WBUL 1620am

Dave Matthews Band rolled into the Ford Amphitheater Wednesday night and played in front of their typical sold out crowd. The thunderstorm surrounding the stage seemed to give the band and the fans a boost of energy when the band opened up with "Don't Drink the Water." The band then proceeded to play some newer, less-familiar songs. They were songs that just didn't really land well for me or for the audience, who seemed restless. Finally, 90 minutes later, the band began to play some of their hits; including a 20 minute jam session of "Two Step." Then, they finished with "Ants Marching" in a one song encore.

It was definitely a disappointing set list and the fans were not shy in voicing their opinions after the show. Many of the fans were yelling in anger in the parking lot on the way out. Maybe they felt even more disappointment due to astronomical ticket prices. A lawn seat would run you $50 after getting hit with over $18 in Ticketmaster fees and a reserved seat came out to just under $90. It is possible that fans patience are starting to wear thin with rising ticket prices when a concert is going to be a glorified practice session for new music that is scheduled to be released sometime later this year. It could also be that DMB hasn't put out a studio release since 2005, and they continue to release live album after live album...all of which are nearly identical.

The bottom line here is that you are going to get what you would expect from this band: a long jam session. The only difference is that you are not going to hear the great songs that you are used to.

Overall I have to give this show one out of a possible four stars. The band fails to deliver anything that could be considered an enjoyable evening with a show that is just nothing short of a practice session. Not to mention there is no visual value to this show. Dave will dance around in a small circle from time to time, and there are some flashing lights...but that is all. My recommendation would be to purchase one of the band's many live DVDs and enjoy the show at home and spare yourself the high prices and long night.