Freedom R.
I can say that I have always enjoyed all of the Dave shows that I have ever attended. I was especially glad that they gave the crowd a gracious thanks for holding out during some of the worst summer weather ever in Wisconsin. (30,000 people packed in a parking lot with a tornado not far away) I also enjoyed the mix up of old vs. new with a very cool "Everyday" intro. Was the first time I saw "Time of the Season" covered in person. Only complaint I have is the fact that the venue owners removed the large tree from the grass section of the center hill. Has been a hang out of our small group ever since I have been going to Alpine Valley.

Steve
I wasnt amazed with this concert set list. This is my second year going to see dave in alpine ansd last yuear was the best concert of my life. But this year didnt seem to have much. I thought O.A.R. was going to play longer than they did. And i thought dave would play some older songs, atleast a little more. I know u gotta go out and opromote the new cd but put some more oldies, those are the money makers.

Lillywhite4ever .
This was my 23rd show, and I felt compelled to write a review given the circumstances. My first time at Alpine, after the previous 5 years in a row at the gorge. We were almost destroyed on the way to the venue by what looked at the time to be a tornado, we had to pull off the road and hide in a pig farmers storm cellar while it passed.(thanks to the two dudes for letting us into your storm cellar)

I thought when I was leaving the show that this was one of the best shows I have ever seen, for one main reason: consistency. Every song they played tonight was intense and above the normal level that they played them at usually. The crowd was awesome, you can really feel those 40 thou proud. #41 was perfect for the opener, got everyone going nuts OSW was really sweet, felt great for the situation Bayou was nuts, Boyd went off big willy style American Baby Intro into Say Goodbye was one of THE highlights for me, they both were completely off the hook freaking fantastic!!! TOTS was really cool, first time I heard it live, butch was sweet on it R&R is a song that usually I am not too enthused to hear, but tonight I was LOVIN it, dave was angry... it was Great

Then this stretch came.... Lie In Our Graves Lover Lay Down Bartender Pantala Naga Pampa --> Rapunzel

ALL these songs were played STRONG, possibly the best LIOG,LLD,Bar10der, and Rapunzel I have ever heard. Roi was on fire tonight, Carter was crazy on Say Goodbye and AB Intro, I thought Dave was going to blow a blood vessle in Bartender, and Boyd was going apesh*t on LIOG and Bayou.

This show is easily in my top 3 I have seen Alpine rocks

Candace
This was my first DMB show ever and I thought that it was amazing. I really became a fan only about two and a half years ago. I'm so glad I did!!! Of all songs, they had to open with #41 which is by far my favorite DMB song. Alpine did an awsome job for this concert and I will totally be there again next summer. I wish O.A.R. got off the stage sooner than they did only because me, my bf, and our friend couldn't wait any longer. The playlist was pretty cool. I was upset though to here the American Baby intro but not American Baby itself. Oh well. At least they played Bartender and Hunger for the Great Light. Time of the Season was also amazing!!! I think they sing that song better than the originators!!! Overall, it was a great night and I'm totally looking foward to next summer. I hope the band understands how awsome they really are!

Lisa
This was my 10th DMB show and i was overall pretty impressed. I think their jam in LIOG was wonderful....had my guessing if they'd ever actually finish the song! I loved how they opened with #41, and it was the first time i've been lucky enough to hear "say goodbye" live, so i was VERY excited, to say the least. I was glad that they played a decent amount of "old stuff" and not just music from the new album, because while it's important to promote the new album, i really love hearing the old stuff too :-p I was ecstatic when they played Smoothrider, I just loved how it sounded live. The guys were rocking just as hard as ever, and I love it. They're so in tune w/ each other and it really shows thru the music. The intro to What You Are was lengthy and great. Kept me guessing as to whether they'd really play it or if they were doing a tease. I was a little disappointed in the encore, however. They played well, but not with as much gusto as usual. And only 2 songs? I felt slighted with the encore. Not my favorite concert yet, but it was another solid DMB performance.

