Dixiechicken23@hotmail.com .
Although I got there just in time to miss the opening act I had minutes to spare before the band came on. This concerts setlist would not be my first choice but some of my favorites were played and played well at that, at least in my opinion. The opener was Too Much definatly got the entire crowd, big fan or not, in the mood. The use of the lillywhites and soem of everyday sounded good, even though i was hoping for more Under the table and dreaming and crash. I think for most of the bands bigger fans our favorite part was the encore. FIrst they played pig which was awesome and a big end with dont drink the water. I think this concert was definatly worth my money. -Kenzie

Justin B.
The opening show of the tour was awesome!!! The band kicked the show off with an invigorating Too Much. This got people on their feet and singing along with every word. After they continued with What would you say, you could tell they were gonna mix up the show pretty good. The lillywhites sounded awesome, especially when they played Big eyed fish, bartender, then grace is gone all in a row.They played the new song, "Where Are You Going" for the first time as a full band. That song kicks, and i can't wait for the new album. The highlight of the show had to be The last 4 songs. They played pantala--> Rapunzel. Dave was all over the stage during Rapunzel. The first song of the encore, Don't Burn The Pig, gave Boyd a chance to shine. Don't Drink The Water was powerful, and agave everyone a chance to stand up and get excited one last time. altogether a tremendous show. My hats off to the band.

James C.
I have been to the last six opening tour dates and I have to say this ranks as the best. A great concert filled with songs of the "new" album they recorded. We all love the Lillywhites. And they encore with Pig and DDTW, wow! The band was very energetic and having a blast on stage the entire night. Quite a difference from C'ville a year ago. My only negative comment is, there wasn't a classic Boyd Tinsley song where he goes off. He is like a bomb ready to explode, and he didn't have that chance last night. As far as the band's look last night, very interesting. Dave looked the same as usual but has lost some weight. Boyd is a beast. Carter was sporting the Jordan jersey. Stefan looked like a 70's pimp in his smoking jacket. And Leroi' was the mystery man as usual, but tore it up. Looks like a great year ahead.

Drew P.
This show was great. I went to the C'ville concert as well, and this was just a blast. The mood that the smoke and lights made were spectacular. I was so glad to hear Dave's new song "Where Are You Going?". The song is really good. I did not find anything wrong with the show, the seats were all good, cause the place is a small venue. GREAT SHOW AT MCI CENTER.

Tyler J.
WOW!!! WHAT A SHOW! This is by far the best DMB show i have ever witnessed. Yerba Buena sucked but they were good for what they did i guess. Dave introduced them as always. But now to the show. Carter was in a Jordan Jersey, and Dave looked as though he had put on a few pounds. I had written out my predicted setlist before the show, which consisted of one sweet world, when the world ends, smts--too much grey street...whereare you8 going and more everydays. thought the ladies would be with them but nope...just butch. But to the setlist: I was in the very top row of the MCI center, and everyone except for a few people were just there to get drunk/high/seen. They were talking THE WHOLE TIME! Too Much - pretty good opener. Lots of energy, just the straight "suck it up"...no "f**k it up"..kind of cool though. ::Carter went NUTS! WWYS - crowd favorite...goteveryone really into it. Dave was REALLY ON..so was leroi. Great version. I did It: Was normal...nothing special..Boyd used more pizzacato than ever before. BUSTED STUFF: great to hear...boyd goes nuts on this song now. Very different fromthe lillywhites version but still very nice. It drug on a little more than I had liked but still veryvery solid. RAVEN: Nobody in the 404 section knew this song except for me. I tried singing along but Dave totally changed up the lyrics...very different from the album. Great version though. Very excited to hear that. (tease) - some kind of tease not quite sure what he said (ppl were talking) but it sounded cool..a little scat.---------> WAREHOUSE - excellent version, everyone got on their feet this time dancing, singing, (spilling beer ugh), but nonetheless an extroidanry version., Boyd really took control during this one. The Crowd again did the "WHOOOO" during the stop-time which is always sweet. But this version just blew the others out of the water. Where are you going - FINALLY!!! i knew he'd play it but this song is really solid. Lots of bass and sax. Very sweet sweet sweet song..."a quiet song" as dave said. but glad this is a single but would rrather have GreyStreet or Bartender./ DRIVE IN DRIVE OUT - this is quite frankly my favorite song next to pig and recently and halloween. I got sooo excited for this and when he played the opening chords i went nuts. Did not expect this for the opener. Had the "tea party" lyrics which is always a thrill... New Song - Something about getting higher and drinking,,of course the crowd loved it as well as i did. But maybe this is on the new album. The Space Between - never have i seen so many girls singing along. this song is getting out of control. Now, i like the song. But it's gettting way to blown up. Need to rest this song. as well as i did it. Rhyme and Reason - GREAT jam. Really got the crowd fired up, was just a great great jam. Big Eyed Fish - not a very good version. Not quite up to par, although i was very pleased to hear it. "Stay up in your tree" rather than "stay up in your f'ing tree". But a substandard version.. right into---> Bartender - one of the best versions of this soong ever. Maybe even better than 8-3-01. Im telling you GET THIS SHOW!! WOW...this faded into ----> Grace is Gone - best version of this song ever. Dave even walked off the stage for a minute. This quite possibly lasted longer than Bartender, the boys have made this song into a jam. Definately the best version ever...hands down. PNP-->Rapunzel - WOW...as soon as a i heard it start, i jumped up and down dancing. I even hit my head on the wall behind me. It didn't faze me, I was too into the music, yet i felt it today. Excellent version of this song, really jammed out. Best version next to 8-31-00. Encore: PIG!!!!!!!!!- i, and 20,000 other people are the luckiest fans on the face of the earth. THiS Is my favorite song of all time and since they haven't played it since '99 makes it even better!!! The crowd just didn't realize how lucky we were. I was going so nuts, people thought i was having a heartattack. Great version, hope he can play this song more on the 2002 tour. Dont Drink the Water - ok...ilove the song, and this was an outstanding version, but guys, the band wanted to prove the weeren't predictable, we can tell that, but they wwent a little overboard when they finished withthis song. But nonethe less we caught the best show in a LONNNG time. Highlights: Drive in Drive Out, Where are you going, Bartender, Pig and Warehouse. Whoever reads this and wasn't at the show, I advise you GET THIS SHOW ON CD. For all you traders, spread this show as soon as possible. The boys were on tonight. Dave danced more than ever and his legs are as mobile as ever. His "happy feet" and "happy knees" were just so amazing and got the crowd into it. Maybe PSU will be better, but i highly doubt it..i keep telling myself i just heard dmb play pig, and 1. i don't believe myself, and 2. i get chillbumps. So overall an A+++++ show...even if they ended with a sour note. But im really surprised at how brave they got with not playing: most all everyday songs WOW...this show was great. im taking up too much room so, im telling you again..>GET THIS SHOW!!

Warren E.
All together an excellent show, especially since Dave played a good deal of the set on the 12-string. The first band performance of "Where Are You Going" was beautiful, as was "Grace is Gone". Dave did an excellent job of mixing Lillywhite and the rest of the albums, nay too much from any one show. The encore was a bit disappointing, "Pig" was nice but two step or 41 would have been a better clincher and he was'nt on stage very long (about 2 hours). However, great energy and Dave seemed to be real revved up, dancing all over the place. It was nice after last summer's everyday prescence to see Dave back to variety. Overall a great show, looking forward to rest of tour.

Craig B.
Wow.. The boys are back and there ready to kick total ass .. Too much as a opener was a great choice to get the energy going. Followed by WWYS,.. I thot once I heard "I did it" I was going to leave but they followed it up with "Busted" one of my favorites from the lillywhites..There will be no lovely ladies this tour but butch was straight up jammin. I thot raven was a great choice , they havent wipped out that song since the 2000 summer tour.The new song is great to hear live with the whole band "WAYG" everybody will love it..Drive in Drive out was hellorious I didnt catch the whole lyric but dave goes"You know your fucking stoned" and everybody went crazy....Bartender and warehouse and PNP!!!!!!!

Joel
This show was in one word, amazing! My hat goes off to Leroi for his phenomenal solos all night including a piccolo solo on Bartender, wow. Also, Dave's awesome dancing had the crowd going nuts all night. The band had a great setlist with a lot of Lillywhite songs that, as always, sounded great in concert, expecially Bartender and Grace. Hearing Where Are You Going for the first time live with the entire band was really neat and I'm sure it will be a crowd favorite very quickly. PNP/Rapunzel was the best version I have ever heard with astounding solos and an all out jam at the end, the crowd was just going insane. And after the encore, he played Don't Burn the Pig, which was absolutely incredible, it was great. All in all, this was a great show, worth every penny, and if this tour opener is any indication of how the other shows will be, then this tour will definitely be one for the ages!

