Chris
first and foremost let me thank the guys for coming back to Champaign-Urbana, it was great. secondly, carter is a baller and a god. he was lightin it up on loving wings, wow. same opener as last night which was a surprise, then it got good. i liked crush, and so much to say/brige/too much was great. great great show. highlight was HALLOWEEN, no doubt. i couldnt believe it, but he teased it. it was awesome. great great show. thanks again guys for coming here.

Chris A.
Worst episode ever! I am not happy with the band right now. They did pretty much the same show they did last night. There were a few new songs tonight, but it was stuff they always do. SMTS into TOO MUCH. YOU NEVER KNOW. WHAT YOU ARE???????? People traveled from all over to see them tonight, as well as this tour, and the band does not even have the courtesy to do a different set list in the same state. WTWE, it was cool the first time they opened with this two years ago. Followed by YOU NEVER KNOW, boring. Then the band went on to do the same thing over again. U of I gave the band a wonderful energy, and the band did nothing with this. The highlight of the night was THE SONG THAT JANE LIKES, and a glimmer when the audience was teased with HALLOWEEN. "this is what the fans want to hear, but we can't because we have to do ANTS MARCHING for the billionth time." Not a fan of tonight. In the future I may just rent LIVE AT FOLSOM FIELD, because at least I know that I will see the same show twice.

Nathan
Looking back on the setlists and posts so far from this short winter tour, I wasnt expecting too much from the show tonight. I was half right. The band opened with WTWE which was less than par for an opener. "You Never Know"...Is there anyone who likes this song? "Crush" had a nice jam at the end. GIG was sweet as always. I was wondering if Dave was going to wake up from his mellow state and jam a little bit. SMTS->ASTB->Too Much, all standard but it was nice to hear the band jam finally. "Bartender" was looong, but good, It seemed that Dave was having somevocal problems with the high notes after "bartender please" He just screamed it out and let the band take it from there. "Everyday" has been on the tour everyday they have planned. If Pop Up Video says that Dave is approached everyday by someone telling him they dont like it, maybe he shouldnt pound it into us. "Loving Wings" My first time ever hearing this song. Its a nice new jazzy feel that the band will continue to develope into a new sound. Nice song. WAYG..standard. FTT...Not big on this, and yet its made its way into every show this tour. Grey Street...expected because its the new single, an exception because its good. "STJL" Holy god...a new song...that makes it 27 different songs this tour! Always good, but he needed the words printed out for him infront of his mic stand to get through it all. WWYS...standard, but never tiring. "What You Are" I like this song a lot. It grew on me after I bought "Live at Folsum Field" and no matter what anyone thinks, its a decent ender. Tis the season, right? "Christmas Song" It was so clear in the hall. Everyone really respected Dave for this song and was really quiet all through it, Im sure Dave appreciated it. "Halloween" tease...I seriously thought they were going to go into it. "Ants Marching" Its mys screen name, ofcourse I love it. The show was great, Dave chugged a lot of "coke and..." from his little steel Thurmous. Everyone on stage looked really happy. The band sounded nice, even in a O-Dome and sitting behind them, The sound techs did a great job with not making it too loud as to add echo. Nice job to everyone on this tour, it was great.

Peter J.
After seeing the past three setlists, I came into the show with low expectations say to myself, "Whatever Dave plays, I'm just glad to be there." And now lets break it down. First off I was 5 rows from the stage on the side and its the closest I have ever seen Dave and it was amazing. And the opening band was really funky and got me into the mood for DMB. When The World Ends - I was dissapointed in this as the opener, but surprisingly, it wasn't as bad as expected I've grown to tolerate it. You Never Know - I called this song and I was happy to hear it for the first time and it wasn't bad at all. Crush - Heard this song before live, but the first song where everyone was into it. Everyone singing all at once was great. Grace Is Gone - Simply put: a beautiful song with lots of lighters on this one. So Much To Say --> Too Much - Got the audience and even Dave pumped. During ASTB, Dave did this crazy dance. The best and wildest dancing I have ever seen Dave do. One of the highlights of the night and it was just basically amazing! Bartender - Called this song as well. Fairly standard, but it's always a powerful song especially with his wailing in the end. Everyday - The third song i called, I like this song a lot especially with #36 added to it. When I was singing "Hani, Hani", everyone in my section had no idea what I was singing and I found that amusing. Loving Wings --> Where Are You Going - Again, called it and I was right. First time here LW and quite frankly it wasn't bad. Carter was going crazy in the end and I liked it. WAYG, unfortunately was standard. I kinda spaced out on this song. Fool To Think - When I saw the baritone guitar I knew it was this song since he played this lots so far. I kinda like this song, but I was hoping they wouldn't play it. But no complaints on it when I heard it. Grey Street - I knew this song was gonna be in the tour and I didn't realize Dave busted out the 12 string but when I heard it the crowd and I were going crazy. Powerful and always a pleasure to hear. Song That Jane Likes - First time hearing it live and I loved every minute of it. What Would You Say - I called this song as well ( I was on a roll tonight). I love the jamming, but I was hoping more Dave dancing. Still played well though. What You Are - When I saw the baritone guitar and the time, I knew WYA was going to be played a closer, but I like how he now plays it live so it was a treat to hear. Christmas Song - I knew this was gonna be the encore after looking at the previous setlists. 2nd time hearing it and although a bit long, I liked it. Halloween (tease)- Probably one of the highlights of the show. I was going crazy when hearing this song. Although it was like 5x slower and less heavier it was a treat and I was off the walls. I could have left the concert as a happy guy. Ants Marching - It was debatable on the closer, but had a feeling it was this one. I can never get sick of this song and so I'm glad to have heard it again. Overall, I enjoyed this concert a lot with its small things of the show. And the company I was with was awesome. Out of a 10, I would rate this show an 8 or a 9. The best show I saw was my first show in 2000 in which it played almost every single song I live to this date. Well done DMB and I can't wait to see you again.