Monika
I haven't seen DMB since '03 (unfortunately) so when I went to Alpine once again, I had high expectations. Needless to say, they blew my expectations out of the water. With every song, I was amazed and thrilled by how tight the band played. There was a passion and intensity in Dave's voice that made up for the lack on the Stand Up album. I knew the new album's songs would be better live and I was right. I felt they played just the right amount of Stand Up songs. It was a fair mix of the new and old. And man oh man, did they pull out some old classics to boot! I finally heard LIOG, BOWA, and a beautiful LLD. Thank you DMB for blowing my mind once more! I'm interested to see if they're going to top last night with tonight's Alpine show.

Melissa
This was my 30th show over the last ten years and the best show that I have seen since summer 2000. And this is the first review I have ever written. What a GREAT show. I went in hoping to hear lie in our graves, best of what's around, #41, and bartender. And they played all four songs. I couldn't believe the jam on louisiana bayou ... WOW!!! It just kept going and going. The new "Stand Up" songs are really great live.

Ben S.
The opener was just what we needed after a stormy afternoon…#41 gets your feet wet for the night and loosens the band up for a long show. Going way back was One Sweet World that sounded tight. The new album can be seen a few different ways but a definite departure from prior albums---many driving bass beats, soft melodies, and less emphasis on the violin or sax. What they are in concert is a more complete version of the album “cuts.” Hunger for the Great Light was the first of many new songs with a driving beat and strong feel. Louisiana Bayou was so much better in concert and very playful coming out of Dave…soon to be a crowd favorite. Things slowed down a bit for Say Goodbye but picked up with The Zombies cover …great idea here because Butch Taylor is such a great complement to the band…great cover of a classic song. Dreamgirl was solid but really has no ending…I think they are working on this one a bit. You Might Die Trying and Smooth Rider were both well done with a driving bass beat and everyone participating for maximum sound. Going way back with Rhyme & Reason was nice…such a dark and cryptic song it almost gives you chills. The set could have come to a quick stop but continued with Lie In Our Grave, Bartender, and Rapunzel. Lie In Our Graves was the highlight of the night—-Boyd went absolutely nuts driving hard on the violin with everything he had. I got chills just seeing the wave of the crowd react to the rush of sound and emotion coming from the stage. The encore was a surprise to me. Cari was hoping for Best of What’s Around all night—luckily she was not disappointed with a great version and so much fun! The show ended with a popular closer at Alpine: What You Are. It had a long intro that just flat out creeps me out. Fantastic build and rhythm to this song and a great closer. DMB is still the best live band around and never disappoint.

Scefer
Awesome show, it was my 4th time seeing them at Alpine and once again DMB proved that it was there favorite place to play. Time of the season, though it has been played a few times in past performances this year was still a welcome surprise. The show in a whole was great with a lot of energy. They played five songs of the new album, which was nice, but it's always great to hear songs like Say Goodbye and 41. Hopefuly tonight will be another great performance...Can't wait!

Dave S.
My fourth time seeing DMB at Alpine and aruguably the best show I have seen. I was very amped to hear #41 and One Sweet World to open the concert up, as well as Louisiana Bayou which is incredible live. The show was then quieter and was complimented by Say Goodbye (first time I have heard it live). Highlight of the show was LIOG in which Boyd went absolutely ape shit on his violin. I had to look on the ground because my face melted off. I am also glad they gave Butch a nice solo in their, he is very talented but gets no respect because people tend to forget about him. An extremely intense Rapunzel ended the concert and I loved to hear BOWA during the encore. All in all a heady show and I can't wait for tonight.

