Bryan P.
Simply an amazing DMB show. Overall Dave seems to produce something magical when he comes to the Foothill Mountains. I have no idea why SPAC has not been a live release after some of the shows DMB played here in Saratoga.

The Stone - Simply an amazing opener with a lot of energy, the crowd was really feeling this one. On the lawn all you can do is simply follow the echo across the way and go with it. Thinking Last stop or What would you say would follow....

Rhyme & Reason - Not one of my favorite DMB songs but a steady decent energized version, something solid from the band.

Don't Drink the Water - Excellent placement in the setlist, by now people are feeling this. Three very high energy songs in the placement of the setlist, thinking crash into me is next.

#41 - At this point I realized that the band is not slowing down for anything, very good version of this song, it was not the SPAC 1997 version which in my opinion is one of the most flawless, but it was excellent.

Grace Is Gone - Next to Pay for what you get and Cry Freedom my third favorite slow Dave Matthews band songs, excellent song and 1st time hearing it live, very vocal and musical.

JTR - Once again the band gets things going in that direction, thinking What would you day or Last stop.....

What Would You Say - Finally something i called. Good version and placement in the setlist.

The Maker - What can I say Dave is insane and continues to keep going this direction.

All Along the Watchtower - Good song, not a fan of this live, I know people either love this or could care less, wishing it was Warehouse or Two Step, but hey what can I say?

Crash Into Me - Knew it was coming, glad it did, I always have loved this song and unlike some this will not get old with me, glad to have heard it again and continue to stress to people this is an excellent song.

Minarets - Are you kidding me? Wow! Only heard this from some live recordings in the past, and at my first show in 9.1.95, one of the memories i will take with me hearing this live, very unlike the band to bust this one out in the set so deep in the night.

Lie In Our Graves - One of my favorite DMB songs followed by.... Bartender - Highlight of the evening, I truely feel behind Proudest Monkey (my Fav DMB song) This is the best DMB song you can want to hear live, more so than Two Step and Tripping Billies, excellent version and great to hear again.

So Much To Say (Anyone Seen the Bridge?) * --> good version, was looking for something slow at this point Proudest Monkey or pay for what you get maybe.

Too Much [Tease] - Come on guys give us something that will make us move?

Ants Marching - Solid version, good placement in the setlist to end the show. Thinking that Two step or Don't Drink the water will be our encore this evening.

Encore: Digging a Ditch - Excellent song, very underrated when it comes to the stuff Dave has released, one of my new favorites and glad to have heard it. Great vocals and songwriting, good version. Please, what is next?

Pantala Naga Pampa Rapunzel - Eh, not a fan of these 2 songs. Wishing to get The last stop or maybe Long Black Veil. Overall very pleased with this evening, even if these guys ended it with Digging a ditch i would be pleased. Not the 97 show they produced here at SPAC but a good show. 8/10 in my opinion. Good crowd and good musical selection, I think all that wine is making me tired.

Ken J.
Wwll what can I say, DMB was awesome tonight, but whats new. This was my first show of the year and it was well worth the wait. The new songs were awesome and I can not wait til the new album comes out. It was great to hear The Maker and Minarets tonight-it was the first time that I have ever heard them live. And the best part of the show was definetly hearing Ants Marching for the first time. I can not wait til the Raleigh show.