Wendy L.
Band came on at 8:14 pm. I sat in Section 111, row K, with the legendary Jay. We eventually moved one row ahead, next to Kristen (cartergirl) and her boyfriend Jeff. It was so fun to see a show, sitting in reserved but having nancies on each side of me! Don't think that's ever happened! General comments: Dave looked great as usual, pretty much exactly like he did in Listener Supported - navy long sleeved shirt and black jeans. Boyd was wearing a white sleeveless shirt with gold pants. Carter was wearing his Jordan 23 jersey, with a shirt underneath, I think. It was hard to see him behind his drumset, it seems to have grown and is almost a solid fortress. Leroi wore sunglasses -- duh. Stefan was doing the long hair/dinner jacket/Stewart Copeland thing, it was interesting. He lost the jacket for the better after the first song. Despite his 80s appearance, he looked good. Cartergirl observed that he's still wearing his wedding band. Butch's hair is long too. The band is taking on somewhat of a hippie look. Word is that there will be no Lovely Ladies for the entire tour due to money issues, but Butch will be with the band for the long haul. Between Jay and I, we called just about every song they played right before they played it, just from hearing a few chords, one note, or even just on a hunch. 1. Too Much. Band was visibly thrilled to be playing again! They seemed a lot more comfortable and excited than they did at SLC. Then again, it was about 70 degrees warmer at MCI than it was at the Medals Plaza. Carter especially was just beaming. 2. What Would You Say. "Mom it's my birthday..." thought of bluecow -- it was his birthday too! 3. I Did It. Standard IDI, but Boyd picked at his fiddle more than usual, what do they call that -- piccato? I dunno. Davespeak: "I hope this evening finds you in the best of ways here in the capitol city of loooooooooooove." 4. Busted Stuff. A relatively obscure DMB song (Jay knew off the top of his head that the last time it was played was 9/15/00), although since it will be on the next album, it will be played a lot this tour. Boyd picked his fiddle a lot in this one too. 5. Raven. Same thing as Busted Stuff...I only had to turn and look at Jay and he said, "9/20/00." Raven has vastly improved. Leroi adds a little raven caw for effect! Dave then thanked the organizations invited to the concert (so that's what happened to all the MCI floor seats!) -- Worldwatch, Music Matters and of course, Ben and Jerry's. Dave sings in a very spooky voice, "it's getting very warm in here..." 6. Warehouse! AAAhhhhhhhhhh! Before a certain encore song, this was the highlight of the night. Leroi did an awesome solo. Dave introduced the next song, "This is the first time this song is played with all of us." OOOOoooooooooh! Of course it was -- 7. Where Are You Going? This was soooooooo good with the band! Butch adds some nice keys, Boyd adds sweetness and Leroi has a little solo with Butch backing him up. It is sweeeeet. Looking forward to hearing that one about, oh, 32 more times through Vancouver. 8. Drive In Drive Out -- Awesome! So much energy! Was a delight. I was reminded what a great song it is live. 9. New Song. "Go ahead and break it..." We all looked at eachother scratching our heads on this one. It was a short song, maybe even a long intro. sortof funky scat. 10. The Space Between. Standard TSB. Only getting two Everyday songs was almost as much as a gift as the encore. 11. Rhyme and Reason. Oh my God, this was so funny! Dave fucked up the beginning -- he started the first line, "Oh well..." too early...and he tried to cover it up by singing just "Oh well..." again the next time....and Carter just starts laughing his ass off like, good cover up, Dave! 12. Big Eyed Fish --> (question - how do you tell the difference between BEF and FMM? Is there a difference?) 13. Bartender --> This was the best version of Bartender I've ever heard. It was pretty long, as usual, longest song of the concert -- 12 minutes. Dave was so soulful. Awesome Roi solo. Very powerful performance. Near the end, Jay turns to me and says, "Is it just me, or is Dave playing Grace is Gone?" I listened. "It's just you." 14. Grace is Gone. Doh -- my bad! 15/16. Pantala Naga Pampa -->Rapunzel. But I called this one after one note. I think I could kick ass in DMB "Name That Tune." I don't know if anyone else noticed this, and maybe I can check this if I ever get a hold of this show, but it seemed to me that Dave erroneously repeated a verse he had already sung, which required them to repeat the entire chorus that followed. Did that make any sense??? Then they left the stage. "So Jay, what do you think they'll play for the encore?" Jay threw up his hands. "I dunno, Pig?" "Yeah, right." Encore: After they took the stage again Dave growled in the microphone. Jay said, "This is going to be good, whatever it is." 17. PIG. I almost fainted. Kristen, Jay and I were hugging eachother, squealing and jumping up and down like schoolgirls! I mean, I was hoping for a Pig at some point during the tour, but opening night??? And they launched right into it -- no tease intro or anything! Maybe it had something to do with the fact that there were no Pig signs anywhere!!! 18. Don't Drink the Water. Awesome, just as it was in SLC (my favorite song at SLC.) They ended at about 10:15, so it was about a two-hour show. Pretty short, but still, awesome! I mean, they could have played ANYTHING and Pig and I am elated! See you at PSU tonight!

Joel N.
Here's a quick summation of last night's show: From Section 109, Row A: Too Much- Standard version, good, energetic opener. WWYS- Standard again...good energy... I Did It- This song really brings a set down. I think by now DMB would notice that no one really likes it, the crowd just stands around... Busted Stuff- The apparent title track to the new CD sounds great. DMB really made some nice additions to this one. LeRoi really tears it up on the winds and sax. A few new lyrics. Raven- Another reincarnation, this song has been well reworked, lots of added parts for Roi again. Warehouse- Great song, crowd really into it. Stop time intro rocked. Where Are You Going- The full band version of this song shows exactly why the Dave Matthews Band has been successful-- because Dave Matthews can write a fairly simple rhythm guitar piece with good lyrics, and Boyd, LeRoi, Carter and Stefan can turn it into a well-rounded, jazzy song. I really like this tune, the lyrics aren't great, but its new and it sounds like old school DMB, and I like that. At this point, the band went into a freestyle rap jam, with Dave making up some scat lyrics about a bunch of stuff including smoking, this might be on the new CD, who knows. It was pretty cool... Drive- Good standard version, crowd really into it...Carter rocked this one. Space Between- This has been developed into a pretty good song. Roi again has added a nice clarinet solo into the end, this song is alot better than it was last summer. R&R- Intense version, really enjoyed this one. Pretty standard, perhaps a bit more from Roi than in years past. Fish>Bartender>Grace- This was intense, crowd loved Bartender. Pennywhistles on the segueways, during which Dave switched from 12 to 6 strings for Grace. Grace included a sweet solo from Roi. PNP>Rapunzel- Intense, good solos, crowd really into it. Encore: Don't Burn the Pig- Holy shit. After 3 years, the Pig returns, I couldn't believe it for the first few notes...this is such a great song, glad to see it back in concert. DDTW- I really like this song now that it's not played every night. It's pretty intense, and this version included a pretty sweet bass/gong Native sounding introduction...I was hoping the intro was for Last Stop...but DDTW rocked. Overall- Pretty good energy and setlist. The best part was knowing that Everyday will most likely be an insignificant part of DMB shows from now on. Most importantly, the reworked Lillywhite Sessions songs were excellent, WAYG is a great tune, and I'm looking forward to the CD and more shows this summer.

Britt M.
god what a relief...i was going through withdrawal i think, and what a great show. slow starting out but warehouse kicked my ass into action. i was disapppointed when dave didn't yell out raven like they usually do...where are you going with the band is a classic waiting to hatch...drive in drive out, great to hear after so long...TSB, typical...rhyme and reason, grrrrreat to hear...BEF>Bartender, predictable but bartender is one i so wanted...GIG was a tear jerker for me considering a loss i've suffered in the past year...and then PNP>RPZNL was a curious closer right at the end of the show, however welcome...and then...PIG!!!!!!!!!! wow what a first encore out of the blue, i almost nutted in my pants, omigod, so long overdue, and so worth the wait...and then DDTW...actually i loved it as a final closer, some friends of mine were pissed that they didn't play another one...all in all, i loved the opener...see ya'll at Penn, can't wait for Toronto, Charlotte, Raleigh, VA Beach...-YourDixieChicken

John A.
what an awesome show, very fun and energetic, as the band was ON tonight. They all seemed to be really enjoying themselves, and it showed in their performance. The crowd was great, they were really into it the whole time and there was no nastiness (i.e. stage rushing, fighting, general rudeness). Note on songs: Too Much as an opener, wow... never would've called it. It was played well though and it started the show out on the right track. What Would You Say was great as always, it was a surprise to come right after Too Much. I was hoping for no I Did It, but it was pretty painless. Busted Stuff and Raven have really been tampered with (for the better) and sounded sweet, should be very special additions to the album. Where Are You Goin is awesome, one of my new favorties. Warehouse was yet another surprise, never heard it live and have always wanted to, it was played well. The Space Between was fine. Rhyme & Reason really is a great live song. Big Eyed Fish-Bartender-Grace is Gone was one of the greatest things I've lived through. The crowd was surprising behind it 100% and it sounded amazing. Drive In Drive Out was completely unexpected but again, never heard it live before and glad I finally have. PNP-->Rapunzel was a great way to end the set, very energetic and just a good all-around song. The encore was great, Pig really made it, though. I never thought I would hear Pig completely played at a show, but now I can die happy. I heard 'em play it in sound check earlier in the day but didn't think it'd make the set... thank God it did, they could've come out and played Pig and only Pig and I'd go home happy. Don't Drink the Water was great and I'm glad it made the set, but I think they could've ended on a better note... like Ants, Billies, Nancies, or Two Step. Oh well, it rocked the house. Overall, I was disappointed to not hear Nancies, Billies, Two Step, 41, So Right, or any of my other favorites, but it was still a great show that I'll always remember.