H. C.
I had quite a drive to see this show and it was worth every minute of it. I don't think I have ever seen the whole band so pumped up and excited. Dave Matthews was especially entertaining when he danced all crazy between So Much to Say and Too Much. Great solos from all the band members but I especially remembered Carter's solo at the end of Crush which added more jazz sound to it. The setlist was pretty good but I wished they would have played more songs from the earlier albums. Busted Stuff songs sounded really great and love the ending for What You Are, it was new to me. I thought it was nice and wick of Dave to sing Halloween (nice to sing it for us but wick to just tease us with few lines.) Once again, no disappointment here.

Tammy A.
So, I have a recipe for great DMB experiences... - inspirational set list - band energy - crowd energy - overall vibe Last night's show was sooooo close to being one of the best ever.. The band was just jamming - Dave had a lot of happy feet and Carter was just insane. The crowd was fantastic and the venue really intimate. And the overall vibe was just great, alot of happy appreciate DMB fans, loving being there. The only issue (if there was one) was the inconsistent and repetitive setlist. Now, if I was only attending 1 show per year, this could easily have gone down as a classic, but with multiple repeats from Chicago (including WWTE and Fool, GIG, GS, and on and on), I left feeling like I had just missed a religious experience by... just that much... Hightlights for me included: YNK ,so nicely done, I love that song. SMTS->ASTB->TooMuch, which, tho it is a staple, ROCKED with Dave dancing his little scat dance all over, Loving Wings with Carter going crazy, and WHAT YOU ARE->damn that song rocks live !! On to the encore...the lights went down and the whole place was chanting "HAL-O-WEEN, HAL-O-WEEN...". Dave came out with Carter, smiling and just started in by himself, very gently...'hey little dreamer.." and the place went crazy. He got about 2 versus into it and Carter started a bit on the cow bell... and then..CHRISTMAS SONG. ARGH! What a tease... But xmas was very sweet, the whole place singing and mellowed out. Finally, a very strong ANTS to close it out with everyone rocking hard. All in all, a great night that was about 4 songs short of being legendary. THANKS DMB!!

Amanda P.
Well I have been to 4 DMB concerts now, and I am still deciding which one was the best. Champaign was pretty damn cool though, cause Dave was majorly getting into it and dancing and shit especially during So Much To Say and Too Much. and the rest of the guys seemed to really get into it too, every time the camera hit Carter he was still smiling away, what an awesome band! I was a little disappointed with some of the songs though, cause I went to the one in Chicago the night before, and a lot of them were the same. For instance he opened both nights with When the World Ends and closed with the Christmas song. Half of the concert, or more than half,I think 9 songs were from either Busted Stuff or Everyday, so I was dying to here some of the old stuff. Crush was DEFINATELY an awesome song to hear, and then a little later he added The Song that Jane Likes which was phenomonal cause I don't think he plays that too often, but I still wish to have heard some Jimi Thing or #41. But that's okay I was just happy to be there. All in all it was an awesome concert and well worth the $50. Oh yeah, I almost forget when the crowd chanted Hallloween and then he came out and played a little tease of it that was pretty awesome too. DMB rocks! and I can't wait to see them again.

Eric
Well this show was awesome. Much better then the United Center show. I loved the smaller venue. I felt like I was much more connected to the band. And I had pretty sweet seats too! WTWE - Cool song but it was kind of a bummer to hear the same opener two nights in a row. YNK - God, do I love this song. Such amazing lyrics. The jam in this song was awesome. Crush - Very cool version tonight. I forgot how sweet the jams are during this song. Grace is Gone - Very sweet song and much better then last night! SMTS->ASTB->Too Much - This is one of the main reasons I am a DMB fan. So much energy came from the crowd is was amazing. Even Dave got into the fun by dancing around during ASTB. Not as much as Alpine this year but he was still kicking it! Bartenter - Kept the energy flowing as everyone was singing their hearts out. Everyday - Very cool song. I just love hearing everyone sing "Come and dance with me!" Even Dave joined in and had a cool duet with the crowd! Loving Wings - Can I just say WOW. The jam at the end of this song was so freakin sweet. They need to make this a separate song and not just have it before WAYG. WAYG - Good song but nothing special! Fool To Think - Kind of killed the mood but I do like the chorus so not a total waste! Grey Street - I really wanted to hear this song both night because of the energy that this song has. The crowd screamed when the song started. I was awesome to hear everyone scream "bold and bright" at the top of their lungs! STJL - I have wanted to hear this song since my first show and oh was it a sweet song. WWYS - Very cool crowd song with lots of energy. WYA - I love this song as a closer. It had an awesome build up and so much enery near the end. One of the cooler songs from Everyday. When Dave came out for the encore there was a Santa hat sitting on stage. He put it on and said something about Christmas into the mic. Very funny. Christmas Song - The crowd was so quiet for this song. It was awesome. Everyone was singing along to such a powerful song! Halloween tease - OH MY GOD! That made my night! Oh if it was only the full version. I can now die a semi-happy man!! Ants - Such a good closer. Sends everyone out on a good note. Everyone was into this song singing along and pumping their hands in the air. Well that is my fifth DMB show. Please come back in 2003!!!

