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| photo: Kevin Sullivan/OC Register |
Dave Matthews Band has a long history with Irvine Meadows, thanks
to multiple summertime gigs there over the past decade.
On
Saturday night, when Matthews casually referenced the venue's impending
closure, he was met with loud boos from passionate fans.
Earlier, many people scribbled their personal thoughts about the
circumstances on
a large board located at the concourse entrance (sponsored by Save Live
Music
Irvine).
A long-awaited new studio effort from DMB is still rumored
to be in the works, so the current tour celebrates its 25th
anniversary as one of America’s most successful rock groups and top concert
draws. Last month, multi-platinum 1996 release “Crash” was reissued on LP and
debuted atop Billboard’s Vinyl Albums chart.
The sold out, nearly three-hour O.C. show started with the laid-back,
loping groove of “When the World Ends” and Matthews’ exaggerated vocal delivery
drew cheers. “Y’all are beautiful and cultured. I’m not going to tell you how
to dance, but…,” the singer subtly suggested, about the churning “Seven.” He
proceeded to sing in falsetto, dramatically gesture and do some of those famous loose limbed
movements to the unusual time signature. A fast and frenetic “Rooftop,” from
2012’s “Away from the World,” featured a tasty trumpet solo by Rashawn Ross.
Despite the previous night’s performance in Chula Vista, there
was a sense that the musicians were still getting their bearings following a
month off from touring. The pauses between some initial songs seemed like an eternity.
Maybe it had to do with instrument adjustments because the entire set lists tend to change nightly.
Matthews’ quiet vocals and acoustic guitar intro to “Proudest
Monkey” came close to being drowned out by chatty concertgoers (it also happened
later on an epic “Typical Situation,” where the band pulled out all the stops).
Still, the slowly unravelling “Monkey” was gorgeous and an early highlight. “Crash
Into Me” was equally strong. A mammoth version of “Crush” saw Boyd Tinsley
revel in his violin spotlight, fans wave their hands during the buoyant chorus
and heartily approve of the “feeling high” lyric.
Stretching back to 1993 live album “Remember Two Things,” the
band’s haunting “Minarets” saw Matthews and drummer Carter Beauford doing strange
vocalizations. Later, a spirited “Recently” prompted a loud audience singalong,
plus entrancing solos by Ross, Tinsley and sax man Jeff Coffin. Matthews
included a line from Al Green’s “Take Me to the River.”
The gilded melodicism of “The Space Between” was another
standout, while the always riveting “Don’t Drink the Water” found the group tightly
locked into a hard-edged maelstrom sound at the end. Some intricately woven
grooves amid “Funny the Way It Is” proved how DMB’s eclecticism still stands
apart from the pack.
Nearing the
home stretch, the breezy, uplifting folk/funk of “Jimi Thing” closed
the main set with more scintillating violin work from Tinsley, plus a
snippet
of Prince’s “Sexy MF.” The band passed the usual 11 p.m. curfew with its
encores, but hey, why not go out at Irvine Meadows with a bang?
Set list:
When
The World Ends / Seven / Rooftop / Proudest Monkey / Crash Into Me /
Break Free / Crush / Squirm / Samurai Cop / Minarets / If Only /
Recently / The Space Between / Don’t Drink the Water / Typical Situation
/ Funny The Way It Is / Jimi Thing>Sexy M.F. (Prince snippet)
Encore: Sister / Two Step / Halloween
A version of my review originally appeared at ocregister.com
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