Chris
WOW!! I have to say, I was expecting a let down knowing that he was going to play alot of his new stuff, but it was amazing! That was my fourth DMB show, and probably my favorite. I was stunned when he opened with DDTW and then how good his new songs were. I'm sure those who overlooked his new CD, are probably listening to it now. Thanks for playing Ants Marching, that was the first time ever hearing it live and thanks for also playing my favorite, #41!

Even though I was hoping to hear Bartender, and Holloween (a long shot), dave's energy made up for it big time! Thanks DMB for never dissapointing.

Brandon
INCREDIBLE! As a long time dave fan i have been to many concerts. This was number 15 in fact, and it seemed in recent years the band had been losing a lot of their energy in the concerts. This show however gained it all back. I was a little hesitant on hearing a lot of the songs off the new album, because they are just mediocre to me. But when played live these songs take on a whole new meaning. Hello Again and Hunger for the Great Light were amazing. All of the new songs played off stand up we very good except for the only song dave has ever written that i didn't like, Steady as We Go. He should stop playin this song all together. Anyways back to the show, I was thouroghly impressed with the way he mixed up old and new, fast and slow together, and with the energy he did it with. Boyd and Roi were on fire as well. The jams were incredible. It was also nice to hear some songs he hasn't played much in recent years such as Say Goodbye and Crash. And the highlight of ths show for me TYPICAL SITUATION. He serioulsy only plays it like once a year. First time i have heard in in fifteen shows. Only one song remains to be heard. Song that Jane Likes. Anyways the encore was a great version of You Might Die Trying, and the new Ants jam at the end of the song is my favorite. All in all this ranks up with Va Beach 2001 as the best show I have been too. If you wanna see an amazing set list check it out. But the energy of this show was comparible to none other. Plus the rain pregamming really helped set a wild mood.

TonyDPM
Day 2 of our NC tour with DMB, and this one was as good as the first. Great setlist, again, with a few of the new ones from yesterday's show, a few we didn't hear, and then a few nice surprises from the past. With the opening build-up, it was apparent that DDTW would be the opener, and it was, which got the crowd (and the band) going. They dropped into the new mode next with AB, which sounded great (and got Leroi going). Everyday was next, and the crowd played along with a long version of "hani, hani" going well before the band fell into it. A favorite from last year, HA, sounded great, with the ending i had hoped they would keep on the studio version played again live. Then, 41-which they seemed to carry out at the end longer than I can recall before, which really sounded great. A few new ones, all played last night, still sounded great together-HFGL (once again, strong bass beat really makes this a great live one), DG and LB (Boyd was looking for all comers on his solo at the end of this one-he faced down Dave, then took on Stefan, went to Leroi and finally even went after Carter-it was great stuff!). Then the biggest surprise, TS! I had not heard this one in years, and it was awesome! They really extended this, with a nice addition to it about 2/3 through, which brought the house down-everyone was singing along to this one, and it sounded great. A nice SAWG was next, with a second-in-a-row version of SG-when Carter went into his drum intro, I was thinking there was no way they would play it 2 nights in a row, but they did-great to hear. Smooth Rider was next and then Crash, which was nice to hear (had not heard that one in a while-Dave really wailed on it). Stand Up was next, with the crowd again chanting the main verse, followed by Watchtower, which is somewhat overplayed, but still one of the best versions of the song. The encore was very good, with a tease of 34 (too much of a tease-they need to pull that one out and play it-the crowd was really looking forward to it). They rolled that into a nice version of YMDT, with Dave again pumping his arms and conducting his "orchestra". They closed with Ants, which left the crowd in a fevered pitch. All in all, 2 great shows and well worth the trip. The band seems to have a higher level of energy this year, with the new songs keeping their creative juices flowing live. Leroi was awesome tonight, and Stefan was very active and he and Dave had some nice face-offs with Boyd. Looking forward to the shows in NYC!

Sto M.
The frame of this setlist speaks for itself. Opening the set with DDTW, closing it with Watchtower, and closing the encore with Ants says that tonight we came in banging and went out merilly dancing. If you like classic, typical DMB songs, tonight would have been your night. Speaking of typical, Typical Situation was a surprise tonight. It has been a rarity this summer, and the crowd was pleased as it began. All the more interesting tonight were the teases. I sat in the 2nd row of Section 2, and a lady in the front row was sporting a "JOY RIDE" sign all night. As dave strummed the tease, he gave her a nod and smile. It was a refreshing sight for a band that, although close to its fan base, can sometimes seem distant. The #34 tease was also an interesting tease, as it carries the qualities a mellow encore first song needs. I'll be looking for that one later, hopefully in ATL or Nashville.