Brian
2 words... Pure disappointment. After an amazing show last night at the United Center, I initially thought maybe we were in for a letdown at U of I. But then I thought, this is DMB and there are rarely bad shows. Plus, this was the odd venue they chose for a short tour. All that made me feel that the Assembly Hall show would be something special. But it wasn't. First, the crowd was just awful. That place is so small and cozy that it should have rocked. The United Center was 10 times louder and that venue is so damn huge. This lack of energy was felt by the band. The show started SO mellow. I thought by the time we got to SMTS and Too Much we'd pick up the pace. But the band just wouldn't pick it up. Everyday (#36) was great again, but we had a lot of the same songs from last night. I don't understand why the band can't mix it up a bit on this tour. I will admit that from Grey Street on the show had some character. It would have been nice to have that somewhere towards the beginning, too. The only saving grace for the show was the finale of Ants. At least I left on a decent note. It was good to see the band up close in this smaller venue, but the setlist was the weakest I've seen in my 5 shows this year and probably the worst of the 15 I've been too. Sorry boys, but you just didn't have it. See you on the next tour, though. LATE!!!!!

Kyle
Well first things first. This was my 7th show of the year. Assembly Hall is one heck of a place to see a show. There was so much energy all night long. WTWE nice opener but pretty standard. Crush nice as always. so much and too much lots of energy. Dave was going nuts up on stage dancing. Everyday with #36 intro. I was impressed with the number of hani hani's. Bartender was awesome. Song that Jane Likes a very nice rendention. What You Are I hate that song but it has a lot of energy in it. Christmans song is was decent with just dave and carter. Halloween tease AWESOME!!! To end the show with ANTS was nice. Overall it was a good show. Would have like to see Jimmi Thing but I will just wait until next year!

Erik
Another decent show but not the best show. Don't get me wrong it's always a nice treat to see Dave in concert, but I was a little bit disapointed with the begining half of it. I'm not sure if Dave was sick but everyone seemed a little bit off...especially on Crush where they were off beat. One plus was that this was probably one of the better Dave dancing shows I have seen. Gotta love the man. I think the band members knew things wern't going so well. All Dave really has to do is say something in the microphone or do a dance and everything is ok. After a slow begining to the show the pace picked up a little towards the end, but again too many new songs from Everyday in my opinion. Some of the people in my section sat down when an "Everyday" song came on. I think a little more variety would have been nice to get the croud going (Two Step, Rapunzel, Tripping Billies, Crash ect.) After what seemed to be an average show the band went out with a bang with the encore. Great way to end the show with the Christmas Song then the Halloween tease....then finally pretty much what the croud was asking for.. an oldie but goodie Ants Marching.

Ryan
WOW!!!!! what an amazing show. first off the venue was just amazing that has to be one of the smallest venues the band has played in for a while. we had amazing seats in B16 only 9 rows up. WTWE was pretty good opener, i heard it last night though! YNK was amazing they jammed it totally rocked. Crush was strong as always with stefan jamming out like crazy. GIG was a lot better than friday night. SMTS-ASTB-TM was sweet as always dave started dancing like nuts during anyone seen the bridge. Bartender was very cool with a long jam and dave just walking off stage talking to people behind the stage. Lerio had a huge jam. Everyday was the usual with the crowd singing #36 part. Loving was just flat out AWESOME. dave started it off and then everyone else had little fills just awesome. WAYR typical crowd pleaser. FTT was cool. Grey Street was sweet. dave's voice really ephasized every note. Song that jane likes. was simply the best song. the entire beginging the band just jammed out to it and finally dave added the words. WWYS and WYA where the usual crowd pleasers. Encore blew me away. The Christmas song was cool just because they broke it out for the winter tour like always. Before the crowded started chanting HALLOWEEN. Dave picked up this hat someone threw onstage and he put it on and said his head was too big. then after the Christmas song dave broke into Halloween by himself for like 2 verses. DMB finished strong with Ants Marching. Very solid show. out of the 8 i have been to it's ranked #2 behind 4-27-02 at allstate. Great atmosphere and great music rock on DMB see ya all at the solo tour.