Jesse
Well I'd have to say this was by far one of the best concerts I've ever been to. After it rained, we got in and Dave comes out and jokes with the audience saying "It looks like we've had a little weather" He then introduced O.A.R. I have to give my compliments to O.A.R. who were an outstanding opening band, and really got everyone on their feet and singing along. #41 was an awesome opener it really set the stage for a great night. The sax and violin sounded amazing on this tune. After the crowd kept singing Everyday, Dave pulled out a couple verses. One Sweet World was one of the 3 highlights for me. I love this song and his scat at the end was awesome. It was such a great song because it was a beautiful night out after the rain had gone, the stars were out and this song just made the moment. I was never too fond of LOUSIANA BAYOU but when you hear it live you just have to love it. HFTGL is an awesome song to hear live as well. The AMERICAN BABY INTRO is phenomenal I love it and hope to hear it more. My second highlight would have to be SAY GOODBYE. This song is such a mellow song and it was really nice dancing to it. DREAMGIRL has awesome harmony in the beginging and I couldn't get enough of it. I like how this song sounds live especially the ending. TIME OF THE SEASON was a crowd pleaser and everyone was singing along to this one. YMDT is not my favorite and I was wondering if they were going to play any older stuff. Then came RHYME AND REASON and just singing to this song made me forget about the last song. So SMOOTH RIDER was the next song and I guess this song has to be an aquired taste. It was sweet to hear the low sax on it, and really drove the song. Then it came, the biggest highlight of the night for me. LIE IN OUR GRAVES was absolutley mind blowing. By far one of my favorite songs ever!! Boyd Tinsley just rocked the house with this song. The energy was back and we were all dancing. The concert then came to a very beautiful scenic stop with the gentle LOVER LAY DOWN. Everyone was taking their lighters out and it there couldnt have been a better picture. After being graced by Daves ending notes I realized that this was an amazing concert. BARTENDER was phenomenal. Everyone was screaming and singing as Dave let out his screams. It was nice to see that LeRoi pulled out his pennywhistle. (Side note I like him without his glasses) After a calming ending to Bartender came PNP and everyone sang to this song. RAPUNZEL's jam was a great way to end the set. I looked around and everyone was dancing, smiling and laughing. Quick side note the people at Alpine are all extremely nice and I love the venue. BEST OF WHATS AROUND was a great way to come back. This song brought everyone back on their feet and took us right back to where we were. The sax in this song was absolutely stunning. The chorus in this song was awesome too with everyone singing. Then came WHAT YOU ARE with a very long intro which I really liked. Dave just kept teasing us, then the song busted out and Dave was screaming, people had their hands up, and it was all smiles. A great concert all together, kind of an abrupt stop, but in the end it was one of the best concerts I've been to.

Nancy
This is my 8th year seeing Dave at Alpine, and I was a little tentative about this year because I was unsure of how I'd like his new songs live. However, I was pleasantly surprised with them with the exception of Smooth Rider and You Might Die Trying, which were a little boring. But the others sounded great, and they did a sweet jam on Louisiana Bayou. And then the old songs - i was so impressed! Coming out with a great #41 and OSW...I couldn't have been more excited. And, as usual, Boyd was absolutely insane on LIOG...it just never gets old watching him. Main disappointment of the night was the encore. Kept us waiting longer than usual, and then came out with a sweet Best of What's Around and then What You Are. Not a big fan of that song, and I think it's a real downer way to end an upbeat show. This is the second time he's closed with that at Alpine in the last three years, and it left me disappointed. Overall, still a great show, and I'm happy I went.

Kyle
Awesome show! #41 was a stunning but amazing starter. Say Goodbye was great as well. I wanted to hear that song going into the concert. Time of the Season was a nice touch. Boyd stepped it up in Lie In Our Graves. He covered every step of the stage and defitley picked up the energy. Bartender was also great, it is a really godd live song. BOWA was the best part of the night. It was espically rare as an encore opener. That is my favorite song and it was great to hear it. A stunning show!

Sawicks
This was about the 10th Dave show that I've seen and about the 5th at Alpine. It was a sick show for sure. It comes close to topping the July 5, 2003 show at Alpine. An amazing 41 to start off the show took everyone by surprise. One Sweet World followed with a great intro and it was a good night for it. Louisiana Bayou was better than I had expected and came earlier than expected also. I had heard great things about how the American Baby Intro was coming along and it did not disappoint at all. Say Goodbye is just an amazing song to say the least and it gives me goose bumps everytime I hear it live. The drum intro by Carter kept everyone guessing what he was going to bust into and I don't think anyone was expecting it. A very, very powerful song. Dream Girl and You Might Die Trying were good songs to hear and it was a nice variation of old and new. Rhyme and Reason got the crowd moving. Lie in Our Graves was another surprise for me that I was not expecting at all. It was awesome to hear for the first time and was the perfect compliment to an amazing setlist that was in progress. Lover Lay Down calmed the crowd down and always is a favorite to hear. Bartender got the crowd back on their feet and I was going crazy by now (lost my voice sometime around now if I can remember correctly). As if the night wasn't going good enough, a phenominal Rapunzel to end the set. The encore started off great with The Best of What's Around. It was also the first time that I had heard this song live and just about what I expected. The only song that I didn't think fit the set was the closer, What You Are. It was an abrut end to the show and an all too familiar one too. Other than that, it was an AMAZING show and a nastalgic night.

