Making what seems like an annual visit to Southern California, Dave Matthews Band returned to FivePoint Amphitheatre on August 25th for the first night of a two show run. A nearly sold-out crowd was treated to a perfect evening under the stars and a jam fest that included a mix of greatest hits as well as a heavy dose of songs off his latest release, “Walk Around the Moon.”
Over his two-night stay at the Irvine venue, Matthews threw together two vastly different set lists, rewarding those diehard fans who snapped up tickets for both shows. Most DMB fans are caravan veterans, a quick check with those near the front of the pit found that all were from outside CA (farthest was Buffalo, NY). What makes DMB shows special is that even the most hardcore fan can follow the band around from town to town and never see the same show twice.
With no opener, Matthews and his crew kicked off the show with “Spoon,” a song off their album “Before These Crowded Streets,” which is now inexplicably 25 years old. A few songs later, the lead single off his latest album, “Madman’s Eyes” brought some serious Arab vibes. The tune has quickly found its place within the vast DMB hits catalog.
Matthews was chatty in between songs, he stated that the night’s setlist would be comprised of “some of these and some of those.” “That’s the plan for these next few shows,” he explained, “I just hope we have a good time.”
If extended guitar solos are what you expect from a DMB show, you were not disappointed. “Don’t Drink the Water” brought a welcomed level of aggression that is normally missing from a majority of Matthews’ folky jams, while saxophonist Jeff Coffin’s solo on “Stolen Away on 55th & 3rd” was stellar.
Throughout the show, friends made guest appearances on select songs. Keyboardist Greg Phillanganes (who has toured with Stevie Wonder and Eric Clapton) joined Matthews onstage for “Grace is Gone,” while jazz saxophonist (and Los Angeles native) Kamasi Washington jumped in for a few songs including “Jimi Thing.”
Additional highlights during the marathon set – which was nearly three hours in length and 20 total songs – included covers of “Sledgehammer” (Peter Gabriel) and the Commodores classic “Brick House,” each one getting a different DMB spin to it.
As the show rolled on, two notable monster hits from the ‘90s – “What Would You Say” and “Crash Into Me” – brought the entire crowd to their feet, while “Two Step” closed out the main set.
A two-song encore followed shortly behind with “Little Red Bird” and the practically perfect song “Crush” closing out the evening. The incredible weather and iconic musicians made for a truly fantastic evening.
Matthews recently added a handful of East Coast arena dates this fall, most notably with two nights at Madison Square Garden in NYC on November 17th and 18th.