Mike K.
First of all...the vibes at MCI were great. the boys took the stage around 8:15 or 8:20 i believe. i knew it was going to be a good night when carter stood on his drum platform and began jumping up and down like crazy! i'd heard he had been sick recently...but this layed any fears of sickness to rest! dave was walking around and making all kinds of gestures and faces. the band was completely ready to play for this crowd tonight. they all had huge smiles. well, the anticipation level was through the roof at this point...and the opener is... Too Much - crowd went nuts when the song kicked in! the 2002 tour had offically started. really had everyone moving. dave did a sweet little scat/yell right before the "suck it up suck it up" part. pretty standard...high energy - What Would You Say - very nice...taking it back to the old school. crowd was really into this one as well. great version of the tune...and just like every WWYS of 2001...Roi and Carter went apeshit on the bridge....awesome I Did It - i saw the electric come out, and was thinking so right or when the world ends. dave did a so right "tease" and had me psyched...then they busted into i did it. normal version, with boyd adding some plucking. butch adds a cool feel to the song. dave mouthed the words and let the crowd sing on the last "i just did it for my buzz" line. i figured while the electric was on, we'd here some more Everyday songs, but that wasn't the case. (dave actually changed guitars a lot during the night) Busted Stuff - caught me by surprise...pleasant surprise! a real treat to get to hear this one again. it really is a sexy tune. dave did a nice job on the scat at the end...and it faded away via that great slow, cool jam. band had a lot of fun with this one. energy's still really high. i think it was after Busted Stuff that Dave did a 2 1/2 minute scat jam thing. he started, and the band followed quickly...the tech crew was definitely not expecting this. i assumed at the time that it was a cover tune and they were just messing around. lyrics were something along the lines of "they make a law, then you brake it" or something. there's a better interpretation in another thread around here somewhere. got me. Raven - couldn't believe it. i heard a few notes, but figured dave was just messing around. then they just bust into it! i honestly thought of the boards for a minute, because i knew so many people would be going nuts watching the real time setlist. great version...nice to have some solid lyrics. this may not make sense...but the rhythm and flow with which dave sang the new words sounded really cool. very similar to the 2000 version, but he just used some really cool vocal patterns. couldn't make out many of the words..seemed to be a story. i did hear "you have questions, well i have the truth" or something like that. really jammed out version...the band had a blast with that one. crowd was luke warm to it for the most part. Warehouse - heard the stop time and the crowd goes wild! stephan was throwing his fist in the air for the "woos" and carter would turn around and point at the crowd in the back with both arms! stephan and carter were all about the "woos" tonight. pretty standard version...high energy...crowd was rockin! Where Are You Going - dave introduced it as a quiet song that the band was playing together for the first time. i knew it would be WAYG, and man did it groove! started out dave solo, then a few symbol hits (much like seek up intro) and the band came in. awesome work by carter...using a high-hat/snare roll beat. roi used the pennywhistle throughout it, which sounded great. i saw him tune it right before the song, and thought we'd get bartender...but no complaints here. the crowd was really into the song...came off sounding great. kinda of mix of grace and crash. beautiful...can't wait to hear the album version. Drive In Drive Out - another one that sends the crowd energy through the roof! carter went insane. dave threw in some cool lyrics. saying the word "fuck" really gets everyone going! jumbo-tron did some cool work with this one. The Space Between - electric came on again, and i was wondering when i'd see that happen. i had no idea what they'd bust out with, and it was nice to hear space between. nothing special...butch sounds great on that one. crowd grooved to it. Rhyme & Reason - man...this is beginning to feel like an old school dave show with a lot of these older tunes! great version. dave had 2 false starts and gave the band the "oops...oh well" look as he laughed it off. he finally came in at the right place, and the crowd was loving this version. great lights! Big Eyed Fish --> - i saw the 12 string come out again, and figured we'd hear some more lillywhites. i heard a few notes when dave was messing around, and knew what was coming. great version of the song. a few minor lyric changes, but pretty much the same as 2001. band was really together on how many times thay'd play the "no waaaaay" part before hitting the chorus(they goofed it a few times last year..but really have it down now). only dissapointment - dave left out the "stay up in your fuckin' tree" line. now it's just "every monkey should know to stay up in your tree" oh well...great tune with a nice outro by carter. then roi does it up pennywhistle style for - Bartender --> - i turned to my friend and told her it'd be the show-stopper, and was it ever. the crowd was so-so on Big Eyed Fish, but as soon as bartender started...the energy went higher than ever! great version...awesome whailing by dave. camera work was really great...close ups on his face. crowd was screaming their asses off with dave. amazing. i got so lost in the music...and just kept thinking that at that particular moment...being at that DMB show was the most fun thing in the world. Grace Is Gone - during the outro of Bartender...i thought i heard dave fuckin with the grace chords. i knew this had never been done, so i thought maybe i was hearing things. it was great being so close...cause as i watched his face, i could tell that dave was really trying to let everyone know he wanted to do this. i think grace was next in the setlist, but i don't think they intended to go right into it. after a few tries, and finally walking over to carter and stephan...they got the message. had some 16 year old girls trying to sing this one behind me, but whatever. they stopped after a while. jumbo tron broke on this one. sweet version...real tight. as the band jammed it out at the end, dave walked all the way around to the back of the stage to show some love to the fans in back! crowd loved it. PNP --> YES! crowd went wild! i figured rapunzel would end the first set, and i was really looking forward to the jam at the end Rapunzel - man...the band went nuts! very high energy, but standard version. then they broke into the end jam and dave was all over the place. they had a blast with this one. crowd was loving every minute and dancing like mad encore time - Pig - the whole band came out, and i thought we might hear a new tune. crowd was cheering so loud that carter had to make the count-in last extra long so everyone could hear. as soon as they started this tune, it was great. i again thought of all the people on the boards that must be going nuts. this was a flawless version of the song...no mess ups at all. i figured they might have trouble, but apparently they'd been practicing. dave was rewarding all the patient fans with this one. carter went absolutely crazy at the end and dave was just screaming "love love love". it was magical. the band was really glad to give us this one. flawless. Don't Drink The Water - i heard the tom intro by carter and knew it was coming. the way dave was tuning...it was either going to be this or last stop. last stop would have been cool, but i figured we'd get the water tune. dave's dacing was at a level i've never seen at this one. he went nuts throughout the ENTIRE song...dancing his ass off while singing. insane energy...awesome version. the vibe at the MCI center was AWESOME. the band left and i was one happy camper. amazing night

Tom
The show was fantastic. I saw the final show in SLC of the summer tour and now his first of the Spring. They are in rare form, lots of stuff from Lillywhite, very nice. For some reasion I thought that this show was shorter than others I had been too, but who knows. As always it was worth every penny. You are in for a treat this Spring with Dave and the boys.

Adam M.
There's really no logical way to start this review, but I must say that Dave was in dancing mode tonight. I won't go through each song, most were pretty standard, except Warehouse, where they did the stop-time intro. Stefan and Carter were pumping there fists (Carter even turned around and was pointing at the audience behind them.) WAYG was soooooo awesome. I'm honored to be part of the 20,000+ first people to hear it full band. Like I said elsewhere, it's a lot like "Granny" in that it doesn't feature Boyd or Roi that much. Drive In, Drive Out was a special surprise. It's a definite song that sounds GREAT live. THEN CAME THE BEST: BEF->Bartender->Grace is Gone. The most beautiful three songs put together EVER I think. Rapunzel closed the set with an awesome build-up at the end. Carter (who was sporting a Wizards' Michael Jordan jersey) goes crazy on that song, and Dave was having seizures up on the stage. (Rapunzel was also the only song that I thought Butch added anything, too.) After they left stage, they came back on and played Pig. Yes, Pig. In it's entirety. The setlist on the DMBTA says it's "Don't Burn the Pig" (which I thought was a more primitive version of Pig) but the only reason I would tend to believe they called DBTP was because Dave wasn't using the same chords he uses for Pig. =P Regardless, the only complaints I have is that they didn't play any old school stuff (No Ants, Two Step, #41, Billies, ...) which also took away from awesome solos from Boyd and Roi. I had great seats, too: Sect. 120, Row K, Seat 4. PERFECT view of the whole stage. OTHER SPECIAL THINGS: I saw a group of people holding up a South Africa flag (though Dave didn't respond to it) and he alluded to Ben & Jerry. He said something about "Thank you all for being so nice tonight, we haven't played a gig in a while." There was also a couple weird breakdown jams in between songs, like in between DIDO and TSB. PEACE OUT FELLAS!

