Scott Stadium almost split its seams Saturday night as 50,000 fans flocked to see Dave Matthews Band open its latest tour.
The concert had been hyped for months as a homecoming for the band. It also was the first time Scott Stadium was used as a concert venue.
Slated to start at 6 p.m., the first opening group began a few minutes early. Soulive, a trio composed of a drummer, a guitarist and a keyboardist, played their instrumental mix of soul, groove and jazz for about a half hour. The stadium was still only half-filled when they left the stage, but a steady flow of people of all ages and races still were entering the arena.
Soon came cause for commotion as Dave Matthews himself walked onstage to introduce his guests, Neil Young and Crazy Horse.
Young and his band played a slew of classics lasting about an hour and by the time they finished their set, the stadium was almost full. As the lights went out, the packed house went wild.
Out came Matthews, looking scruffy and casually clad as usual. Next, Boyd Tinsley entered in black leather hiphuggers and dark sunglasses with an electric violin in tow. Soon the rest of the band - Carter Beauford on drums, Stefan Lessard on bass guitar and LeRoi Moore on various saxophones - joined Matthews on stage.
The band played for almost two and a half hours. But the highlight of the show occurred when Young joined the group on stage for a sizzling rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower." Encompassing the band's entire history, the set list included major hits like "What Would You Say" and "Ants Marching," plus a handful of songs from the latest album, "Everyday."
The encore consisted of two songs, ending with "Stay," but the crowd was left disappointed as Matthews and the rest of the band sped away, leaving them without a second encore.
The audience varied widely in age, race and fanaticism. There were plenty of first-time DMB concert goers from the University and elsewhere, while some fans came from all over the country to see the band's opening night. Opinions varied just as widely regarding the selection of songs.
"The concert was incredible; I had never seen [Dave Matthews Band] live before, and he was amazing," Virginia Tech student Ricky Bowman said. "I enjoyed the new music more than I expected."
"It was great," third-year College student Matt Cullen agreed. "I liked the slowed-down version of 'Angel,' and 'Ants Marching' had some really high intensity."
Mark Wilson, who traveled from Milwaukee, Wis., was left a bit chagrined after the concert.
"I thought it was okay, tonight being my 41st show and everything," Wilson said. "I think they could have done a little more."
"This was kind of like a holy pilgrimage for me," he said.
From the University's standpoint, the concert went over well. Saturday marked the first time Scott Stadium was used as a concert venue, making the night a trial for possible future concerts. University Executive Vice President Leonard W. Sandridge Jr. said he was pleased the way the concert turned out.
"I did go, and I enjoyed it," Sandridge said. "This was a very special interest, in that the performance was good for our students and was a means to allow a benefit for our community."
As for future concerts held at Scott Stadium, the fate of these events are still up in the air.
"We haven't ruled it out," Sandridge said. "We'll have to wait and see."
Traffic flow, of course, increased during the hours before and after the show.
Rebecca White, University Parking and Transportation director said she was pleased with the way traffic flowed Saturday night, though 30 cars were towed.
Transportation "worked pretty well," White said. "Fans used outlying areas prettily heavily, so traffic around the venue was light."
As Dave drove off into the darkness, fans were left with the memories of the night. He certainly left a legacy.
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