Jacob
I have to say this was definately one of the best DMB shows I've seen. This venue was by far WAY better than UC the night before (see my previous review). The acoustics were great and the band seemed to have much more energy. I was surprised to see the same opener two nights in a row, but this was a good thing since I arrived late the previous night and missed it. Overall a lot of repeats from the night before, but EVERY one of those sounded 100% better. Loving Wings was better tonight that I've ever heard it and Leroi was definately on all night! But I must say that tonight was Carter's night, hands down! He was just rockin it all night long. Not as much from Boyd or Butch, but Steffan had a nice slide guitar intro on GIG...very pretty. I was happy to hear SMTS>TooMuch, and Dave did a very funky dance to the delight of the audience. By far a much better audience than UC. The crowd was respectful during the soft parts and appropriately charged during energetic songs. I was happy to hear song Jane likes...the only real surprise of the night...except for the Halloween right after the Christmas song! How cool. I felt it was more that just a tease, maybe a partial song. Dave sung the whole first verse and chorus, it was very cool to hear it sung so softly, sort of mimicing the Christmas song. The intro to What you are was extremely cool with the ghostly sounding vocals. My heart was pounding during this because I thought for sure this was the LAST STOP I have been waiting for for the last three years. I was a bit disappointed when WYA started, but that quickly faded since they do such a good job on this song now. It has really evolved into a huge ball of raw energy. Overall a great show and I loved it. But I must say it is time for some changes. GIG and Gray Street should be retired for a while. It's time to bring back Dreaming tree, Last stop, Proudest Monkey, Best of What's Around. What ever happened to Minarets? I love that song.

Shane
Even with 11 repeats from chicago, including the opener (WTWE), this was a much more solid and intense show. dave was much more into it, but tonight was really all bout carter. every song he had a great jam. SMTS->ASTB->TM, was great, when dave went off again dancing around the stage. loving wings was a great version , and that is when carter just went crazy right before Where are you going. what you are before the encore was a great way to end. and the encore was the best part of the night. Christmas song was great to see again, but when dave and carter did the HALLOWEEN tease, I just went crazy, i really wish they would have played the whole thing though, but oh well. i thought after that DDTW was coming, but ANTs was a great close. thank u guys for the great shows this year. hope to see u again next year.

Zack
Outstanding show. The band played with a lot of energy, and Dave danced like a madman. Nice jams in Loving Wings, Bartender and WWYS. The encore was baller, the Halloween tease was tight. After the show I got to shake Dave's hand and got his autograph outside of his jet since we flew a private plane to the show, we had clearance, with like 6 other people, to meet Dave after he got off of his bus before he boarded his jet. He talked to us for like 10 minutes. It was awesome.

Craig F.
Well we drove over 200 miles to see this show and for the first time in the many,many shows I have been to, I left disappointed. WTWE was ok when I saw it in Memphis last year, but since then it has disappointed me. GIG had a nice jam at the end of it - good surprise. I have enjoyed seeing that song develop. Bartender was good to hear. Standard version. Dave did a little duet with the crowd during Everyday, with #36 words; that was cool. If someone had told me the band would play Loving Wings, WAYG, and FTT back to back, I would have proceeded back to my car to finish off the beer since they did not sell ANY in Assembly Hall. Overall, good place to see a concert, good energy from the crowd and the band, crappy setlist, and it put a damper on things. Hopefully one of these days the band figures out that their fans do not like to hear 4 songs from Everyday.

Phillip
Great energy all night, though I could have predicted the entire setlist with the exception of Jane and Halloween. Don't understand why the boys are scared to open up this tour. The crowd was amazing, singing at the top of their lungs on nearly every song. Dave's dancing alone was worth the 50 bucks. Boyd went nuts all night. Carter had an awesome time and tore it up as well. LeRoi was so smooth, mixed in a christmas song in one of his solos, he was relaxed and seemed to be haveing a good time. Stefan was doing some major grooving with his backwards hat on. It was a fun time as always with DMB, just wish they'd open up more and get rid of Fool To Think. Great atmosphere tonight, it was more intimate than usual.

Jim A.
Bad and getting worse. That describes the back to back Illinois shows. You would think that they would have some courtesy to not open with the same song and play an extremely similiar set list two nights in a row. This cozy venue had all the makings for a great show on a Sat. night but no, the poor choice of songs eliminated that. As it did on the previous night ( a fri. the 13th in chicago) Dave had more fun then anyone else there that is for sure dancing around like a crazy man a couple of times. But the crowd actually booed him after they chanted for halloween and he started to play it then stopped, so he could play the all important Ants. I have been to 30 shows and i can say there will probably be no more.

Chris G.
Great show. Assembly Hall allowed for a very intimate show, and I think the band played on that tonight. Highlights were #36/Everday, which is great to here live. The Halloween tease after Christmas Song was a big surprise. This being my 3rd show I was impressed with the performance, however I can't help but think how much the show lacks without the lovely ladies singing background vocals. Over all outstanding energy. Carter is da bomb.

Capp
First of all the people who complainded about this show did not go to the same show I did. It could have started a little stronger. WTWE is a good song but not a great opener. You Never Know was good. The night got rolling when they played Crush. The band had good energy during this one and it got the crowd into it a lot. Grace is Gone was awesome. Stephan made this one with the opening. SMTS->ASTB->Too Much was awesome. Dave was dancing around like a mad man. The crowd really got into it. During Too Much Dave seemed to forget to sing a couple times. Bartender was the first song that I havent heard yet. It was my favorite song of the night. #36 intro to everyday was very cool. i was very happy when they played loving wings. Carter rocked at the end of this song and made the entire song. WAYG is expected but good. FTT could hav done with out. It was much better live than on the cd though. Grey was good. STJL was unexpected. It was an awesome song. i loved this one. WWYS had a lot of energy and kept the crowd going. WYA is a great song. very good ending to this one. X-mas song was very good. Dave put on the hat and walked around, very cool. The Halloween tease was awesome. He played this one for the crowd. Ants was a very good version. i am 3 for 3 though with ants as the closer. i was hoping for watchtower. Maybe next time. i give this show a 8 out of 10. Better than the show i was at in ames, but could not match the second night at alpine.

