Patrick P.
After kicking off the second leg of the tour last night, the Dave Matthews Band continues on with a set that is sure to set the pace of the rest of the tour. The energy within the set is what the band needs to kick off another summer tour run. The set was on target beginning with So Much To Say that went right into Anyone Seen the Bridge. Too Much, Seek Up, and even Crash Into Me were performed with an intensity and passion that pleased the packed crowd in the Dodge New England Music Center.

Dave sprinkled some newer works in the middle of the set with Break Free, Sister, and Can’t Stop. Fans were excited to hear a tour debuted of #41- a performance that to definitively describe the set. Warren Haynes from Live from Central Park fame walked on to join the band for the performance. The set ended with typical encore selections: Pantala Naga Pampa & Rapunzel. Overall DMB walked out of Hartford with electricity in the air, as they continue on with their tour they definitely set the pace with their performance tonight.

Kevin
I'm not quite sure which concert the other reviewers of 7/29 were listening to, but this show was awful. Maybe I was spoiled by having attended both Fenway Shows a couple weeks prior, but tonight was weak. The band had no energy at all, granted it was very warm. The setlist was amazingly boring. The best performed song was Bayou, that goes to show you how bad it was.

I am a true Dave fan and its painful to write this stuff, but I have to be honest. Sister in the middle of the set was a terrible choice, huge letdown. Digging a Ditch??? WTF and #41 is a decent song, but Warren haynes doesnt do it for me, plus the song lasted like 25 minutes.

All in all, a disappointing waste of a night.

Rebecca
To keep it short and sweet, this was by far the most bizzare collection of songs and setlists that I've seen in 35+ shows (that goes for both nights). With the exception of #41 (always a treat, usually worth the price of admission), the songs seemed short, lackluster, and much too mellow. While the first half seemed quite promising (esp. after the night before), it quickly deteriorated after TLS and did not recover its steam. NOTE: New songs are great, but not 4 close together in a setlist. It was evident that what was missing from the weekend were classic DMB blockbusters to shake up the house: Warehouse, LIOG, Two Step, Watchtower, BOWA, The Stone, Typical Situation. While a bad setlist won't turn this DMB fan away, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried about Randall's Island this weekend!

Joe R.
19th DMB show and I was pumped for this one. I went last night and had some ideas on what to expect...tonight I had no clue.

SO MUCH TO SAY: Random and a nice opener. Gets the crowd going and singing along. Was hoping it would go into...

ANYONE SEEN THE BRIDGE: Sweet. So damn funky. Dave was dancing like a goof and Roi and Rashawn owned this. Right into....

TOO MUCH: I love how far this song has come. Makes you wanna dance like a fool.

SEEK UP: Had a feeling with the opener this show was going to be special but as soon as I heard this I was convinced. Intro was tight and intense and Dave was wailing like a madman at the end. Loved it.

CRASH INTO ME: Standard but good. Crowd got into it and had a small fit with the Dixie Chicken Outro.

BREAK FREE: Was hoping for this one and I freaking love it. Best version I've heard so far. Can't wait for that new cd.

WHEN THE WORLD ENDS: Dave explained to us this was suppose to be a single off Everyday but b/c of the tragic events of 9/11 "they" didn't think it would be a good idea. "I just think it's a love song". I love Carter on this one.

SAY GOODBYE: Carter Beauford for president kids. The drum solo was sick. 1st time I've heard this one live and it was good. Dave can't hit those high notes anymore but I didn't think anyone cared.

LAST STOP: Oh hell yeah. Another 1st for me and the place went crazy (as did I). Sooooo good. And the reprise is just beautiful.

DIGGING A DITCH: Always liked it. Maybe it was Dave's way of saying calm the f**k down everyone.

SISTER: ??? Um, aren't we a little early for this? A midset Sister? Anyway, first time I've heard it and it really is a beautiful song. I mean given what happened to that man's sister, I give him a lot of credit to belt this out.

CAN'T STOP: Love it more and more I hear it. Last nights was better but, I was singing this as I was going to sleep.

#41: !!!!!!!!!!!! He introduced Warren Haynes and I was thinking Jimi Thing but got this. First time this tour with Warren and it was just ridiculous. He adds so much to this song its beautiful. Everyday outro which was a little shaky but then Dave said something about "you shouldn't roller skate in a buffalo herd" or something like that. My friend who was completely wasted was groovin to this song until Dave said that and then just laughed his ass off for like 5 min. Anyways...feel honored I got to hear this one tonight.

IDEA OF YOU: Wanted Kill The King soooo bad tonight but got Idea Of You again. Oh well.