Tim K.
MCI Center . . . The Return of 2000! Dave and the Boys seemed genuinely happy (especially Dave) to be back on stage, and they finally kicked their Ballard habit except for the 2 singles I Did It and Space Between. Lots of stuff off the new album . . . Busted Stuff was Jammed out, Raven ?!?!?!? Noice! as soon as Dave started Big Eyed Fish I knew Bartender was coming, which was cool, but Bartender into Grace? Sweeeeeeeet! And the best part was Where Are You Going with the whole band . . . PNP>Rapunzel was kind of a downer for a closer, I was hoping for LIOG or Ants. I knew the encore would be awesome, but I figured it would be something quick and then a loonnnnng Two Step since they hadn't been playing that long . . well, the encore was awesome, but that was due to a full length, full band Pig, Dave definitely has a great sense of humor, after teasing it all last year, The boys finally busted it out. DDTW was great, but I was hoping for a 2Step . . . ahhh well. All in all a great opener (way better than the "everyday opener" of Charlottesville last year), I can't wait to see them in Philly next week, and the new album is gonna be awesome . . . They're ba-ack (and it's about time)

Smitty
Oh god, all i could say was Damn for like 30 minutes. just Damn damn damn.////so yeah, yerba buena was okay. i enjoy cuban music so it was nice for me, but not many others.////Okay, stefan came out wearing the funniest jacket ever. it was like a long grey suede or something jacket. i didnt get a pic, he took it off after the first song. funniest. also, butch's hair has grown thick, and he reminded me of someone from the 80s.////very short show actually, total time like 2 hours 15 minutes.////There was about a 2 minute Scat Jam in the middle of the show, i forget where though. It seemed like even the crew was totally confused. there was no video on the screens, only lights going, and not crazy. The whole band was in on it, and dave was saying stuff like "If it's hard, fake it" "if its not, make it" "if it's a bad law, break it, if it'll get you high, smoke it...etc"/////Too Much * -> Surprised many of us, was cool though. I love butch's effects on it. Was kinda expecting like Too Much ->astb-> whatever, but they just ended. However, crowd was pumped.////What Would You Say * -> Cool as always, I seem to have a knack for getting this song at my shows...////I Did It * -> Dave pulled out the electric and i became dismayed. He definitely strummed the chords to So Right (you can ask anyone), so i enjoy so right, but he just went into IDI. nothing special, whatever. You could see the crowd definitely wasn't that energized by it though, unlike the first two songs./////Busted Stuff * -> Wow. came out of nowhere. Very cool, butch was there on the keys and it sounded good. I haven't listened to BS in a while, so i can't say for sure what was different than old versions.////Raven * -> Suck me sideways. Good god, I went apeshit. Everyone around me and tom was like wtf who are these kids. I was bouncing everywhere. The lyrics were good, very new too./////Warehouse * -> WOO! hehehe, my first warehouse, so i was happy. Nothing different about this version, but the Woos were comin from all around.////Where Are You Going * -> Full Band first time. Very cool, very relaxed. Roi took a nice little part in it. Same lyrics basically as before./////Drive In Drive Out * -> woohoo. another song I had never heard before. Dave was making quite possibly the funniest faces on the screen i had ever seen. full of energy and good stuff.////The Space Between * -> yada yada yada/////Rhyme & Reason -> at the beginning, dave like came in early or messed up or something, so he said "oh well oh well" once, then walked away from the mic, came back said it again, walked away with a grin on his face, and came back and then started the song all giddy. good stuff. another first for me./////Big Eyed Fish -> lyrics here and there have been modified, but same storyline. such a fun song/////Bartender * -> very emotion packed. Epic as always./////Grace Is Gone * -> VERY COOl. no stdh -> GIG woohoo. I heard the first chords of GIG during the bartender outro and was like no way. then like 30 sec! s later, i heard them again, and then like 10 secs later. Very interesting stuff./////Pantala Naga Pampa * Rapunzel * -> SOOOOOOOO MUCH Energy. great closer///////__________________/////Dont Burn The Pig * -> AHHHHHHHHH @#%@$#%#@$^@#$. While waiting for the encore, we were like, will there be dave solo, full band, etc? Full band comes out, and earlier in the night, we had been saying Pig for the encore. But then it slipped our minds. So we're like, hmmmm, what will first song be. And then, Hu ti ah! Oh dear god, i went ballistic. IT was INCREDIBLE. full of energy. i was screaming the lyrics, and at the end, the whole band, especially carter, went crazy. it was awesome.////Don't Drink the Water * -> standard, cool intro, i was surprised this finished the show, but at the very end they jammed hard.//// OVERALL THE SHOW WAS AMAZING, AND SHOULD NOT BE TALKED DOWN. THIS IS THE BAND WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE. THE ENERGY WAS THERE, DAVE WAS DANCING LIKE A MADMAN TONIGHT, AND THE SETLIST NOBODY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PREDICT.

Mike B.
Just got in from tonites show and holy shit what an awesome show it was. Opened it up with a solid Too Much but then i got worried when the next two songs were singles also. i thought it was going to end up like the olympics show. Highlights were definaly finally getting to hear PIG again. i dont think theyve played it in 2 or 3 years so it was real sweet hearing the whole song and not just a tease. Also they band did a nice improv jam sometime during the show. and they havnt been doing that too much in the last couple tours. One dissappointment...Show was just a little over 2 hours long. ended at 10:25 which seemed kinda early considering the summer tour, each show was atleast 2 and a half hours long. but overall it was one kick ass show.

Dan C.
What a show! We got to the MCI Center in time to hear the soundcheck (I'm not sure if it was the whole thing) and we heard Busted Stuff and a new song (they didn't play it in the set). The opener was pretty groovin'. On to the show: the boys came out around 8:15. Too Much was a pretty energetic version, same for WWYS. I Did It was I Did It... not much to say about it, it wasn't bad. Now's when the fun started: Busted Stuff. I can't say this comeback surprised me since I heard it during the soundcheck, but it was still AWESOME! Dave didn't sing the "she my one" part, but instead did some scat kind of stuff. There was a nice long jam at the end of this one, with a nice Roi solo. Raven surprised me. It was cool, I don't know if he's still improvising the lyrics or if they're pretty set in stone now that it's (probably) been recorded, but the lyrics were pretty cool. I was disappointed that he has taken the falsetto part out of the song, that was always my favorite par! t, but the song is still beautiful. Next Dave (maybe Carter too?) started goofin around and Dave was singing something about "it's startin to get warm in here" or something like that, which segued into Warehouse. A great Warehouse, at that. Before WAYG Dave said that "This is the first time all of us have played this song." And it sounds really good with the whole band. Yes, he did leave the Superman line in there =P Carter went nuts on DIDO, as always... and Dave had some cool little verses in there... Space Between was standard.... Rhyme and Reason was great... Big Eyed Fish was cool, except he left out the "fucking tree" part... I hope he puts that back in in the future, it was always funny. The pennywhistle segue between BEF and Bartender was either hard to hear or just not very much to it... Bartender was BADASS like always, and the pennywhistle on this was much better. Dave switched guitars near the end of Bartender so I figured they was going to segue it with ! something, and it ended up being Grace Is Gone, which was VERY NICE to have without being paired with Sleep To Dream Her. This one was jammed on for a pretty long time as well. PNP->Rapunzel was the highlight of the show (so far)... that man is a dancin' fool! Butch was really gettin into this one too -- it's one of the best versions I've heard, if not the best. After an amazing set, Dave said goodnight and the band left the stage a few minutes to 10:00. They came back on 4 minutes later and kind of stood around talking for a few minutes. Then they played Pig. I was speechless, it sounds a LOT better than it used to, perhaps just because it hasn't been played in a few years, but it just seemed to sound a lot better. Dave sang "Don't burn the pig" instead of "Don't burn the day".... I guess that's what they're calling the song now. After this Dave tuned down to dropped-D, so I knew we were in for a DDTW, but he started playing something else, and the rest of the band joined in too. It had lyrics, kind of in the vein of the Some Do/Some Don't intro for Recently, I don't really remember them, but I think it was something like "If it's a good time/If it's a bad time" etc. It didn't feel like a full song to me, because of the lyrics, so I figured it was an intro, but then they stopped playing before going into DDTW, so I guess it was just a jam... we'll see if it comes up again tomorrow night. Don't Drink the Water was great, I love that song, so it was a wonderful way to close out a wonderful show. There were two instances of feedback during the show, which hurt the ears, but that'll be fun to have on the tape. Butch has moved to stage right, and Boyd wasn't as far over as he normally is. Dave didn't mention any of the other guys except Carter ("That's my friend Carter Beauford on the drums") which I thought was interesting he didn't even introduce Butch. The crowd around me was pretty good, everybody was standing except the four girls next to me who just smoked and talked on their cell phones the whole time, but that's cool they weren't obnoxious. I was a BIT disappointed that there were no old songs played (nothing from R2T) but the set was amazing nonetheless, so that's PERFECTLY okay! And I was QUITE relieved to not see the crew set up 3 microphones on stage right ;) This should be a SPECTACULAR tour and I can't wait for the new album! Peace y'all -Dan-

