Dave Matthews Band opens two-night Camden run with hits and rarities

Dave Matthews Band | photo by Doug Interrante

I was 13 years old when my mother took me to my first Dave Matthews Band show at the First Union Center in Philadelphia on November 30th, 1998. All it took was the opening song, “Last Stop,” and I was hooked. The band’s fusion of jazz, rock and alt-country was unlike anything I had ever heard before. Their music was complex, intense and full of raw emotion.

This year the band embarked on their ‘standard’ summer tour with a little more purpose — celebrating 25 years of masterful musicianship, dynamic jams and a loyal fan base. By the time the two-night stand at the BB&T Pavilion comes to an end, the band will have performed its 55th show in the greater Philadelphia region. Their first show in the area was at 23 East Cabaret (currently the Ardmore Music Hall) in Ardmore, PA on July 30, 1992. Quite a run it’s been for a group of musicians who have stuck together through the best and worst of times.

When the band took the stage at 8:20 pm, the sun was low in the sky to cast a golden light on the audience. A beautifully backlit scene to witness when you’re on stage looking out at 22,000 of your most passionate fans. The band eased into their set with “Squirm” and a beautiful rendition of “Seek Up” with both drummer Carter Beauford and Dave trading off on an extended intro. The mood and energy of the evening started to gain steam with “Seven” and a rare “Fool To Think” which hasn’t made an appearance since 2013.

Overall, the band looked like they were loose and enjoying the good vibes from a impassioned Camden crowd. There was very little downtime between songs and no filler — an ever ramping tempo that climaxed with fan favorites “Pig” and “All Along The Watchtower.” A night-one show of a two-night stand that will not be soon forgotten.

Setlist:

1. Squirm
2. Seek Up
3. Seven
4. Fool To Think
5. #41
6. Plastic Girl
7. Crash Into Me
8. Death On The High Seas
9. When The World Ends
10. The Best of Whats Around
11. Dancing Nancies
12. Warehouse *
13. Lover Lay Down
14. Samurai Cop
15. Grey Street *
16. You and Me
17. Pantala Naga Pampa
18. Rapunzel
——– ENCORE ——–
19. Pig
20. All Along The Watchtower