Dave Matthews Band w/ Amos Lee
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
July 21, 2010
The Deal: Dave Matthews Band hits Charlotte during annual summer run, along with opener Amos Lee and a special guest.
The Good: Amos Lee opened the show with his soulful folk rock easing the crowd into the coming night's music. It was Lee's last night on this tour, and he appeared to be laid-back and settled into the songs before they even started.
Matthews who introduced Lee as he does all his opening bands and the rest of his band hit the stage shortly before 8:30, and shortly after a quick downpour soaked the fans on the sold-out lawn. After warming up with the short "Minarets," the band swung into "The Stone" from 1998's Before These Crowded Streets.
The night's set was heavy on tunes from the band's latest album, Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King, but there was pleny of old to balance out the new.
During "Lying in the Hands of God," it was evident how comfortable saxophonist Jeff Coffin has gotten on stage as he tore through a lengthy solo.
Fans haven't forgotten the loss of saxophone player LeRoi Moore, who was nicknamed the "Groo Grux King." Each time that name came up during "Why I Am," the crowd erupted in cheers.
Fiddle player Boyd Tinsley offered a lengthy, full of smiles solo that had him wandering around the front of the stage during "Lie In Our Graves."
Before "Lover Lay Down," Matthews noted that the band often runs into friends on the road and invited saxophonist Branford Marsalis to the stage. Marsalis added his own spice to the song's solo and stuck around for "What Would You Say." He later returned for the end of "You and Me" before getting involved in a rotational horn solo with trumpet player Rashawn Ross and Coffin at the end of "Jimi Thing."
After the solo, Matthews started singing, "I got the best seat in the house," which led into the horns playing a bit of Parliament's "Tear the Roof Off" with Matthews singing, "Sexy motherfucker, shakin' that ass," as he did at Bonnaroo last month.
The encore was comprised of "Sister" and the non-album fan-favorite, "Cornbread."
The Bad: The last couple of times, Matthews has surprised fans with the occasional cover song "Sledgehammer" was played last year. This time around, Matthews stuck to his own material and failed to mention the band's hiatus next year.
The Verdict: The band seems to get better every time and the non-stop touring doesn't seem to have an effect as all members don't hold back smiles. The addition of Marsalis gave a refreshing splash to a handful of classic songs.
Setlist
Minarets ...>
The Stone
One Sweet World
Satellite
Shake Me Like A Monkey
Lying In The Hands Of God
Pig
Spaceman
Seven
Lover Lay Down w/Branford Marsalis
What Would You Say w/Branford Marsalis
Some Devil
Why I Am
Don't Drink the Water
Lie In Our Graves
You And Me w/Branford Marsalis
Jimi Thing w/Branford Marsalis
Encore
Sister
Corn Bread
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