Richard S.
band seemed bored. audience sucked. more energy needed. no big jams (no jimi thing, two step, 41); thank god for only 2 everyday songs, glad they didn't play more. too bad it was a boring show, hopefully they'll be better.

Larry C.
Wow, really good show, though I must say like everyone else there I was shocked at the setlist--particularly for opening night of the new tour. I mean, are you serious: only 2 Everyday tunes compared to the six Lillywhite/new tunes? I mean, I know the new album's finally coming out soon, but I figured on opening night Dave would go all radio on us. But Raven and Busted Stuff coming out of left field? Pig's return? I mean holy shit. That said, I wish there were a few more jam songs (esp. Lie In, def. Two Step, a bit of Jimi Thing or even Stay). It was a great, high energy opening no doubt, and a teriffic, though def. shocking ending, with Dont Drink the Water ending it. When was the last time he ended with that? Anyway, onto the individual songs: Too Much--delighted to hear it as an opener, good choice to open the new tour. Definitely high energy. The same can be said for the next two, WWYS and even I Did It. I was actually surprised that I was singing a long to t! hat one. Both were cool to get the crowd into it. Then the new ones...wow. Busted Stuff--def. has got the same mellow groove I heard it had before. Nice, but kinda shortter than what i was expecting. Raven-- I've always enjoyed, though I was def. blown away when I heard the opening notes; I couldn't believe they were playing that. Different lyrics than on Lillywhite, but then again, that Cd was really made about 2 yrs ago almost. Warehouse--tight version, some of the crowd lost on the new ones woke up on this one. Loved the jamming on this one (though I was disappointed that the jamming was only on a few songs tonite). Where Are You Going--nice, cool to hear this one with the whole band, def. different than his solo acoustic one. Can def. become a favortite amongst the ladies. Obviously, we'll see more of this one I'm sure, but really cool. Drive In--really blown when this one started, didn't think they'd play it opening night, awesome version though. Great solos, esp. Carter's drumming of course on this one. TSB--nice, knew they wou ld play it eventually, but it was smooth and def. a crowd pleaser. R&R--holy shit, this is when I knew Dave was laying it all on the line. Never in my imagination did I dream he'd play this one, esp. on Opening Night. Good, fast version, of course some good Dave yells at the end ("Take this needle...")BEF->Bartender--Yes, I was praying for this combo, great job like I knew it. The emotion in Bartender and jamming in this one made the night for me right there. Def. a great one two punch there. The show could have ended there, and I wouldve been happy. GIG--Then a nice mellow Grace follows, (didn't think Dave and the boys ever outro'd into this except from STDH, but tonight they did so from Bartender)and it was short and sweet I knew there would be a fast one next, prob. the closer. PNP->Rapunzel--nice, def. cool way to be ending of first set, such energy in this song! Crowd def. enjoyed it immensely, though I was surprised that the gang hadn't played Stay or Tripping or even Everyday (#36)yet. I guess I therefore expected one of them to follow as the closer...but wow, what an interesting encore. I say interesting b/c it was great but who could have guessed he would pick Pig and DDTW? I mean, come on people, dave pulled a 360 on us there. I was expecting like Waste and Two Step or Ain't It Funny and Ants, or of course Watchtower, but DDTW??? Wow. Dave and the gang def. had some guts tonight. Pig-What a surprise, really nice. DDTW--like Bartender, such emotion, esp. of course on the "Heaven and call it HOME" part Great job overall, and I admit DDTW was especially played well, but I think me and others were expecting a 2nd encore. Anyway, DDTW did prove to be a good closer, tons of energy, just I'm surprised he chose it b/c he hasn't used that one as a closer in some time. But def., they threw us some curveballs in the setlist tonight, and the concert was shorter than last year's at RFK, but hey, great show overall, typically spirited performance from the guys. Great first show, and happy touring f ellas. Definitely glad you're back.

Adam M.
There's really no logical way to start this review, but I must say that Dave was in dancing mode tonight. I won't go through each song, most were pretty standard, except Warehouse, where they did the stop-time intro. Stefan and Carter were pumping there fists (Carter even turned around and was pointing at the audience behind them.) WAYG was soooooo awesome. I'm honored to be part of the 20,000+ first people to hear it full band. Like I said elsewhere, it's a lot like "Granny" in that it doesn't feature Boyd or Roi that much. Drive In, Drive Out was a special surprise. It's a definite song that sounds GREAT live. THEN CAME THE BEST: BEF->Bartender->Grace is Gone. The most beautiful three songs put together EVER I think. Rapunzel closed the set with an awesome build-up at the end. Carter (who was sporting a Wizards' Michael Jordan jersey) goes crazy on that song, and Dave was having seizures up on the stage. (Rapunzel was also the only song that I thought Butch added anything, too.) After they left stage, they came back on and played Pig. Yes, Pig. In it's entirety. The setlist on the DMBTA says it's "Don't Burn the Pig" (which I thought was a more primitive version of Pig) but the only reason I would tend to believe they called DBTP was because Dave wasn't using the same chords he uses for Pig. =P Regardless, the only complaints I have is that they didn't play any old school stuff (No Ants, Two Step, #41, Billies, ...) which also took away from awesome solos from Boyd and Roi. I had great seats, too: Sect. 120, Row K, Seat 4. PERFECT view of the whole stage. OTHER SPECIAL THINGS: I saw a group of people holding up a South Africa flag (though Dave didn't respond to it) and he alluded to Ben & Jerry. He said something about "Thank you all for being so nice tonight, we haven't played a gig in a while." There was also a couple weird breakdown jams in between songs, like in between DIDO and TSB. PEACE OUT FELLAS!

Charlie K.
I've never seen the band live before just heard live albums and live dvds but they were fantastic! I'm not just saying that because it was my first show but it was a solid set list to see them perform to lots of great jams. Who wants to see the band if all they do is play songs and no after jam? The big highlights included Warehouse and the after jam, Rapunzel and the after jam, the first time the enitre band has ever performed where are you going to a crowd and wow was it phenominal! But by far the biggest highlight of the show was Bartender and the jam that followed that stole the show! Only thing I could have wished for was hearing proudest monkey and seeing them perform outside but you can't get everything you want. The only weak part of the show was that they started early so they finished early (10:30) but I guess that evens out. Their could have been a better finisher for the encore then Don't Drink the Water but thats okay, again the version of Bartender and the bands first time playing where are you going was worth the price of admission great stuff at this

Andrew G.
I was thrilled to be at the opening night of the tour. The Too Much-What would you say opener even had the DMB virgin I was with jamming. The sound was excellent although the setlist wasn't the greatest. After that opening there was a lull until an energy packed warehouse picked things back up. What really saved it for me was hearing Grace is gone and Pig, two of my favorites. The sound of those two was incredible. But the band left me starving for more. They cut off at like a quarter to 11. Oh well. I did have a pregnant women ask me to warn her next time I was gonna smoke a joint because she didn't want to expose her newborn child to such things. I guess i wasn't in an outdoor amphitheatre this time. All in all the show was pretty good but of course I need more. But apparently is wasn't good enough to convert the DMB virgin I brought to a dave lover. She sat the whole time so I guess people who love the commercial rap R&B type crap i see o TV are difficult to convert. She did serve my purpose as the designated driver though. Hopefully I can check in again soon, if my medical school schedule allows.

E ".
Overall a good show. It seemed to everyone that it was short, and although it did seem like they played a few less songs, I think moreso there were few if any jams, and no true long jams which was dissapointing. Where are You Going was good and it will be a great single in the next month and after last summer's endless teasings, it was great to finally hear Pig in the encore. I would have liked to not have 2 "Streets" songs close the show and the encore, and the audience clearly wanted a little two step, likely just to get a jam out of the band. As always, there really should be no complaints, and it was a great night. MCI Center was supprising, I had not been for a concert before, and it is so relatively small that it suits the bad well.