Dan P.
Well, after leaving my last class at Potsdam at 1:40, and hopping in the car as fast as possible, we managed to get there about 20 minutes before doors, and all it costed us was a ticket on the highway...D'OH!! This was a very good show, not GREAT, but very good. I expected more from the Band here at SPAC. He managed to please the real fans and the radio fans alike. The Band was very tight and energetic (Boyd looked unhappy, he wasn't smiling alot) but the setlist was lacking a bit. STONE - good opener, didn't see it coming, very good though. RHYME - eh...not much to say..my first disappointment. DDTW - yucky! I was hoping he wouldn't pull this out at all. After these first 3 songs i said to myself "It's gonna be a Crash night." #41 - The show began to pickup pace. Very good song, Boyd, Butch, and Leroi are quite a team. One of my Favs!! GRACE IS GONE - One of the show highlights for me. The crowd tonight also wasn't very good. Many people sitting down and talking and crap during such wonderful songs. I was the only one singing around me, a lady in front of me asked me how I knew the song..I said, because I am a fan. Beautiful song, however I feel once the album comes out it will turn into the next Crash. JTR - Another song where people were sitting!! I couldn't believe it!! Obviously no one payed attention to the D&T or DMB tour last year. The Outro to this song is sick! I love it. WWYS - Another eh...I don't particularly care for this live. It was good though, Dave messed up the first 2 verses but recovered. THE MAKER!!!!! - YESSS!!!!! FINALLYY!!!!! I was in heaven. NO ONE around me on the lawn knew this song...except for this great "Old Guy" infront of us...he was so cool. Wonderful song, very nicely played. WATCHTOWER - Dave was teasing a bit in the beginning, but the riffs finally came out. Very tight, energetic, got the lowly crowd back into it. CRASH - d'oh...it was inevitable..thats all i gotta say. MINARETS!!!! SWEET MERCIFUL CRAP!!! I heard it during the soundcheck, and was hoping they'd play it..and YES!! No one seemed to know this one either, yet its on an album..c'mon you people make me sick. THANKS DAVE FOR THAT ONE!!! LIOG - DAMN!! This song is magical live. Boyd is God, Butch is the man, words cannot explain this jam. Get a copy and let your jaw hit the floor. BARTENDER - Great song, energetic and well played. One of my new favs. SMTS - Eh...i figured, well, after Minarets and Bartender its time to get the radio fans back into it...he did the Bridge, and then teased the first 3 chords of Too Much into Ants. It was great!! ANTS - GREAT! The band was feelin this one, Boyd's solo was mad! ENCORE: DID: another unappreciated beautiful new song. I saw Dave roll his eyes on the jumbotron, and I think it was because the stupid crowd was being so uncooperative with the new songs. PNP-RAPUNZEL - Not bad way to end. The outro was killer. I almost lost my footing and rolled down the hill i was dancing so hard. Great rockin show closer. So overall, it was a very very good show, just lacking a few places in the set. On the way home, we almost hit a rabbit, 3 foxes, and a deer. Well, its about 4:15am here back at school, and I got class at 10, see ya next summer!

Justin M.
Hello All, It is 4am, and I just got home from SPAC. The best concert night of my life!!!!!! Great ride up, little traffic. Beautiful venue. Here is my review. Please read the whole thing: Stone- What a GREAT way to open. I love this song. R & R- Fun DDTW-Powerful #41-nice version Grace- I love this song. Lots of people sat down, not me. JTR- Not a bad song WWYS-Fun The Maker - YES!!!! I am now in heaven. I think that I am the only one singing, but I don't care. it was beautiful. Life can't get any better, can it?? (read on) Watchtower - Powerful, great mid set song. Crash - Time to go pee. Minarets - OMG!!!!! Are you kidding me?!?!?! I never thought that I would hear this one live. Made my whole summer. Can life get any better?? (read on) LIOG- Boyd and Butch solo has really evolved, and sounds great. Bartender - Great song SMTS--->ASTB--->Too Much (tease)---> Ants - Cool little ditty. Time to go retrieve camera that security impounded when I came in. Back to my seat before they are done with this. Diggin a Ditch - Nice song. PNP---> Rapunzel.- Fun, lots of energy. Now this is where things get good. Boyd was nice enough to give me a couple of backstage passes. For any of you that haven't been backstage, this can be a crap shoot. You can get the passes and not go backstage. I have been lucky enough to go back a couple of times. So my friend Brandon and I wait for Darryl from Dave's security team to call our names. There we are. We go backstage, grab a beer, and relax. IN comes Boyd, and we chat with him for a few moments. Having fun, just jiving with him. Life is good and we get ready to head out, and who walks in but mister Matthews!!!!!!!!! I hit the floor. I couldn't believe it!!!!! What a night!!! We got some great pictures with him, and they are located at: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Plaza/3736/082900/index.htm

Joseph C.
My first time at SPAC and I must say that it is an awesome place to have a concert, especially Dave. Since this was the only time dave would play SPAC this year, the band pulled out all the stops. They put on an incredible show highlighted by rip-roaring versions of Don't Drink the Water, All Along the Watchtower and Ants Marching. Great Jamming on Lie In Our Graves with Boyd and Butch outdoing each other. Minarets was a surprise to say the least. The Stone and Bartender were beautiful but the highlight for me was #41 and Watchtower without a doubt. They also did an interesting twist at the end. After So Much to Say, one would have thought they would bust into Too Much, but they played the opening notes and suddenly they changed gears and jammed into Ants Marching. That was amazing, I did not see that one coming. PNP into Rapunzel is an excellent way to end a show. This was a superb show from beginning to end. It was a pleasure seeing DMB at SPAC. It was a much better show than July 11 at Giants. Thank you Dave. Your'e the best out there.