Jessica
I just got home from the Dave Matthews Band Concert, and it was well worth the 3 hour drive. My friend and I were sitting in our very bad seats listening to the opening act and just happy to be there when this guy came up to us and asked to see our tickets. He then said they were fake and we had to go with him. We were freaking out but he said he was just kidding and moved us to the FRONT ROW! I was freaking out. It was my fifth Dave Matthews Concert and it was soooo amazing. I was happy he played Crush it being my favorite song, and although I was hoping for #41 I was glad to hear some new songs and old songs. I will never forget that man, because it was the best night of my life!

BJ V.
First off why dry show,no beer that sucked. Second off the DMB show was great. WTWE, he let the crowd sing "Will be burnin one" You Never KNow it was my first time hearing and it was great CRUSH got the place rowdy, followed by an awesome Grace is Gone with Stephan on slide bass.SMTS>ASTB>Too mUch had so much energy. During ASTB all Dave fans would have loved to see the dance he did, it was crazy...BARTENDAR!!!!! the song i really wanted to hear and it was a great experience, Loving Wings is solid, yall start listening to that joint it is good, Carter solo at the end rocked. WAYG, standard then Fool To think was good I was ready when GRey ST. came next, then "i got a little siser named Jane" got everyone going again, great timing, WWYS? all i can say was it was good What you are is becoming a great song. Dave's screams at the end and his lyrics "get down on your knees" are sweet. Then the encore. My buddy and I yelled for Halloween, 15 seconds later the crowd started chanting for it. we thought that was pretty cool. then came X-Mas song, knew we'd hear it, very good. then when i heard the guitar next, i began going nuts, HALLOWEEN, thanks DAVe, only played it for a tease but it felt good, then to close AnTs can't go wrong there. Dave Matthews Band, the best of what's around...

Diego V.
Well...as much as having a bad seat sucks, this show was great. It was the furthest I have ever been from the stage but I had a great view and teh sound was very good at this venue. Anyway- a great show. A lot of people came in expecting a mediocre show but all I was hoping for was one of the following - Halloween, Christmas Song, TSTJL, Ants. I had never heard Hal. TSTJL or XMAS song so I was hoping for a miracle and I got it. WTWE is not the best opener in my opinion but after a few songs the show got going. This was show number 31 for me and id say it was in the best half. Hearing a somewhat acoustic version of Halloween was awesome, adn the crowd singing "honey honey come and dance with me" to Everyday was sweet. The atmosphere was good and the show ended up being more than worth the 3 hour drive. First winter tour show ive ever been to and it was great. Whats up to all you TX people Rachel, the other Diego, Betsy...Ill see you guys soon. Peace

Joe K.
Tonite was a show to dance the night away. my legs were so damn sore today. although no long jams they still jammed and kept the energy high pretty much the whole night. I was hoping for something unexpected throughout the night . We were chanting for blue water pretty much between every song but we did get song that jane likes that was very tight version. YNK into crush was phenomenal. so much, too much, WWYS great old stuff. bartender was played with a lot of emotion. everyday was good as many people in the crowd got the hani's going. another highlight for myself was what you are. well its been awhile since everyday came out. i think those people who thought it sucked and that it wasnt dave, probably have a whole new opinion. but regardless what you are is tight. christmas song was great and then the halloween tease. good stuff. ants was the perfect closer for the night and everybody got down. not the best show i have ever attended but still another great performance from DMB. anyway regarless, great venue and the sound and lights were badass

Lindsay
I must say that Dave broke my heart when he stopped playing Halloween, but they made up for it with the rest of the show. The band had lots of energy and that spread out to the crowd. This was my 10th show and it wasn't the best I've seen, but I can honestly say that I have NEVER once walked away disappointed by DMB. Carter and Leroi were amazing tonight. The end of Loving Wings showed huge improvement as Carter worked his magic. I am already looking forward to the next show!!

Dale
I had just been to the United Center with two friends, I split up from them and met three more friends for this concert. . .and I was floored! I basically consider this a better version of the previous night, though I wasn't let down by either. This was almost the best show I've seen (8.27 was my favorite though, I think) The venue was incredible, even though I had section C, row 22 seats, I could see everything, including thousands of people holding up lighters. . . I'm not gonna break down the setlist, just say that I'd heard all of those songs but one live in the past, and this time they ALL sounded great. Crush was fabulous, Everyday (#36), Bartender, Loving Wings, and SONG THAT JANE LIKES! (Ask my friends, in the car earlier, I'd said "I have a sister named Jane. . .") I loved it. . ..and though nobody's convinced, Halloween wasn't a tease!! One of my friends and I were about to fall over. . .we'd been there for the real short, 20 second teases this summer, and this was a SONG! All in all, I'm still one of those happy DMB fans who tends to eat up whatever they do. . ..even if it includes Fool to Think! (marginal on that one though)

Tony
First off I'm sick of everybody complaining about the band and how they have dropped off. If you think they are bad stop seeing them. That said I thought tonights show was excellent. Even though they played a lot of songs from the night before I thought this concert was much better. Granted the United Center show had its high points (Dancing Nancies, Warehouse, The Stone, etc...) I thought the band came out with a lot more energy tonight. Dave danced a lot (he went crazy during SMTS->ASTB->TM) and seemed a lot looser then the night before. He even put on a hat someone threw on the stage before Christmas Song. It was quite funny. And then what more could you ask for when he gives us a tease of Halloween. Everybody that was there should be happy he did that instead of complaining that a full version would have been better. Although I don't have much experience going to Dave shows (this is only my fourth-8/31/02, 9/1/02, 12/13/02, and 12/14/02) I would say this was a awesome concert.