Kim S.
A little scary at first, what with Too Much, WWYS and I Did It to start - but with a kinda funky Busted Stuff, then a tight Raven, the boys redeemed themselves quite nicely. Then a high energy Warehouse and crazy jam on DIDO sealed the deal. Powerful BEF-Bartender-Grace Is Gone trio was sweet icing, then a pretty Pig, a rare treat! I found it a little odd to close with DDTW, but all in all the abundance of Lillywhites plus Dave's clear enthusiasm throughout made for a really strong opener for this year's tour!

Anonymous
Amazing show... The lillywhite blend of Big Eyed Fish, Bartender, and Grace is gone was killer. The Rapunzel closer and Warehouse were definitely special. Dave seemed a little awkward, especially when he started the vocals too early on Rhyme and Reason twice, but it was still a killer rendition. Thanks for an amazing show guys.

Anonymous
Hard to say... first off.. it was Dave.. so great time... from where we sat..(nosebleeds) .. the sound didn't seem to filter up clearly... couldn't understand Dave talking between songs.. hard to hear some lyrics until you recognized the tune... that, and the fact that the age group seems to have dipped into middle school.. we sat in teeny bopper land which took away from the usual spirits we have come to expect at a Dave show.... Thought the tempo overall of tunes were a touch too mellow... would have loved to hear a few more upbeat.. just flat out band jams...overall... good show.. again, it's Dave !!! have seen better, we're sure the tour will be great as they tighten the show... compared to past shows.. would give a 3.5/5 ... keep rockin Dave !!!!!!!

Jordan A.
wow, what a way to kick off the spring tour!!! the set list was amazing, consisting of some older hits from the previous albums and 6 songs that will probably be seen on the upcoming album. I must say Leroi was ontop of his game tonight for his solos were absolutely mind blowing and Boyd's energy along w/ dave's "jig" made for an amazing stage show. here's my question: why was butch there?.. he didn't have a solo or anything!!! anyway.. the new song "where are you going" was a very plesant surprise and you could see that the crowd loved it too. in my book its sure to be a top 40 hit for the band. i'd also like to add the 3 songs that were faded together (big eyed fish, bartender, grace is gone) was something that i've never heard from the boys. i've heard the traditional big eyed fish into bartender and i expected that to happen when i heard big eyed fish.. but the fade from bartender to grace is gone caught everybody in the arena off guard, even myself. the hightlight of the show had to be the encore (pig, DDTW) i've never seen pig live before and now i absolutely love it. DDTW was played to the extreme, i don't think i've ever heard it played w/ that much intenisty that i did tonight. overall, an awesome way to kick off the spring tour and i give mad props to the boys for quickly getting everybody into the show w/ the popular songs and then introducing some of the newer stuff so people would be listening

James M.
Well, its the first show of the series. The place was packed. Dave started off strong when he played "Too Much". The rest of the show was excellent. He played 5 songs from the lillywhite sessions also. "Drive In Drive Out" was definately the best version i've ever heard at a dave show. Butch Taylor definately added to the show. I'm not sure, but I heard that Butch Is now an official member of Dave Matthews Band. I sat in section 114... They were warehouse tickets.. When I got my seating arrangements, I was disappointed, but the seats turned out being excellent... it was right to the side of the stage. For the first time, I was able to watch and concentrate on carter playing the drums. Over all, i rate the show about an 8/10... I may be a bit spoiled since last summer.... (6/11/01) I had third row from the stage when it hailed out during the two step encore. The encore at the mci center was "Pig" and "Don't Drink The Water". Both songs were great.. Especially "Pig". He hasn't played that in a while. I was a little dissapinted in the encore because I was hopeing he would play seek up, two step, or watchtower, however all in all, i had a great time and I am looking forward to see him 4/15 & 4/16 at Madison Square Garden.

Paul S.
This was Dave's first show back after a short touring break and he was clearly bottling up energy that released thursday night in the MCI Center. My seats were real close, bu they were slightly behind the stage, but this let me see the crowd going wild and sparking lighters for various purposes. DMB opened with two relatively old songs, Too Much and WWYS, that had plenty of energy. Roi's solo in WWYS was just was awesome.The band was back and upbeat, as Carter sported a Michael Jordan jersey and led the cheers of the crowd. Then they played I did it, followed by 2 off the album coming out this summer, Busted Stuff and Raven. Both of these songs I had heard before, but in concert these songs really come alive and will be big hits on the new album. Warehouse was next, and really got the crowd up again after the 2 slower songs. Carter led the fans in cheers in the beginning. Next was the song that will be the next single, it was really good live as well. This was the first time Dave played Where Are You Goin with the boys. DIDO, TSB, R&R followed then back to 3 songs off the upcoming album, Big Eyed Fish, Bartender, and Grace Is Gone. They then finished the set with PNP-->Rapunzel which was really rockin. The crowd cheered so loud for a while, lighting lighters till dave led the band back onstage for the encore. They played Dont Burn the Pig, which they hadnt played since 99, which was a nice surprise. Finally they ender with DDTW, ending the triumphant return of the band to touring. More songs from the upcoming album along with classics makes for a great concert!

Jason W.
well, this was my 13th DMB concert and i must say that it was up there with one of the best. a pretty good setlist, but more importantly, the band played every song with tons of energy and emotion. i haven't seent hem have this much fun in a while. i was hoping for a grey street opener, but TOO MUCH did just fine, dave was dancing around like a maniac. a good way to start off the show, the crowd was really into this one. next came WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, and once again theboys were having tons of fun and th crowd loved every second of it. next i saw dave bring ou the electric so i knew it was time for an everyday song. i was hoping for so right, and i even heard dave tease it, but then they busted right into I DID IT, which was pretty standard. not that i'm complaining, but if i could have changed one thing about tonight it would have been so right for this one. next they surprised us with BUSTED STUFF and RAVEN. it was good to see these back in the setlist. this was my first busted stuff so i was really excited. re-worked a bit, bette than th 2000 versons i have heard. same for raven, seemed like there were now permanent lyrics, this one was very good. then came WAREHOUSE. before they started this one dave did a little intro talking about "its getting warmin here," in reference to there global warming campaign im sure. this classic was also very good. WHERE ARE YOU GOING? was also very nice, and sounded good for the first time the bnd had played it together. DRIVE IN, DRIVE OUT had isane energy. dave was flying around thestage once again, and carter was ripping it up. then they did a little improv jam which was lso pretty cool. dave kept saying "if its a bad law, break it" and "if its a good time, take it." thy went on for a couple of minutes, pretty cool. then came THE SPACE BETWEEN which was also standard but very good, the crowd ate it up. then came one of the best highlights of the show, BIG EYED FISH-->BARTENDER-->GRACE IS GONE. all 3 f these were absolutley beautiful. i can't wait to here this stuff on teh new album. they closed the set with an energy packed RAPUNZEL. i actually haven't enjoyed this song this the 98' tour, but this reallygt the crowd going. good way to end the set. then came the most interesting part of the show. they started out theencore with PIG. i was vey happy to se them bring his back, and you could tell they had been practicing. it sounded amazing. boyd was on, dave was on, and carter was ripping shit up again. great song tat was played to perfection. they closed with DON'T DRINK THE WATER. not the closer i would have picked, but really, really good anyway. dave was really fired up for this one. it sounded great, lots of emotion, and the crowd eally liked it. overall, this was one of the best shows i have ever seen regarding energy, and it was a pretty good setlist too. the best part about it all was seeing the boys having a great time - smiling, laughing, dancing. after the show it was all high fives, smiles, and hugs. truely a great thing to watch. highlights were busted stuff, raven, DIDO, WAYG, BEF-->bartender-->grace, and pig. and most of all, the energy they played with.

Mike
Well the disappointment of the length of this show (just over 2 hours) was outdone by the great setlist. We got the first Pig in years and the first ever playing of Where Are You Going with all the boys. PLUS Fish->Bartender->Grace is Gone..Another first. Everything was well played and the band was tight, but there were no long jams at all. The only jam was Bartender and that was cut short to go into Grace is Gone. Rapunzel was a strong closer and Pig sent most of the crowd crazy. DDTW was a strange choice for a closer and for a second I thought we were going to get a quiet one and then Watchtower or Ants or something, but no dice. Besides the length of the show I can't complain. We had great seats and a great crowd. They were REALLY loud but well-behaved during the songs. One last thing..Between R&R and Fish Dave was just messing around on the guitar and Carter gave him a beat, then Stefan joined in and they just messed around for a few minutes. Dave was singing something, cant really remember what he was saying but at one point something about smokin' a bowl and everyone went nuts! Can't wait for MSG!!!!

