In early 1991 a small band out of Charlottesville, Va., emerged onto the music scene with nothing more than a small collection of undeveloped songs and a local bartender from South Africa. The bartender’s name was Dave Matthews, and what was to become of his band and his musical journey would go down as one the most successful live acts in musical history.
Since then, the Dave Matthews Band has played across the country and has been involved in almost every musical festival offered in America. They are one the biggest names in music and have constantly remained on top of the charts with every album release. But what makes them so special is not the mere genius of their approach to music but their emphasis and dedication to their live show.
With an approach almost synonymous with The Grateful Dead in the aspect of sharing and taping shows, the band has allowed legal sharing of their live music by tapers for years now. This approach has helped them gain the respect and admiration of their fans, and a lot more of them than most other musical acts. But once in a while, the band will take one of these shows and digitally enhance it to studio quality sound and make an official live release. Thus the emergence of the 11th official installment of their live releases: “Live at Piedmont Park.”
It is the dream of every Dave Matthews Band fan to be able to attend one of their shows and have it become the next addition to his live releases. That dream came true for me when, on September 8, I attended this “Green Concert” in Atlanta, GA.
Piedmont Park, a nature park located in the heart of Atlanta, is not the usual site for musical festivals, especially ones of the grandeur that come along with a Dave Matthews Band show. But on this particular evening almost 70,000 fans cheered in unison for what became an obvious highlight show for his summer 2007 tour. Not to mention the Allman Brothers Band opened for them. What more could a person ask for?
The album is set to be released on Dec. 11 and will feature all 18 songs performed by the band that evening. I have never experienced more energy from a concert in my life and, as the album relentlessly captures, it’s expressed in the passion and excitement of every song played.
The show featured old fan favorites such as “Two Step” and “Warehouse,” and some new releases such as “Cornbread,” “Eh Hee” and “#27” that the band had been working on during the summer. While these songs were incredible, to say the least, they did not wholly make the show what it was.
Because of their incredibly large repertoire of music (I have over 500 songs on my iPod alone) they frequently go into “slumps” when they don’t play a song for months, even years. The concert featured the fabrication of one of these songs called “The Dreaming Tree.” When I heard the opening notes of this dormant song, I could hardly control my emotions. It was miraculous and I emphatically enjoyed every second of it.
Another highlight of the show was the guests that appeared for two of the songs. But I wouldn’t necessarily call these guests. “Musical legends” is more adequately appropriate: Gregg Allman and Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers Band. Gregg and Warren appeared for the song “What Would You Say?” and did a rendition of the famous Allman Brothers band song “Melissa.” The Dave Matthews Band had never done a cover of this song before, and to have a legend such as Gregg Allman grace his presence on the stage was quite an honor.
The encore, which consisted of fan favorites “All Along the Watchtower” and “Ants Marching,” was a perfect ending to an even more perfect show. I have been to five Dave Matthews Band concerts but never had one been more enjoyable and exciting as that one.
For fans who have been listening to the band ever since the ’90s, and for people who have never heard them before, “Live At Piedmont Park” is definitely a must have for anyone interested in the Dave Matthews Band.
Also, if you feel so inclined, the band is releasing a live DVD of the concert along with the CD which gives you a first-hand look at the concert in high definition. “Live At Piedmont Park” is not just another CD in your library, it is a timeless concert that can be enjoyed for years to come. The Dave Matthews Band never fails to put out a solid array of music; this one definitely doesn’t fall short of any expectations.
For more information about the band and exclusive clips of “Live At Piedmont Park,” visit facebook.com/davematthewsband.