Corey
Driving into East Troy yesterday afternoon was ominous. As the sky turned to black I suspected, however, that if the show went on, it would be a beautifully strong one with a crowd that invited and encouraged it.

I have seen The Band play in many different venues but there is something special about Alpine Valley and the crowds of fans that wait in miles and miles of lines just to enter the parking lot. The crowed loved the band and the band loved the crowd. It was awesome.

41 was incredible. R&R: totally unexpected. Smooth Rider was sexy and long and Best of What's Around was gorgeous. What a show. Best at Alpine I've seen.

Broch
This was the first time that I have seen Dave play at Alpine, and I have got to say that I was NOT impressed. I have been attending Dave shows since the early nineties, when I was in college. The weather ended up being beautiful, and the guys performance was flawless, those items are beyond dispute. We viewed the show from 3rd deck of the wooden "Beer Structure" on the right hand side of the stadium, a great place to be with lawn tickets. One of the major annoyances was that the sound system was either greatly underpowered, or the mix was just plain bad. I realize that this is par for the course with outdoor amphitheatres, but with the noteriety of Alpine, I expected a lot more.

As for the set list, the little energy that was there, was too little too late. By the time Rhyme & Reason was performed, and caught some attention, everyone around us was already engrossed in conversation, and lost on the concert. Being aware that artists need to perform recently recorded music, I am going to give a little slack on that account. Dreamgirl was amazing, and I'm sure it will remain a staple in many future shows. While not being a blind fan that will accept anything that the band throws my way, I still think that the Dave Matthews Band still offers a great show, this just wasn't one of them.

Camping G.
This was my 6th Dave concert, and my third in a row at Alpine Valley. I have to say that this show was a let down from past performances that I've seen. It opened up with a great song, 41, but kind of seemed to lose steam throughout the rest of the set. There was a lot of time, it seemed, between each song that lost my attention and passion as the evening passed.

The real let down was the encore. It took a lot longer for them to come back out on stage, and the abrupt ending was the biggest let down of the night. Normally I leave his shows full of energy and singing his songs in my head, not wanting the night to end, but this time was tired and couldn't wait to just get out of there.

I just hope that when I see him at Red Rocks in September, it'll be a better show!

Pants
The saturday show at Alpine was my only my 3rd Dave show, and but it seems numbers are numbers with DMB, with the potential of greatness abound in any show. I had not expected #41 and was moved to be engaged by it so quickly. One Sweet World was the opener at the last show I saw in NY, and really was a sweep right into the high energy Louisiana Bayou. As with many of the new songs, I've been having trouble swallowing LA Bayou, but similarly, any I don't like on the record I love live. Hunger seems to be one of those songs that the band will rework fantastically in live settings to really take advantage of the message of the song, and as such was about par. AB Intro was fantastic, and as a prog fan, I'm always happy to hear the obvious style of a band like DMB incorporate odd time signatures and eletronic elements and such, and again live settles it. After a good, good Say Goodbye, the band woke up and made love to the crowd in Dreamgirl - that a capella intro is a KILLER. Time of the Season reminded us of love before Dave reminded us that we can begin to live only through giving, and we might have died trying to get to the concert through that nasty storm. There was plenty of head-reasoning through smoking and drinking during R&R - just a badass song to hear live. Smooth Rider was far overshadowed by LIOG, because...Boyd Tinsley is way smoother at letting his fingers ride his 4 string. Tinsley practically exploded all over the stage - just outstanding. How to better mellow out than Lover Lay Down man - there was such a vibe of relaxation and comfort, and then we were brought back to consciousness through a great Bartender. Pantala meant Rapunzel, and Rapunzel was on FIRE, no doubt they did their best for us. BOWA practically kicked me in the head man, seriously exceptional how they remind us to be alright in this world. I had to follow my buddy back to our cars during What You Are, but heard it the whole way, and was not enthralled, but definitely appreciative of the connection we were being brought to understand on our way out the door. Awesome show.