Wes F.
I have but one thing to say...this is BY FAR the best show I have seen yet!! The boys have matured so much since I first started following them back in '96...a much fuller sound, the jams are so much more intense, and they have devised a way to appease the various generations in the crowd (i.e Crash followed by Minarets). Leroi and Boyd and Stefan (along with the newest addition-Butch) have started coming out of their shells, and showing the world how talented each and every member of the band really is. Let me hit the highlights- THE STONE- one of my favorite newer songs- mellow but rocking at the same time-#41- haven't heard this in a while, and Leroi went NUTS in the breakdown- jamming and jamming and jamming, I think at one point he was actually playing two instruments at once! GRACE IS GONE, JTR- if these songs are any indication of how the new album is going to be, I can't wait for the release! Grace is sweet and slow, JTR is great although I miss the old chorus. WWYS- AWESOME! I miss hearing this oldy but goody, and it was my first time actually catching it live! Dave did some of his crazy skee bop "going to fuck it on up" before his jam- ahh- it ruled! MAKER- ahh...so slow and emotional- great song, rarely heard thus far this tour. WATCHTOWER- mid set? Excellent version, very surprising to hear it when I did. MINARETS- Oh my GOD!! First time this tour!! Awesome, full sound- Carter added a "Gong to the song". Great rendition, made me very happy considering if followed Crash, hereby known as the "ten-thousand happy schoolgirls song". LIOG- BOYD and BUTCH RULE! During the breakdown, dave actually stepped off to the side of the stage and boyd took center, going absolutely nuts, then jamming with Carter and Butch a little, before butch took over and went nuts on the keys. SIGN THIS GUY UP- he adds so much to the sound! SMTS-->ANSTB-->TOO MUCH tease)--> ANTS- awesome- need I say more? The ANSTB was awesome- dave was doing some crazy beat box scat in the beginning- launching into too much and then ants, which very few people were expecting. ENCORE: Pretty low key, actually. I was pulling for DIDO, and slightly let down by Rapunzel, but it was solid non the less. Great show- Energy was high, dave and the band was rocking and so was the crowd!! Definitely catch a show this summer if you can, and the new cd is going to be great (if they ever get around to releasing it!)!

Dan O.
Im sorry, i dont remember the whole setlist. I was making bets for the opener. Turned out to be the Stone. nice...New songs JTR and grace is gone were frickin awesome. Jtr is funky ass shit. Ditch and Rapunzel were the ending, alot of people were pissed, no Two step but oh well. It was an outstanding show, Dave was fucking on tonight. He was flipping out and dancing all over, BOyd was amazing as usual. And one more thing, what the fuck was with the security guards??? they stand right in front of you. All and all a great day and sweet concert and one hell of a time. lata y'all

Joshy K.
This was the most amazing show. Everything came together, and songs such as The Maker and Minarets (replete with gong!) make this show a definite keeper. Get it... best fucking show ever.