LOUISIANA BAYOU: This is turning into a beast live. Dave forgot the rhythm a little bit but recovered nicely.

STEADY AS WE GO: In my opinion a great first encore song. So much emotion. Not to mention my girl was with me and we both kind of heard the words to this song, looked at each other and just got it.

RAPUNZEL: Great way to end the show and the weekened for that matter. Everyone was dancing like crazy to this.

19th show for me and I must say it could be #1. I talked with a bunch of different people tonight who say you know they've seen this band, that band, the other band, but the impression that I get from them is that no band is tighter than this band. Such good musicians sharing one stage. Always have been my favorite band and always will be. Thanks for a great weekend DMB. 10/10

Kevin M.
Here's my advice to any DMB fans right now: GO SEE AS MANY SHOWS ON THIS TOUR THAT YOU CAN. This tour may go down as their best ever. The setlists are just amazing. I promise you that one day we will all look back on this tour with jaws agape at the setlists that were played.

I sensed a real anti-war theme tonight from Dave. I could really feel the Last Stop coming with everything that's been going on in the Middle East lately. Dave's intensity on this song was amazing and almost scary. He never talks about it but the song is so blatently anti-Isreal and arguable anti-Semitic I'm surprised he hasn't gotten more allegations of anti-semitism. I wouldn't be surprised if this became a regular in the setlist from here on.

Say Goodbye and #41 were just beautiful, wonderful surprises. Just so so so good to hear live.

Thought the close of the show was a bit weak...LB, SAWG and Rapunzel just didn't do it for me. But great energy from the band is just amazing. Thanks for a great set and great tour DMB...can't wait for Randall's and the Gorge.

36 Everyday
This was my first time back here since Jul04, and other than last year I've seen DMB at the Meadows every summer since 08 Aug 1999. I must say how much I truly LOVE to see the band perform in this place... : ) After some initial drama, at the last minute on Saturday one of my best friends became available, and I was able to take him to his very first DMB concert (and we sat in section 600). We were parked in a free lot by 6 PM and tailgated until around 7:30 PM, then took a leisurely stroll to the venue (in a refreshing light rain), and had time to buy some beers and get my concert poster, and we were seated about 5 min before they dimmed the house lights:

I think the The So Much To Say ---> Too Much opener was a phenominal way to start-off the night (similar to when I was at the Central Park show), and the energy still was high when they played Seek Up next (like the Meadows show I went to on 27Aug2000, on Live Trax), although I hoped it could have been longer. But everyone was going crazy until the opening notes of Crash, at which point many people started to sit down.

I felt the energy-level of songs fluctuated too much in the middle of the set, and I actually went out for a beer during a mellow new song, "Break Free". But the teaser to Say Goodbye was the jam, and The Last Stop just blew my mind - Geeze, I sang so much, I think my throat is still sore...

I had gone out for another beer, because I got bored during another mellow song (I think it was just before Sister?). But it was 10 PM and all of the vendors except one had closed, so stubborn me had to wait to get himself one more Guiness for the night... anyway, after at least ten min. I'm walking back in with my beer and I hear the intro to #41 (my first favourite DMB song), so I run to the pavilion and stand in the isle in front of my section. I'm so happy at this point (and had a great buzz), I waited until a security guy was distracted and then ran down the stairs to the isle just behind 200, just in time to see WH start his jam. Phew! You KNOW I was thankin' God at that moment. Then as the closing of the song was going on, I walked back up to my seats (it somehow sounded different to me ???). As for me, the energy level definitely jumped back up at this point.

I think there should have been an extra song OR a really long jam in the set, as the night seemed somewhat short as compared to the summer concerts I used to experience. But I must say, the guys all seemed pumped to be back after their 3-week vacation. All of the solos I can think of were performed with enthusiasm - Carter, Butch, Boyd, and Leroi, although I really cannot recall Stephan at all. Dave was soaking wet and kept commenting on how hot it was, so I did feel badly for the guy... I thought the end of the night was on a high note, but not as high as the opening three songs. I've seen the PNP-->Rapunzel combo a few times, so as much as I like it, I think I might have preferred something like All Along the Watchtower, Jimi Thing, or even Two Step (although I've heard them a lot, too).

I was hoping to have heard some greats during the middle of the night as follows: Stone, Granny, Halloween, Warehouse, Recently, The Song That Jane Likes, Typical Situation (I've only seen it live twice) Crush (with the long stop-time outro) Say Goodbye was a nice treat, but would have been better if I was there with a date, and When the World Ends kinda felt like that, too.

To summarize, I'd say that despite a somewhat erratic setlist in the middle and being one of the shorter DMB concerts I've experienced, it truly was a great evening. I definitely want to obtain a copy of this show.