollywood Bowl, from what I’ve been told by fans that are much more true than myself, was one of those special summer Dave Matthews Band nights. With Los Angeles in the middle of a heat wave, and my Virginia-bred roommate in tow, I headed off to experience Dave live for the first time ever.
The DMB took to the stage just before 8:30 PM, leading off with fan favorite “#41” from his seminal “Crash” album, setting a tone for a night that would include long jammed-out versions of some of his most popular tracks spanning his entire career. No two DMB sets are the same, although certain songs come in or out of popular rotation, as evidenced HERE by recent set lists.
Additional hit songs played last night included “Don’t Drink the Water,” “Crash Into Me,” and “You and Me.” Again, a better fan than myself would be able to highlight the more obscure gems from the evening.
I didn’t stay for the encore, but the DMB closed with the ever-popular “Ants Marching” from “Under the Table and Dreaming,” the band’s first studio album, providing a fitting end to another magical night at Bowl.
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