Dave Matthews Band rewards loyal fans
On a chilly Saturday night in Montreal, Virginian rockers Dave Matthews Band brought an easygoing outdoor summer stage approach to their headlining set at the Bell Centre, their first appearance at the venue since 2015. Although known as steady hitmakers in the ’90s and early 2000s, the band hasn’t been sent to legacy act purgatory just yet. Come Tomorrow, released this year, had the biggest first week for a rock act on the Billboard charts with 250,000 equivalent album units. And even if there were a few crowd pleasers they couldn’t omit, the group chose to dig deeper into their extensive back catalogue. The varied set list resulted in a night that rewarded hardcore Montreal fans who’ve likely made annual pilgrimages to upstate New York over the years, as well as more casual listeners unsure of what to expect. The group remains in their element on stage, where their jam band tendencies can run wild. It’s where their Peter Gabriel pop instincts work alongside their Southern, Allman-nodding roots, which was evident before a cover midway through the 21/2 hour set of the former’s own soul ode, Sledgehammer. The group didn’t treat Montrealers like novices beyond opening the show with Don’t Drink the Water, one of their most recognizable Gabriel-inspired tunes from 1998 smash Before These Crowded Streets. They followed it up after with the far less tense Seek Up, which the group democratically split into chop-displaying solos. Trumpeter Rashawn Ross and saxophonist Jeff Coffin (who replaced late founding member LeRoi Moore a decade ago) traded breathless exchanges to stunned gasps from the audience. “That’s just our way of saying hello,” the 51-year-old Matthews said afterwards, perhaps realizing it’s somewhat counter-intuitive to load the early part of the night with extended jams. Matthews and co. really shined whenever they sunk into a groove courtesy of their constant rhythm section of bassist Stefan Lessard and drummer Carter Beauford. It wasn’t a show where the crowd needed to remain standing to show their appreciation. It was a laid back time with a group comfortable in their own skin. About as nofrills as it gets at the Bell Centre. Matthews perhaps inadvertently nailed the reason for seeing the loose jam band in the flesh. “There’s a good chance I’ll screw it up,” he said prior to Here on Out. “But that’s why you came to see it live.”