Marc
I've been a huge fan for a long time and seen a lot of shows, but this was the worst one i've been to. A lot of it had nothing to do with the band (traffic, drunk people, failed Warehouse "preferred viewing" section, overcrowded lawn, inoperable video screens). But even looking past all that, I have to say that the band simply let the few moments when energy was high, fade into a jam-induced coma. So many times i found myself looking around, bored, waiting for a song to end. I can't figure out why they had a several minute Boyd solo followed by a several minute Butch solo both in the same song. That's what it felt like to me, an evening of long, noodling solos. They even managed to make Lover Lay Down (a song I love) seem even slower and softer than it already is. Maybe things were much better from the Pavilion - I won't even bother going to another show unless I have seats. I'm used to being blown away by DMB at every live show. But on 7/23/05, the cool breeze blowing over the lawn was more exciting.

Michelle
This was my 4th time seeing Dave Matthews Band live, and the 2nd time I've seen him at Alpine Valley. I was surprised to hear so much of the new album at this show. The other times I've seen him he's played more older songs. It definitely got me even more into Stand Up, though. Time Of The Season was an extremely awesome cover...I was also surprised to hear Lie In Our Graves. That was really great. Best Of What's Around and Say Goodbye were also not expected, so I was quite pleased with those, too. The only thing I would've changed about this show in to trade Pantala Naga Pampa and Rapunzel, which are two songs that are often played at their shows yet I don't get into as much, for Warehouse or Ants Marching. I'm just glad I got to go the next night (24th) to hear Two Step and Dancing Nancies!! It just wouldn't be the same if I had a weekend of Dave and didn't hear any of those 4 songs...But definitely all in all a great show. And I would definitely tell people to see him this year if they haven't yet. Or see him again if they have. Even if he had the same setlist 2 nights in a row, the shows would be so different...

Otto
This is my first review on this website and my first review ever actually. I have been a fan of dave since the early 90's and this was probably about my 15th show. 4th year in a row for alpine. I love going to alpine, especially since dave has said it is his favorite place to play. You could also tell because he said "I love this place" like five times through out the night. First things first, the storm before the show was blacker then a black cat on a friday night. I thought it was "war of the worlds." I was just waiting for something to come out from the ground. That was a good hour hanging in the car until it passed with an occasional check on the brats on the grill. Then there was the mud slide in the yellow lot afterwards..pretty cool. As for the show..#41 is my favorite song and the the gf's..plus she is a dmb virgin so it was tight! OSW was incredible as usual..awesome intro and excellent scat at the end..made a great second saong with the stars just starting to perk out. LB is a great song heard live..much better then on the cd..the band goes into a great jam..looking forward to how it will hear next year or the year after. HFAGL was also a great song heard live. AB intro has some deep emotions in it and I loved how the guys played it. I was hoping to hear american baby right afterwards or dreamgirl but was surprised to hear "say goodbye." A killer song and definitely a classic. I knew it would be played as soon as carter started his solo..love the screaming at the end..very romantic. "Dreamgirl" was stellar as usual..love the south africa vibe to it in the beginning. Time of the season is a great cover and the band plays it well..like how dave slides is head sideways for the chorus!! YMDT was a little disappointing b/c I thought is had great potential to jam at teh end but the guys cut it short I thought. R & R is a classic and got the crowd jumping...the band did a great job on this one as well.. I thought dave as going to lose his voice. Did not like smooth rider..too slow and very repetitive. The last five songs were unbelieveable. If those songs were the concert I would have went home happy. LIOG was the best I ever heard. Boyd danced his ass off and strung the violin to mere perfection. Insane solo is all I can say..I love how he goes up to dave, stefan, carter, and butch and plays right in their faces. Lover lay down was beautiful and calmed the crowd down. Bartender got everybody going again and dave put on a solid performance with his yells. Rapunzel was sick..dave covered the entire stage with his heroics in his legs and feet. He went nuts. The encore was ok..BOWA is a great song but I feel it would be better in the set list..not as an encore. WYA is a great song..played alot as an encore this year which is good to see the band is mixing it up. Dave screamed his heart out as usual. Overall, great show. Only thing bad I have to say is that I had lawn seats and is it seemed everyone and thier mother had to walk pass me or through me..it was not fun...stand still and watch the show people!! Piss your pants if you have to!! i had seat last year so I was disppointed. See you at red rocks. Thank you Dave!!