Amanda
No matter what the setlist is, a DMB show is always a rush to attend. Even though we had horrible seats, nosebleed behind the stage, I still thought the concert rocked. This is my third concert and first time hearing Ants so I was ecstatic. I will honestly have to say I do not enjoy the everday songs in concert, especially YNK and WYA. I was very disappointed in ending with WYA I really wanted Watchtower, I could never hear that song too many times. Again, Loving Wings just doesn't get me like the other songs. It was nice too have oldies like Crush, Song Jane Likes, Christmas Song,SMTS/ASTB/Too Much. I think if I hear Grey Street or Where are you going again I will scream. I am three for three with both songs. Dave was dancing the whole show like a madman and it was great, especially since he would turn around and dance and face the back crowd. Another good point to being behind the stage was the ability to see Carter tear it up on the drums. During some songs I was just memorized by his druming abilities. The venue was great, Assembly Hall always has great fans in an intimate envirement. Thanks guys for putting on a great show! P.S. I would really suggest putting some screens behind the stage if you are going to sell tickets back there, I paid the same price as everyone in the venue and did not once see the front of the stage! Have a great holiday!

Jeff G.
Well, after last night, I had expectations for this show, I was wrong though. I will say this, I love DMB, I love seeing DMB live, And cherish every minute of it, BUT, I was a little disappointed with this show. First of all, WTWE is not a good opener, nor should It be a concert staple. Also, two nights in a row opening with it, come on. Some jams, nice songs like, crush, YNK and GIG, so much>too much always a good time, but played too much. Bartender is one of my favs. fool to think has to go by the wayside with the likes of i did it and space between. come on dave give that song a rest. what you are is very good to close a main show with. Encore- Christmas song is a great song out to nights in a row. Also he had the place chanting "halloween" yet only teased it. I love teases so I liked it but when you have the crowd chanting it, just play it. Typical ants marching. Well, not the best setlist but the show was full of energy. I want to make one point. This was my seventh show this year and 16th over all, but I stikl enjoyed it like it was my fifth. I think the people who complain the most are the people who either don't really respect the band or are the ones who go to every freaking show and expect way the heck too much. The band has to please thousands of people every night, and each person comes with a different perspective. Just remember that and take care. Peace

Ron A.
What an outstanding show! I went to the show and expected to hear all the same songs from the previous night and I was right, but I was not disappointed. The crowd was great, the band was great, I loved everything about it. WTWE was surprisingly good. I had tears in my eyes during YNK, absolutely phenomenal. SMTS->ASTB->TM was one of the best I've ever seen. The dance during ASTB was great, one of the highlights of the show. Song that Jane likes was a nice surprise. There wasn't one thing I didn't like about the show. The whole experience was unbelievable. I don't know how anybody could complain after a show like that. I loved What You Are, very powerful but my favorite part is when he sings that little riff at the beginning. One last thing, Halloween was awesome. Dave solo style, one verse and the chorus, it was more than a tease in my opinion. Great show, I was lucky to go.

B.J. L.
Unlike others that attended and wrote reviews for this show, I personally, was more than happy just to watch 6 top musicians practicing their craft. They could have played the ABC's for two hours and I still would have loved it, because I am a fan of the band. Fortunately though, the setlist was a little more varied than that. i really appreciated the opportunity to hear "Song That Jane Likes", it was fantastic. "GIG" was phenominal, better than I imagined it being(it was my first time hearing it live). There were some great moments in the show, Dave dancing like there was no tommorrow during the 'bridge', the band joining in with the crowd during "Everyday". And finally, the "Halloween" tease. I practically missed the whole because I freaking our so hard. All in all, I would say that show was a "Dancing Nancies"/"Warehouse" away from being one of the best shows ever performed by the Fab Five or Six including Butch, why don't they just put him in the line-up, he's so cool!