Red C.
I really am amazed that the last 4 shows have kept EVERYONE on their toes. I was expecting somewhat of a standard set tonight, but I was treated to something a little more special. Show 22 for the Red was definately a keeper. All who know Red and have *read* his last 3 reviews knows he is all about THE STONE. I did not bargain for 3 in 4 nights! DAMN. I was soooooo happy, probably the tightest version of the 3. RHYME was ok cause Dave said "I've had enough, I've had enough, but where the f*ck do I go" That was cool. DDTW was well played. Bleh, bleh. 41 started out unusual which was weird but Carter brought it together for a great version. GRACE IS GONE is appreciated in the middle of the set. JTR is appreciated at any time. This one got the Mike and I started in our silly style dancing. I was tired because I parked about 5 miles from SPAC so I could make the show on time. You guys who were there know what I am talkin about. Of course Dave has to keep TERRORIZING me by introducing THE MAKER as a song by Daniel Lanois. I LOVE WYNONNA DAVE PLAY THAT ONE TOO! I will get another Wynonna someday. Maker was really really good as usual. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY was good only because Dave messed the words up and at the end said "Yeah yeah I f*cked em up" WATCHTOWER was excellent and got the crowd in a frenzy. crash=nap time. And then it came. I bumped Mike and said hey that sounds like MINARETS. I also thought Dave was teasing Minarets at Hartford but it ended up being True Reflections. But THEY ACTUALLY PLAYED MINARETS! ARE YOU SERIOUS?? I swear no one else in my section within like 15 rows was standing for it. The Mike and I were going crazy, including Red who kept yelling "That's what I'm f*cking talking about Dave!" It was great. LIE was excellent as usual. BARTENDER was too but not better than the Hartfords. Then came something that I had a hunch about. After the bridge I kept telling Mike please let them do the tease into ANTS it would be sooooooooo cool. And they did! A tight tight Ants. Great closer. RAPUNZEL was grrrrrreat in the encore as it was first night of Hartford. It was just an incredible run of 4 for the Red and co. I can't wait for next year it should just get better and better.

Pat G.
Last night was a great show. Saratoga is a great place to see a show, a very nice venue. The crowd wasn't that great at all at least in my section but I have come to expect it. The setlist was very good and very surprising at points. Stone was a good opener, was happy to hear, has been a little rare this tour. Rhyme&Reason was powerful as it always is. DDTW isn't my favorite but seems five times better live and it was last night. 41, favorite song, started off differently then normal. Carter didn't do the typical roll on his high hat to start it. He went to a ride for a little but then went to the high hat. Great version with a long solo by Leroi. Grace is Gone is an amazing song, one of my favorites of the new ones but no one seems to care to listen. Im sure when the album comes out it will be a hit. JTR, standard version that I heard in Buffalo in July but that outro sure is nuts. Though again no one listened. WWYS?, everyone got into this one and it was a great version as it always is live. No one seemed to noticed that Dave mixed up the first and second verse but all is well. The Maker, seemed as though I was one of the few who knew this one. I think I like the old version better but this was still great. Long version but once again, everyone sat down. Watchtower, not crazy about the way Dave starts then Stefan comes in but still great. Great solos all around. Crash, all those people who were sitting finally got up. Not my favorite by a long shot but always fun live. Glad he threw Dixie Chicken in, made it better then it would have been. Minarets, were did this come from?! Dave started to pick the chords and my friend Brian says "Hey, he started to play Minarets." Not even thinking that he was going to play it. Everyone again sat while the band played on to an amazing version of this. LIOG,amazing is all I can say. Had to be close to 20 mintues. Boyld and Butch tore it up. Butch seemed to go on forever and when he was done he grabbed his mic and was gonna say something as he pointed to his hat that read NYC but he didnt say anything which sucked. I think his mic was off or something but still this version was great. Bartender, great new song. I like the way Boyld starts it off with the fiddle. Dave really lets go on this one with his on bended knees part but once again, no one cared to give notice. SMTS, knew they were gonna close with this into Too Much and I was half right. ASTB was great, Dave did hs part first then Leroi came in. Then the surprise of the night came. Too Much, played the first 3 chords then...BAM the snare hits into Ants! Everyone was gonna nuts, I could barely hear Dave because the crowd was singing so loud. An Amazing closer. Dave came out after the crew did some work on the band's stuff and put on a plastic hat someone threw on stage. He looked pretty funny in it. It would have been great if he played the encore in it but he gave it back to a fan. Digging a Ditch, glad to hear it, I really like the full band version. PNP->Rapunzel, I was hoping for 2 Step but this was a great closer. At the end everyone went nuts for what seemed like hours. Great way to finish. The show was great overall except for 2 things. Seemed like the band was having problems with their instruments the whole show. This was kind of annoying but not as band as the crowd. THis was the worst I have ever seen. People say they want Dave to put out a new album but then when they play new songs people just sit. If I was the band I would leave the stage if half the place sat down. So either get into it or save your $50. Thanks for the great show Dave and see you next summer.