Tonight DMB sent us to the streets feeling happy. Good Show.

Johnny
Just got back to Richmond from Raleigh. Show was well worth the three-hour drive to and from the pavilion.

Don't Drink the Water: Seeing as it had poured rain just prior to the show, I called this as the opener. Never disappoints. Regular intro, lots of energy, lots of Dave wailing... good stuff. American Baby: Not my favorite off of the new disc, but it translates well to a live setting. The end jam was intense tonight, more so than usual. Not a highlight, but definately not bad. Everyday: Lots of audience participation. Excellent version, best I've heard. Boyd was ON tonight, no doubt, and he proved it here. I usually don't care for this song, but it was executed quite well tonight so I have no complaints. Hello Again: Next to Bayou, the best new song. The energy was insane, and Carter's solo tonight was the best I've heard. The reprise following the solo was also incredible. One word: energy. Incredibly awesome version. #41: Second time hearing this in three shows! I never get tired of this gem. They played the hell out of it tonight, good efforts all around. Dave even hit almost all of the high notes in this one, but he did not attempt the Everyday outro. The crowd went for the outro, but Dave did not. Anyway, awesome version, much better than the VaBech version I saw a week ago. Definately a highlight. Hunger For the Great Light: This song rocks live. It's short, but packs a good punch. Dave seemed winded in this one, but Carter backed him up a bit and did some nice drum fills to make up for it. Again, stellar version... puts the album version to shame. Dream Girl: I love this song, I don't care what anyone says. It was placed well in the set tonight (doesn't work too well as an opener, IMO). Of note: they have totally redone the outro: the go back into the African harmony, and then a peppy LeRoi/Carter duel, then back to the African harmony, and then it kind of ends with a little drum kick as opposed to just fading out. I like what they've done with it a lot. Anyway, great version, by far the best I've heard this tour. Louisiana Bayou: Boyd owned it. This song is a beast live, simply gorgeous. Dave played the electric again, and I think it gives the song an added punch live. My favorite part is the breakdown where it's just Dave and Butch on the organ, and then LeRoi and Carter bring it down. Boyd's solo was on fire, great stuff. A definite highlight for me. Typical Situation: WTF? Totally out of nowhere, but I loved it. I like how it goes from mellow>bouncy>mellow. The intro jam was extra long tonight, probably around 3 minutes of LeRoi. This is only my second time hearing it live, and since it was the tour debut, it was an automatic highlight. Still, the performance was also incredible. Steady as We Go: Ugh. This one needs to be tied up in a garbage bag and thrown into the nearest river. It kills the crowd. I sat. Say Goodbye: The best imaginable rebound from the crappy song that came preceeded it. Magnificent version. Carter had a good little solo, then Dave came in with some strumming, followed by a great flute bit by Roi. I saw this one at Nissan two days previous, but this version blew it away. Dave got pretty much all of the lyrics right, and his vocals were really tight despite his failure to hit the falsettos at the end. Great version, another highlight of the night for me. Smooth Rider: I wanted to hear this one, because I like the version on the album a lot. Anything after Say Goodbye would be a letdown, so it was doomed. I must say, though, that it was a nice version, although a bit repetitive. Maybe Dave should actually write a second verse instead of just repeating the first one over and over. Nevertheless, solid version. Crash Into Me: I never get tired of it. No different than any other version that I've heard, but that's a good thing. The Dixie Chicken outro is a treat for the crowd, as is the wailing "Craaaaaaash Into Me" from Dave. Again, very good version. Stand Up: I skip this song every time I listen to the new album. Live, however, is a different story. Sure, there are other songs I'd rather hear, but the Carter/Roi jams in the bridge portion of the song are enough to keep me interested. The crowd ate this one up, surprisingly, and the whole place was shouting "Stand Up" along with the band by the end of the song. Very tight version; I actually enjoyed it a lot. All Along the Watchtower: I actually enjoyed it a lot. I've heard it played a lot, but I never get tired of it. So much energy. Boyd's solo following the first verse was great, and I like Butch's funky organ bit following it. Pretty standard version, but a perfect way to end an awesome set. --Encore-- #34 tease: Dave definately strummed the licks for this one at least five or six times, and then it just kind of died out. Still, it's nice to know that the band hasn't forgotten about it. You Might Die Trying: Another example of how well the Stand Up songs have translated into their live catalogue. I love the R&B drum breakdown from Carter. This was the usual stellar performance of this song. Ants Marching: No better way to end a show than Ants. Dave absolutely could not hit the highs, but the band made up for it in the jamming. Standard version at best, but it was a pleasant, happy way to end the evening.

