Everyone knows the saying, "You can't go home again." Fortunately, it's a phrase that is notoriously ignored. Dave Matthews Band did just that, and what a homecoming it was.
DMB, a multi-platinum recording group, chose their hometown of Charlottesville to be the last stop on their summer tour. The group played two sold-out shows this weekend at the new John Paul Jones arena.
Opening was a band also known to Charlottesville. Robert Randolph and the Family Band played for the U.Va. community during SpringFest 2005. They rocked Mad Bowl then and repeated their success at JPJ. The group was started by New Jersey-native Robert Randolph, who used music as an escape from a sometimes-violent life. His instrument of choice was the steel pedal guitar, a sound usually heard in the south, in country ballads.
The family portion of Randolph's band includes his cousin and fellow House of God musicians Danyel Morgan and Marcus Randolph.
After an introduction by Dave Matthews, RRFB kicked off the concert with several rock-heavy tunes. Some pieces were from their debut studio album, Unclassified, while others were from their first official album, Live at the Wetlands. In between songs were instrumental renditions of Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough," and "Billie Jean."
The band ended with "I Don't Know What You Come to Do" from Wetlands. During the song Morgan, Robert and Marcus Randolph switched instruments multiple times, a testament to the group's talent.
Talent was a surplus commodity at JPJ this weekend, personified in the form of the Dave Matthews Band. Before they were part of DMB, the band members shared a passion for music. Violinist Boyd Tinsley was on the fast track to becoming a classical music virtuoso; saxophonist Leroi Moore and drummer Carter Beauford both began playing at an early age and were band mates in a Richmond-based group called Secrets. Bassist Stefan Lessard was a mere teen, only 16 when Matthews approached him to join the group.
They quickly rose to stardom as they toured college campuses and released a very successful independent album. This success multiplied over the years as DMB released hit after hit. If there was ever any doubt about their right to fame it was dispelled this weekend.
DMB, along with three guest musicians, Virginia professor John D'Earth (trumpet), Joe Lawlor (guitar) and Rashawn Ross (trumpet) played to a crowd of varying ages. Older fans danced next to younger fans, and both towered above the few children in the audience.
On the wall behind the band were three large screens. These screens played video feeds of the stage performance as well as background images of stars or flames. Coupled with the lighting production, these images helped create an exciting, visually-accessible show.
DMB began with "Pantala Naga Pampa," which segued into "Rapunzel" from the album, Before These Crowded Streets. Other songs included "Hunger for the Great Light," which featured D'Earth and "Rhyme and Reason," which included Lawlor. DMB ended the concert with fan-favorite, "Crash Into Me," and a piece called "Two Step" that featured Robert Randolph and played more like a jam session than an orchestrated work.
Frequently, when one sees a live band they sound nothing like their CDs. Usually you find them lacking the musical credibility that production and synthesizers give them. Not so with Dave Matthews Band. They are a case of truly talented musicians, the likes of which are hardly seen today.
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