Matt K.
Well, the night started innocently enough. Then Dave walked out on stage and basically the world exploded. I've been to quite a few dmb shows in my time, and i hesitate to nominate any one of them as clearly the best concert i've ever been to. But if someone was holding a gun to my head and i had to decide, i would put this show at the top of the list. I'm sure there will be plenty of reviews, so i'll just list my own personal highlights. The Stone as an opener was incredible, i hope they continue to use it this way. #41 was quite possibly the best version i have ever heard, including twenty minute versions with bela fleck adn the flecktones guesting. it was just beautiful, and literally made me tear up. amazing. The Maker has been one of my favorite songs since i first heard it, adn to finally see it performed live was incredible. Lie In Our Graves was another top version, although i have trouble calling it the best i've ever heard because bela fleck just rips this song up when he guests on it. But boyd's solo was better than usual, and butch's solo was absolutely magnificent. Please please please make this man a full-time member of the band. Bartender is my favorite new song and i fall more in love with it each time i hear it. SMTS-->ASTB-->Too Much is always great and gets me pumped up, but i just about had an aneurism when they went from the first three chords of too much into ants i was so excited. it was incredible. So i guess that's pretty much it. if anyone out there has a copy of this concert please email me (prticlman@aol.com), i need it very much. Oh wait, i almost forgot. THEY PLAYED MINARETS!!!! My friends and i have been joking about that all summer. "oh yeah, and of course they'll play minarets" THey weren't really supposed to play it! It was great, my friend and i were beating the crap out of each other we were so excited. not for more than a second though because THEY WERE PLAYING MINARETS! something that obviously grabbed our attention more than physical pain. yeah, so there you go. Thank you Boyd, Butch, Carter, Dave, Leroi, and Stefan.

Michael A.
Well, after seeing all 3 Hartford shows, this was my 4th in 5 nights...And it just gets better!! He is the King!! Highlights: The Maker, MINARETS!!!, and Dave fuckin up the lyrics to "What Would You Say", missed the whole 1st verse, but caught himself and did it right before the start of the 3rd. After he realized it, he turned to Carter and just started laughing. LIOG was sick!! That is slowly turning into Boyd and Butchs song. Unreal. Well, not else more I can say, but I went to 5 shows this tour, and they just got better one after the next. Oh yeah...GRACE IS GONE!!!

Matthew Y.
I have to say that this show was quite incredible. From kicking off with The Stone to ending with PnP->Rapunzel, the place was filled with energy. Watchtower BLEW UP the place, and just when Crash had settled me down and had me guessing what they'd play next, they broke out Minarets. Talk about completely unexpected. This made my night, and I didn't even know what was ahead of me...before they played So Much Dave was talking to everyone onstage for a while, I thought maybe changing up the setlist? Turns out I was on the money...they started So Much to Say, I figured we'd get a bridge to Too Much and that would close the set. Well, I thought I was right when I heard the opening to Too Much, but then..NOPE! we think that we'll just play Ants instead! The crowd EXPLODED like i've never heard before. And then the encore - Digging a Ditch which mellowed everyone out, which was awesome, and set us up for those clicks in time by Carter, I knew it was coming, a lil PnP. Bam I was dancing like a crazed individual. What a show, the Rapunzel jam just kept going and it was LOUD. What a night. Thanks boys.

Matt W.
This was one incredible show. I have not been to many DMB shows, but I can't imagine many being better than this one. From the start, the band was full of energy. The crowd was really into the show, which really heightened the experience. As soon as the house lights dimmed, the crown went nuts and didn't stop until the final encore, 2 and a half hours later. Now onto the show. The Stone. Wow, what an opener. This really got the crowd into it. R&R and DDTW were both full of electricity. #41 was spectacular. Dave and Boyd jammed this one home. 2 new songs followed. It made me wish the new album came out tomorrow. WWYS came next. Big crowd participation with this one. Another new song, sounded great. Watchtower followed. This was a truly incredible performance. Dave was off to the side and let Leroi and Boyd take the spot light. Then Carter and Butch helped bring the song home. The jam was about twice as long as the Listner performance. Then the traditional lighter dispaly followed with Crash Into Me. Minarets was a nice surprise. Great song. Now to the keynote of the setlist: Lie In Our Graves. The jam was approx. 15 minutes long with solos by practically everybody. Boyd's and Butch's were especially sweet. My new favorite song Bartender followed. SMTS went right into Ants which had a Too Much intro. Very cool. This got everybody jamming. There was about a 4 minute break then 3 encores followed. Digging A Dithc sounded great and Pnp --> Rapunzel was an awesome closer. The best DMB show I have seen, and I'm sure some of you will agree with me.