Ben M.
the band stepped on stage at 8:15 joined by butch taylor, who remained onstage for the show's entirety. they opened with an unexpected too much. next was a jammin wwys. dave strapped on the baritone and teased so right (he would continue to tease songs that weren't being played and keep everyone on their toes unlike last year when he would tease the song they were about to play) but instead, to my dismay, they played i did it. next were some lillywhites as dave put on his 12 string. busted stuff... awesome! raven... fuckin a! then came one of the hightpoints of my night. WAREHOUSE!!! dave began this rendition w/ a never-before heard solo intro. the whole song had me dancing dave-style uncontrolloby. next was where r u going which sounded great with the whole band. the band proceeded with a high-energy DIDO. then the band played a sweet new jam where dave strummed a muted rythm complete with lyrics and a vocal melody. Next dave let out a humorous chuckle then started up TSB which was played very well. R+R followed. as dave sang "i see heavan" i took it all in... the smell of KB, the happily dancing people, the flashing bright lights, looked like heavan to me! next was BEF followed by BARTENDER!!! seeing the band jammin out and dave screaming at the top of his lungs was overwhelming. dave switched from a 12 to 6 string near the end of bartender and went right into Grace. they really jammed out this one and at one point dave walked around the back of the stage much to the delight of those sitting behind the stage. next was another highlight of my night. PNP into RAPUNZEL!!! no words can explain how elated my friends and i were as we danced away! near the end of the jam carter put on a show... he wiped his face with a towel while keepin the groove with one hand and at one point threw a stick high up in the air. dave was dancin all over stage, as he had been doing a whole lot durin the night, which got the crowd cheering at the top of their lungs. the band stepped off and returned to a frenzied crowd and they... played... PIG!!! indeed the "blessed sip of life" was more than enough. carter, clad in his jordan jersey, was drummin away on his cymbals. next stefan reached for his slide and chills went down my spine in anticipation of watchtower. instead stefan placed the slide back down and dave tuned to drop-d. they finished off the night w/ a high energy DDTW which left me more than satisfied. what a great show to start off 2002! thank you DMB! see y'all in Boston!!!

Jeffrey M.
After surviving the ugliness that was the D.C. traffic, my crew made it to the MCI Center in only 4 hours (we came from western VA). A short while later, we finally made it to our seats to hear the end of Yerba Buena's set. A cool band, but I can't say too much because I only heard a half a song. 8:14: lights go down, Dave and the boys on stage. To be honest, the first thing I noticed was that Boyd, while wearing very tight brown pants, is a very big black *man*. Dave was onstage in what can only be described as a playful manner, waving his hands up and down as to entice the crowd. Looking to Fonzie, I see that he has decided to grow his hair out. Verdict: Looks Good. Continuing my pan across the stage I see that Roi is in his usual mild-mannered state of mind and Carter is in his same happy-go-lucky manner. After a minute to pump the crowd, the boys go into TOO MUCH. Quite a surprise if I may say. I surely didn't expect this as the opener for the tour, but it was very cool. This is probably a foreshadowing of how the tour will be, very surprising. After a good WWYS, Dave brings out the electric and tunes for what can only be guessed as to be So Right, but alas, he turned to Carter (implying a song change), and then turned back starting into I DID IT. Not my favorite, but a catchy tune and a crowd pleaser. Moving on we go into the seldom-played BUSTED STUFF. I absolutely loved this song. Listening to it, it's not hard to tell that the boys have put some woodshedding into it and changed a few things, giving away that they have worked on it in the studio for the new album. Moving on we go into the underground classic RAVEN. One word can describe this: Lyrics. Yep, that's right, the song has definite words now. I like it. Lots and lots of work has been put into this song, and it has paid off because this song was a hit and surely will continue to be. Continuing on we here a brief into, and then straight into the stop time of WAREHOUSE. This was amazing. Even Roi was into it, as to he decided to lose his sunglasses shortly before the song. There was more energy flowing through the band than I had seen in a while. Watching Dave, it wasn't hard to tell that he was having a good time based on the huge smile that was on his face during the entire song. Next came the predictable WAYG, full-band for the first time. I was a little worried about how it would sound full band, but after they finished it was hard to tell that it will be a huge success nation-wide. The song is wonderful and it will only get better as time goes on. After a cool DIDO, TSB, RHYME AND REASON, we went into the controversial BIG EYED FISH. A cool song, but not the best version I had ever heard. Dave had a hard time hitting the high notes, and he decided to leave out the obligatory "stay up in your f**king tree" perhaps hinting at this to be a radio release. As much as I hate to say it, this song was perhaps the worst of the show. Don't get me wrong, I love the song, but I felt that the band had a hard time with it. Next the guys flowed right into BARTENDER. The disappointment from Big Eyed Fish was definitely made up for during this song. The song had great emotion in it and had an awesome jam. Again, I have to say that this wasn't the best version I had ever heard the gang do, but they did an all right job of it. We have to give them some slack since they probably haven't jammed much to this since last tour. Towards the end of Bartender I begin to hear something strange, I turned to my companion and said "Grace is Gone?" with a puzzled look, and he just shook his head as to say "There's not way that's what it is" but just a moment later that's indeed what we got, a Big Eyed Fish>>Bartender>>GRACE IS GONE trio. I'm not sure how much I like this. It was a cool idea, but I think I'll have to hear it again before I make my decision. GIG, however, was great. My roommate pointed out how awesome it is that the entire arena was singing to this officially unreleased song. How awesome is that?!?! Continuing on we had PNP>>RAPUNZEL. I'd never heard this song live, so I must say that I am impressed. The thing I loved most about this was Butch Taylor on the keys, bringing in an extra component that seems to fit perfectly, I only wish they had let him jam out a little bit more. At the conclusion of this song the band left the stage and came back on four minutes later for the mandatory encore. Not know what to expect, it was shocking to hear Dave in his scruffy voice say "We haven't played this song in a while" and then go straight into the first PIG in two years!!! Anyone that has any complaints about the set list has to bow down to this. Hearing Pig was such a rush that it actually took me all of the next song, DDTW to recover. Finishing DDTW the boys exited the stage and called it a night. In conclusion, BUTCH TAYLOR IS MY HERO.

Kristin A.
The audience was very energetic throughout the show, as was the band. The band was definitely feeding off of the audience's energy. Dave would say something to the audience, and we would cheer loudly, and he obviously loved it. Too Much was a great song to kick off the show. It set the mood. Dave was smiling and dancing throughout the show. Where Are You Going was really beautiful. I liked this version better than Dave's solo version. (The middle was more drawn out.) The transition from BEF to Bartender to Grace is Gone seemed very natural. Rapunzel was really energetic-- the most energetic version that I have seen. Pig was a nice treat, since it hadn't been played since 1999. When Dave sang the first chorus, he sang, "Don't burn the PIG!" He over-emphasized the word "pig." And when he sang the line, "Like a greedy little PIG," he again over-emphasized the word. It was really funny. Although the show was about 2 hours and 10 minutes long, it was "short but sweet for certain"!

Booner
Short and sweet...First off, It's official, the 'Everyday' tour is over, FINALLY!! Only two 'Everyday' songs, and they were the two I personally dislike the most, IDI and SB, so that sucked. As for the rest of the show, it was really good. Busted Stuff hasn't been played hardly at all live, so that was sweet, although it's going to be overplayed when the new album comes out so it was nice to enjoy while it's fresh. Raven was good to hear, as was Warehouse (big whoa's in the S.T.). Where Are You Going was good with the whole band, first time with all the boys. Dave did some little jam after Drive In for about 2 minutes, never heard it and didn't really go with DIDO, I think he was just messin around? Don't know but it sounded cool. A big highlight was the Drink>Bartender>Grace, long Boyd intro into Bartender. Pig finally came back, it was sweet. Don't Drink closed it out. No Ants, Watchtower, or Two Step for the first time in as long as I can remember, no big deal though. Show was really short, just over 2 hours, not many long jams. I think they just wanted to get the first one out of the way and get into the groove. First time I've seen dmb indoors and will safely say indoor venues suck compared to outdoors. Lookin forward to this summer.