Daniel
WHERE IS THE TRADITIONAL DMB???!? It's all too structured these days. They just don't realize what the fans want. You don't know if the Band knows what the fans like and don't like, so you can't discredit them unless you talked to them about that. Anyways the U of I show was good and bad. And I am not impressed with the overall touring this fall, and some of the summer. Why the hell did they open with World Ends again! I've seen shows back to back a few years in a row now, and I never got the same opener both nights in same state or city. I was not happy. But YNK, Grace were good, but Grace is being played way too much these days. The fall tour should be a tour for the fans who come long ways to see the show, with old classic songs and jams, and of course new songs which aren't on the freakin radio. (except Grey Street). Anyway, the jams in this show were pretty good. Crush always good live, Loving Wings is the new jam song, kinda like 41 where each member gets into it a little. I always enjoy SMTS->Too Much, he gets nuts, and it's full of energy. Did anyone notice the end of Too Much, the extra length for the ending? It seemed like he got caught on "I eat to Much", and he kept turning around to Carter to let him know to keep going. WAYG -Whatever! I was so pissed to hear Everyday as a closer the night before, terrible way to end a Chicago show. It's allright during the set, but enough already! Fool THink - got to get Glen Ballard his money he earned on the shitty Everyday album. WHAT YOU ARE - new closer for sets. I've seen it close 3 times now. It gets better each time, especially the intro at this show. Why play CHristmas song 3 nights in a row???? it's cool, but 3 times? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, play Halloween!! everyone wants to hear it, why not play it. They played it at the Gorge, play it again. THe whole place chanted "Halloween", don't they get it. Back in the days they always played for the crowd. To finalize my statement earlier. Where the hell is Two Step for an closer anymore, Where's LIOG! or a Jimi Thing, Say Goodbye, Seek Up, what happened to Best of Whats Around for an opener. Or the random song or 2 thrown in to many shows over the years. At least Billies is a good closer, Ants is great, but when is it too much. WE NEED SOME CHANGES! That's enough banter...

Derrick S.
Simply incredible. Just got back to Connecticut from what was the greatest musical weekend I have ever experienced. Saturday nights show in Illinois was absolutly unreal. I have never seen so much passion and emotion. Going back to my first show in 96 I could not remember feeling weightless at a show like this. When the Loving Wings jam kicked and the place erupted, never had I experienced a feeling like that. This is a new Dave Matthews Band to me. For years I read these message boards and all the bickering and I would watch the setlists come up as they were played, and honestly it kinda took something away from the show and made me forget why a Matthews show is the greatest show on earth. This Friday and Saturday reminded me why they are the greatest. The smiles and energy from everyone on stage was infectious. I've never seen Dave dance at this level (maybe 12/13/00 is close). Now I had heard Loving Wings before, but was in noway expecting this!!! Dave starts it up and Carter is talking to Stefan, then slowly gets it going and then BOOM, we got a new balls out jam on our hands. People who sat at the mellow beginning were up giving the standing O as Dave gave the crowd a lok like, 'That's right motherfuckers, we're only getting better'. Truly a magical moment, since I had no clue it was coming. Reading these reviews on how repeat songs ruined it is so ridiculous. I went to both shows and was floored. Think about it, Dancing Nancies, Warehouse, Pig, One Sweet World, Grey Street, Bartender, Grace Is Gone, Christmas Song, Crush, ASTB into a new jammed out Too Much, Halloween chants and balloons then acoustic Halloween, STJL, You Never Know, a drum extravaganza in the new loving wings, The Stone, a thunderous Watchtower, Ants Marching, etc. I mean come on. Anyone who atteneded this show and could not walk away smiling ear to ear just from the energy, i don't even know. This was a magical night. I've seen a ton of shows at Giants stadium, MSG, Foxboro, Fleet, but there was something different about these. While all those past shows were great, this was SICK. The people that were there to enjoy know what I mean, those who were there to hear something that haden't been played 2 years or whatever, honestly fuck you. I couldn't beleive my eyes when I came home and read some of these reviews, I felt I had to write something. These two shows were unfuckingbelievable. The jams were taken to unprecedented levels of intensity. I've never had more fun zat a show and never been more blown away by the skill, energy and showmanship of these guys. Dave and Carter slapping 5 after they rocked Crush will forever be burned in my mind. I thought the building was gonna crumble down the entire time, it was that loud. I think I've made my point. Cannot wait to keep it going at MSG. Peace.

Scott I.
I am so glad that the DMB had a Fall tour this year, for one you can never get enough. This was my fourth show of the year, but it was the third best, but nevertheless it was still phenominal. I was a little dissapointed I didn't get to hear Dancing Nancies or Stone like he had the night previous, but I didn't expect a repeat performance from the united center. Highlights of the show had to be "Crush", always great to hear, I personally can't hear this song enough. "You Never Know" is quickly becoming a favoite, and sounds great live. The three things that absolutely made this show, first, "Christmas Song", this is just a beautiful song. Secondly, the "Halloween" tease during the encore. And finally, hearing "Song the Jane Likes" just made my night. That completed the show for me, he could have quit right there and I would have went home happy. Going into the concert I was dissapointed with my seats, upper deck, behind the Butch. But being able to see Carter do his thing made me realize he is the best drummer alive! Plus Dave gave us plenty of love as he strolled around the stage behind Butch during the instumentals. All in all great show, looking forward to next year!! Peace