EDOG
ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS WOW!!!! the show was absolutely amazing especially since we had to endure a tornado before hand. Rapunzel, come on how can ya not love that. Not to mention a #41 opener made for a great night. The encore was decent but it lacked a little enthusiasim. Sunday night was AMAZING there couldn't have been a better show especially with dave really engaging with the crowd. People it was like 105 with the high humidity playing factor and dave and the band new it and they gave us a great show and all I can say is that man Knows when to put on a good show I think the heat played a huge factor into such an amazing setlist on sunday night. I will be attending alpine valley till the day I die. the setlist on sunday was amazing and I was a lil disappointed at first when he encored with old dirt hill, but he gave us what we came for and redeemed himself with TWO STEP. Amazing amazing show guys great way to incorporate old with new.

Cheryl
Even though I go to Alpine every year (it's the closest outdoor venue to Mpls) I knew this summer would be different.

As a 30 year old woman who is 5 months pregnant and a ticket to the lawn seating in hand, I was not about to brave the pit of LawnPeople I usually do. So I rented a little chair and sat at the very top of the hill. The view is actually quite good. It's better when the video screens work however and don't show Doritos commericals. It's also better when the wind isn't whipping incessantly, causing the sound to get funky (and not in the fun way) too frequently.

Technical bits aside, the show was okay, but not one of my top five. Perhaps if I'd been closer I might have felt more engaged. Say Goodbye is one of my top five songs so hearing that made me squee with happiness. Lots of new songs, which one expects on a tour that directly follows an album release. I'm sure next summer will have a different blend of new and old. #41 opened nicely and I gotta say I spent most of my time on my feet jamming in my own geeky way. I think this was my 4th or 5th summer at Alpine and had yet to hear my #1 favorite song...so when BOWA started I squeed once again and danced my little heart out. Made a mad dash to the car when What You Are Started and made it back to Waukesha by midnight.

Looking forward to Red Rocks on Saturday night :)

Nick
What a start to a great weekend of DMB. I don't know how any of you feel about that night but to me it sure seemed like the band was jamming,,, a lot. I personally loved the extended songs, made me feel like I was at a show in 1995. Say Goodbye rocked. Boyd was on fire this night, he picked it up 150%. If you weren't there you missed an unforgetable LIOG let me tell you. Bartender is always a treat. Oh man, and when they ended on What You Are my heart sank. What a great song. All in all this was a great show with beautiful light effects and great crowd and band energy alike. It's always a blast driving up to Alpine to see the boys play to 50,000+ fans. Cheers!

Desperate H.
What can i say except very disappointed this year. Last year we (5 other desperate housewives)went to sundays show and had a great time! Dave played an awesome set! so, we expected the same on sat. we heard that the 2nd night is always better than the 1st,and now we know it's true. when some songs were draggeddddddd out 10minplus it was a little much! of course, we will be back next year(but on the 2nd night). Go Moms(not old and unhip-we won the beer bong contest)!!

Ryan
This was my 8th DMB show and my 1st at Alpine. Firts of Alpine is a GREAT venue and I would definitely drive the 3 hours from Indiana to see them there rather than at the Tweeter or Deer Creek in Indy. Having been my 1st DMB show in 4 years(kids, serving in Army) I was not sure what to expect. I was not let down! Probably the 3rd best show I have ever seen them play. The new material was amazing. The older material was good but songs that were overplayed. Now for the show, #41 and OSW were Awesome as openers, they jammed out hard-core on both. Bayou and Smooth Rider were the definite highlights of the newer material. It seemed they jammed for a long time on all the songs. Which is always appreciated. LIOG, LLD, BOWA, Saybye while good songs could have been omitted for some other more obscure songs that I have not heard nearly as often. Dreaming Tree, Seek Up, Typical Situation would have been great to hear. Also what happend to Big Eyed Fish that would have been great. Other than that no complaints. Will befinitely be back next year hopefully for both shows.