Mike S.
Lemme start off by letting the entire world know, i called the stone as the opener the night before the show. it was exhilerating to hear it chime in after a nice, "how yall doin' this evening?" but back to the show... one of the most exciting and energetic to boot. going from the stone, to ryhme+reason into DDTW and #41... so much energy and power lifted a packed 25,000 stadium into a frenzy. Dave did up a little WWYS and mixed verses of the song to the bands liking. and Watchtower was the most powerful i've ever heard. nice cover of the maker, sweet song definitely onto my personal fav of the evening... LIOG... i swear it must have been 30min. long between Boyd and Butch soloing and dueting a little. This brings me to my main point. Boyd, LeRoi and Butch were outstanding tonight and Mr. Tinsley stole the show from the get go. Dave often times stood aside while Boyd would solo for 10 minutes. to conclude i liked the SMTS-->into bridge to too much where they intro'ed too much and the drum taps went right into ants! amazing! and they ended it on a semi unhappy note. Diggin a Ditch was nice but i wasnt hoping for PNP-Rapunzel, though i danced and sang... hey dave, next time lets encore with Nancies into Warehouse then finish with Two Step! IN MY DREAMS!

Eric R.
This was an amazing show. I just love the energy dave puts into his songs. I was at the show. Dave put on an incredible performance.

Bobby F.
This show was by far one of the best Band shows that I have been too. The Jams on Lie in our graves, #41 and were insane. Boyd was on fire. And MINARETS!!!!!!! I could believe it when he started to play it and right before the drums kicked in on it Carter hit this huge gong that was behind him. So great!!! really great jobs on crash and the stone and the maker. Dave messed up the lyrics on what would you say and sang the 2nd verse first and the 1st verse second. Everybody on the stage was laughing about it. The so much to say (anyone seen the bridge) too much tease to ants marching was great...something ive never heard before. The crowd was too bad either not nearly as many drunk kids as there were at giants and everyone was really into it. The insane traffic was all worth it.

Lenny C.
There was three (3) amazing things about this show tonight. I will get to them soon enough. Anyway, the first few songs of this show I was very unimpressed with. The one thing that did raise an eyebrow for me was #41 --> GRACE IS GONE. That's right, the music never stopped. Dave began playing GIG as the band was still finishing 41. It was pretty cool. Then, the show sucked some more until Dave said, "This is a song by a guy named Daniel Lanois." THE MAKER was one of the amazing parts of the night. The other was MIN-N-fucking-RETS! MINARETS! For the first time since the '98 fall tour, Minarets made it's live appearance. It was great. I loved it. The final amazing part of the night was SO MUCH TO SAY --> ANYONE SEEN THE BRIDGE --> TOO MUCH [tease] --> ANTS MARCHING. However, if it were not for these three amazing points in the evening, the show would not be nearly as great as it was. Sorry that I did not review all the songs, but I have done this so many times that typing the same thing show in and show out is just a waste of time. Until next time...

Ben C.
Simply kicked ass-First time I had front row to a Dave show, and it was well worth it-Thanks for the pick Dave

Eric Z.
This was definately the best dave show i have been to. Couldnt ask for more, They played all my favorites, #41, watchtower, ants, and dont drink the water. The band was full of energy tonight. They faked going into too much after so much to say like they've done and many shows this summer and went into ants marching, i dont think i have ever seen people go as nuts as they did. great encore tonight also, digging a ditch, great song off of the new album. Can't forger about pantala naga pampa and rapunzel, Great way to end a Great night.

Elizabeth
I just have to say that this concert was awesome! I've been to 5 Dave shows and not once did I hear them play "Ants Marching"..finally this year he played it and the crowd went NUTS!! It was the best concert of the year!!