George P.
Too Much: I was hoping for a One Sweet World or Grey Street opener and was pretty disappointed to get this, but the crowd was into it and they played the hell out of it so I enjoyed it. WWYS: Ok, so they're getting some radio songs out of the way early...nicely played, nothing groundbreaking... I Did It: Ouch. 3 radio songs in a row?!?! What made it worse was that Dave teased So Right and I was hoping to hear one of the better Everyday tunes. At this point I was thinking the show could ONLY get better from here...which it did Busted Stuff: Yesssssssssss I love this song and Boyd worked the wah-wah pedal and it was pretty sweet. Raven: BAM! Two Lilly's in a row, and let me tell you, this was a tight version. They've sped it up a bit and it is sweeeeeeet. Warehouse: I was thinking they might open with this and I was really happy to hear it. The crowd was into it. Where Are You Going: I was really hoping to hear this, and I really liked it full-band. The lyrics are almost exactly the same, and it's pretty tight. Drive In, Drive Out: I was hoping for Grey Street, but this was alright. Didn't really want to hear it but Carter went nuts and so did the crowd. Space Between: Blah... Rhyme & Reason: I'm sick of this song so I smoked some bud during it... Big-Eyed Fish-->Bartender-->GIG: HELL YES! This was one hell of a combo, I was surprised to hear Bartender segue into GIG, and it was sweet! PNP-->Rapunzel: God I love Rapunzel. This was the perfect way to end the set after that last kick-ass combo. They went nuts. I went nuts. The crowd went nuts. ---------------- Don't Burn the Pig: HOLY SHIT!!! I went apeshit, this one caught me with my pants down. Boyd was in tune, Carter went nuts, Leroi ripped it up, Dave got all the lyrics right. Oh it was so tight! DDTW: Eh, didn't really want to hear this one, but they tore it up and the crowd loved it. Summary: There were a few blocks I didn't like, but this show kicked ass. The boys were on, they played the hell out of just about every song, and the Pig came out of nowhere! I thought the show was a little short, but I guess the first show of every tour is a little short. Great show!!!

Phillip G.
Wow, anyone who was at this show saw something special. I will not go on about the setlist, that much you can read. But what was really amazing is how great the entire band sounded. The MCI center is a great place to see a concert. Dave was wild, he danced and talked like a mad man. The entire band was putting on a great show for the crowd. The set list was not packed with the normal long jam songs, but where it lacked long jams it made up with rare songs. PIG! Every concert I have been to in the last few years Pig has been the only one song i wanted to hear, and I HEARD IT! At first glance the concert was nothing great, but seeing and hearing it was amazing. Get your hands on a copy of this show, it'll be well worth your time. Great first show, hopefull an indicater of things to come. This show was well worth the money and the drive.

Ankur S.
A revealing show. The band is sending a bit of a message to all who attend. There's been enough of Dave and the guys spoon feeding the audience for understanding. Too Much was a fitting opener for the tour and a nice warm up. You could sense the audience wanting to let go but not quite getting there. And the band seemed to react off of this feeling- rather than playing some classics like Two Step and Jimi, they attacked the audience to wake up with great renditions of R & R and Drive in where Dave so eloquently tells the audience, "...Until the voices turn to echos in your head telling you yeah you F***in' SHOULD!!" A smile to those that understand and have "Did It!!!" It's great to see how they are pushing us and also how far they have come. It's funny though because all those that are reading this probably are taking matters into their own hands thank to our friends from Virginia. Busted Stuff was great to hear again and Warehouse broke through the walls and halls that were the MCI center and seemed to loosen everyone up. Bartender might have been the climax for emotion from Dave for the night and he really stretched the place out with that one. Pig might have been the highlight of the night just because it really fit the crowd and we all need to go out in the middle of the night. Well all in all a nice way to come back. I love the band and have probably been to over 30 or so shows and the maturity/freedom is awesome to see. I'm heading to the Providence show and then the 2 MSG shows where they tore the roof off last year. Hope to see you there along with Tim Reynolds. Take care of yourselves...

Catherine H.
Although the show was very very good, I was a little disappointed by the set list. Lillywhite has not even been released yet. Dont get me wrong. I am the biggest Dave fan in the world, and I cant wait to hear the CD in a couple of months, but I am into good old dmb. Seek up, All along the watchtower, ect... would have been great to hear. I was very pleased with Dave though, last year at RFK he was a little angry because of the events and you could tell. This year he had fun, which made the audience have fun. I LOVE DAVE!!!!!

Melanie M.
My third DMB show in as many years, and a bit of a disappointment. Having seen the band twice in Atlanta (once at Lakewood, once at Turner Field in the front row) with memorable results, I was practically on the roof at the MCI Center in DC, and fast realizing that a DMB show pretty much HAS to be outside. The venue was just too confining, if an arena can be confining. And the seats really prevent people from moving around and enjoying the show. Musically, the performance was fine: The band ended with Don't Drink the Water, somewhat a surprise. I think many in the crowd were expecting a second encore, and when the lights came on, there was a sense of a letdown. I was thrilled that he didn't play Everyday, but instead focused on a strong catalog of songs. Unfortunately, the venue was ill-suited for a band that works best playing music under a wide-open sky. At least I've learned not to see him in an arena anymore - a $60 mistake I won't do again.

Phil K.
I'm seriously surprised by all the positive reviews; makes me wonder if these folks are so blinded by fandom that they'd call any DMB show great. This show was both overly short (hour and a half main set) and tediously long (guys huddling for up to a minute several times, figuring out what to play next). There were no up-tempo jam songs. Was glad that the long violin note intro went into Bartender not DDTW, but that only forestalled DDTW rearing its ugly head as the closer of the encore. Don't burn the pig (and he said pig instead of day twice!) was an awesome surprise and highlight, but elation quickly turned to disappoinment with DDTW. This show really had the feel of a rehearsal; can only hope they'll return to form quickly this tour.

Erik
I agree with Phil on this. I think at this point the band can all fart into the microphones and people will still think it's God's gift from heaven. I love DMB and I think they are one of the greatest bands ever, but the MCI show was a total let down to me. It was substandard and just made them seem like anyother run of the mill band. I'm sure they will be kicking ass in a few weeks once they get more into the swing of things but I wonder why I payed $50 dollars to see them that night

Benjamin P.
To the much anticipated mci show, i have to say i was very pleased. I s aw some songs i never expected and an energy that i thought was lost in the band's growing age. Again, i was reminded that its prime is today a nd was not pre-Everyday. This band seems to have gotten better musicall y no matter how inconceivable it seems. Highlights included the lillies songs in my opinion, and i can't wait for the new ablum's release. Rave n is right up there among my favorites and its live version only pushed its approval. This was actually my first time seeing the performance of Space, which was lovely. Bartender just doesn't get any better (dave w ith 12-string in hand screaming into the night). He brought back the mar tin, believe it or not, and it was joyous. I thought that thing was thro wn from the tour bus somewhere in arizona, but it was shining in busted stuff. anyway, my %80 praise must be followed by a %20 hopes for the fu ture. I hope ddtw is shelved quickly. i think i've heard it at every sh ow. I love the song, but it's overplayed. I share the same enthusiasm for I did it and dido. Carter is truly amazing in dido, but he's truly amazing in most songs. The entire concert exceeded expectations and furt hered my praise. live on. live love.

KELLOGS
My first DMB concertand I'm absolutly AMAZED! I have always been a fan but the conert brought it to a whole new level. There was so much anticipation before each song and I loved every second of it. To watch a group of guys come together and just jam the way they do is so impressive. It is a must for all fans to see at least one concert. I hope to be attending many more!

Brett B.
This concert was SWEET! Dave proves here that he did not sell out, providing numerous old tunes and several Lillywhite Sessions songs for his diehard fans. Its hard to believe that he played an unbelieveable concert without playing #41, Two Step, Crash Into Me, Stay, or Watchtower, but Dave did it here. He played great versions of Busted Stuff and Raven. The highlight of the show was an awesome Bigeyed Fish ---> Bartender ---> Grace is Gone. He jammed out all three of these songs incredibly. He ended with Pantala Naga Pampa ---> Rapunzel on which he busted out dancing. He must have danced for 3 or 4 minutes on Rapunzel, it was very humorous, and the crowd went wild. He came back on stage for encore, as many lighters were held up throughout the crowd. He played a very unexpected "PIG" as his first encore song, again showing he was in it for his hardcore fans. He finished the night off with a powerful Don't Drink the Water. Much to my delight and to many others dismay, he only played 2 songs from Everyday. Overall this was an excellent show, a great way to expose new fans to the true Dave.

Julie
After a disappointing summer tour, this was an awesome comeback. The crowd was great, everyone in my section was really into the whole show (except during I DID IT!)Too Much was a great opener; definitly not what I was expecting, but no complaints! Thrilled to hear Busted Stuff, Raven and GIG...Lillywhites kick the crap out of Everyday! The crowd was crazy during Warehouse, which may have been my favorite of the night, besides Pig, which I almost passed out when the band started playing it! That songis amazing live! All in all it was a decent show, not the best, but certaintly not the worst! See you at the Garden!

Ryan P.
What a great show for the first show of the tour. The crowd was really into it and Dave danced the entire show. The highlights of the night were the Lillywhites especially Busted Stuff. They really worked on this song and it should be a single. Butch really adds to this song. WAYG was awesome with a nice little jam in the middle with Boyd and LeRoi. Pig was the suprise of the night and was nice to hear. See ya in Nashville and Cincy!