Scott S.
I have traveled some long distances in my DMB fan career and tonight was the shortest. I had to take a 15 minute walk from my dorm to Assembly Hall. If it wasn't so damn cold out it would have been worth the walk. Well I realize that I haven't seen the band in a few months and I should have really been happy with what I got. Well too bad. When he plays the same damn set list as the night before I get angry. This was my 23rd DMB show and I walked out for the first time disappointed. They simply just didn't have it tonight. Assembly hall may have been the greatest place I have ever seen Dave and the boys in action and I think I have seen him play at over ten different places. It was small and there was literally about 15 rows on the floor, the stage was practically in the middle of the floor. I don't know if it was the architecture of the UFO looking complex that made the crowd sound so loud but damn! It was either that or the crowd tonight was just blazing! When you see the band over 20 times you start to hear where they screw up, the screwed up more than a dozen times tonight and it just sounded awful. I know that its been a few months since they have been together but their catalogue of songs is way to large to be playing the same songs 2 nights in a row in the same freakin state. WTWE is maybe the worse opening song you can here. It just isn't anywhere near a Seek Up or a Two Step or Warehouse for that matter. You Never Know, great song, but face it boys the fans don't want to hear it. Crush, what other song does the crowd sing every note? Was one of the better performed songs of the night. GIG. Was nearly perfect except for Dave fumbling a few of the lines. SMTS - ASB- Too Much was bomb, Dave went fu*king crazy!! It reminded me of the second night at Allstate during the spring but I think he went even crazier here! He looked pretty wasted all night! Bartender was intense but Dave's voice kept cracking out, he couldn't hit the high notes towards the end of the night. Everyday, I don't think they should use #36 with it all the time. Loving Wings seemed to develop into something since I have last heard it. I am digging it though, Carter had a crazy Solo at the end the was simply SICK! WAYG is too radio for me so I'll leave it at that. Fool to think is almost as bad as Sleep to Dream Her, the crowd thinks it suck and I think it sucks, boys give the song up! Grey Street is the shit and that's all you can say about that! STJL was a sick pull from the shelf I wish there would have been more old stuff like that! WWYS is always a great set-up for the end! WAY has developed into a hot song! I think the band has really marketed the song well and the intro with the blue lights is real bomb! Look to see this as an opener/closer/encore song for a long time! The encore was the best part of the show! Christmas song I guess fits the season so I can understand playing that night after night, but when carter and dave first stepped out there the crowd started the HALLOWEEN chant, he played X-Mas song after discussing the chant with Carter. As the rest of the band came out after X-Mas song I figured there had to be at least a tease cause you could see Dave talking about it with Carter. Well he played maybe the best 2 minute version of the song anyone could have ever imagined! It was the highlight of the show. An ant is the shit just because it is Ants! So until next time fire dancers, PEACE!

P M.
This was a show that was packed with energy from start to finish. The boys were back in Champaign ready to entertain for a full 2 1/2 hours. WHEN THE WORLD ENDS-good quick opener, nothing too special. YOU NEVER KNOW-finally they bring this back for the winter shows. I love hearing this one live, with the Carter drum intro and showcasing Leroi at the end. CRUSH-really got the crowd on their feet. Boyd and Carter tore it up at the end. GRACE IS GONE-saw Stephan w/ the slide guitar and knew what it was. Sweet version!! SO MUCH TO SAY-->TOO MUCH-Crowd sing-a-long, but nothing too special. Dave danced a little during the bridge. BARTENDER-by far the longest version I have ever seen. Clocked in around 18 minutes. Each member got their own solo. Dave really belted out the lyrics; full of intensity. They did lose the crowd though at the end. Crowd started to chat "HALLOWEEN" at this point, but they broke into EVERYDAY-first time I have seen it live. The crowd sang along w/ the "hani hani" parts. LOVING WINGS-the crowd actually was into it more then during the summer. It's developed nicely over since they first started playing it. Carter was amazing at the end. Dreaded though what was coming next, WHERE ARE YOU GOING. Boring and standard. FOOL TO THINK-one of the better Everyday songs done live, the crowd wasn't too into it. GREY STREET-knew they had to play it tonight. Full of energy, got the crowd on their feet. SONG THAT JANE LIKES-"I have a sister named Jane"...nice to finally get something old into the setlist. Was hoping for Seek Up, but very happy to hear it. Love this one! WHAT WOULD YOU SAY-crowd got on their feet again and sang every word. WHAT YOU ARE-very long intro, thought at first it was Watchtower w/ Stephan messing w/ feedback from his bass. Full of energy!! The light show was amazing. Came back just Carter and Dave, knew it would be the CHRISTMAS SONG. First time I have seen it since '95. The crowd sang every word, Carter was getting a kick out of the crowd on this one. The HALLOWEEN chants came back and the boys looked around and Dave started singing the first verse. The crowd went nuts! Sang the chorus and was waiting for the entire band to kick in, but instead went into ANTS. I was disappointed to only get a tease, but it was longer then some of the ones the band gave at the end of the summer tour. ANTS was a good way to end the show, full of energy and Boyd was on his game with this one. Overall the crowd was really into this one. The band was having fun and enjoying themselves. See you guys in the spring!!

Roger R.
okay.. opened with the same song as the previous night in chi-town. what's up with that?? crush was excellent, good jammin'. SMTS into TOO MUCH, where Carter was kickin ass, that has to be the best transition ever created, and dave was sweet when he started dancin !. kick ass.. xmas song for an encore, no surprise, halloween tease was different, but cool as hell, maybe cause the people right around the stage were chanting "halloween, halloween?" i think he pleased'em all.. and ants marching. finally after seeing them 7 times previously and not hearing it, finally.. and it was perfect. it made my whole trip from detroit for both shows. the only thing was the no alcohol at U of I.. i wish i would've known about that issue. guess that explains why everyone was gettin extra F'D up at the premier inn!.. so worth the drive, can't wait for summer or spring.. hope they play CoMerica here in detroit .. until then, happy holidays to all yall dave fans..