OVERALL, this is in competition for the best show I've seen. The setlist was phenomenal: you can't go wrong with DDTW opener + #41 + Typical Situation + Say Goodbye + Crash + Watchtower closer + Ants encore. All the Stand Up songs, sans Steady as We Go, were absolutely incredible (remember how long it took the band to warm up to all the Everyday songs?). Louisiana Bayou and Hello Again will become favorites right up there with Two Step and #41 in the live catalogue. Anyway, I couldn't be happier with the show we got tonight.

Erik
First of all this was an amazing show. I went to the show thursday in virginia beach and was certainly disappointed with the set list and this performance at walnut creek completely made up for it. They brought the crowd into it early with a powerful version of DDTW and then followed with american baby which the crowd seemed to like a lot. #41 is just simply an incredible song so i was excited when they started playing that. In va beach the band lacked energy i thought, but in raleigh they all were having a ton of fun and you could see all the members of the band were having a blast. This was especially true in the jam to end lousiana bayou. That was probably one of the best jams ive seen or heard them do. I thought the intensity dropped off some in the middle and they didnt bring the crowd back into it until crash. I was really hoping theyd play joy ride and the tease got me excited but then they went into stand up. That was disappointing for me personally. Watchtower was a great song to close with. Without a doubt the highlight was Ants Marching in the encore. Hands down my favorite song and they did a great job with it. Way to go DMB for putting on another awesome show!

Marie
although I certainly enjoyed the show, I did feel it was a little too heavy on the new songs- I saw them live right after "everyday" came out and after "busted stuff", and I don't remember them ever playing 8 songs from one album (and I was sad to see "busted stuff", one of my favorite albums, completely neglected). some of the new songs are good, some are great, some are mediocre... there were just too many of them.

regardless, they did a great job on "hello again" and "hunger for the great light", both of which were relatively short and very energetic. out of the older songs, "41" is one of my all-time favorites, so I was very excited to hear it again. "say goodbye" and "typical situation" were also inspired choices, they seemed to get the entire crowd into the show. the ending of "crash" was one of the highlights of the concert, as was "watchtower"- which isn't normally a favorite of mine, but when they play it live, the intensity is unbelievable.

however, being one of the few DMB fans who isn't impressed by "ants marching", I used that song as an opportunity to beat the crowds to the bathroom. I guess it could've been worse, they could've ended with "stay"... but how about some "warehouse" or "two-step"?

four years in raleigh and still no "two-step". here's hoping for lucky year #5.

Brian
This was my 7th show and definitely ranks as one of the best. I was really hoping to hear at least one classic I've never seen live before and I got 2. I've been waiting to check Say Goodbye and Typical Situation off the list since I saw DMB for the first time in 2002. I really had my hopes up for hearing Say Goodbye since they played it at Nissan Pavilion three nights before. When they played it in Charlotte at the next show (that I regrettedly couldn't make it to) I thought I had for sure missed my chance. I was shocked when I heard the opening cords. Typical Situations was my highlight of the night because it is in my top 3 favorites of all time, and I've been dying to hear it live. I also was glad to hear the 4 new songs that I really didn't want to miss: American Baby, Dream Girl, Loiusiana Bayou, and You Might Die Trying (my fav. off the new album). #41 was great as usual, quite a surprise since they played it here in Raleigh last year. This was the second year in a row that I predicted both Encore songs in Raleigh, which made it all the more exciting. The new songs sound great! The only low points of the night for me were Hello Again (I like it fine, but I heard it twice last year and would have preferred to hear another new song I haven't heard yet) and Steady As We Go was quite boring to experience live.