By Jake Thorwart

The Dave Matthews Band, caught in the middle of a winter tour spanning 13 shows, set up camp in the Bryce Jordan Center on the eve of December 6th: intending to combat the cold weather outside by performing a warm, entertaining show inside. They succeeded.

Boy, did they succeed.

After an enthralling opening act from Soulive, a funk/jazz/hip-hop trio out of New York City, Dave Matthews (acoustic guitar, lead vocals), LeRoi Moore (saxophone), Carter Beauford (drums), Boyd Tinsley (violin), Stefan Lessard (bass guitar), and Butch Taylor (keyboard) made their way to the stage, much to the delight of the thousands of fans in attendance. Many in the crowd have probably been followers since 1991, when Dave Matthews and his fellow musician friends would play small Charlottesville, VA venues and earn the amount of money that could be stuffed into a hat passed around in the audience at each show. Now, almost 15 years later, each one of those fans would probably tell you that they continue to perform at arenas and pavilions with the same zeal and high-energy that was exuded at such small clubs like Eastern Standard and Trax, located in Charlottesville.

After a stunning start with “Rapunzel,” a tune from the band’s 1998 studio release, “Before These Crowded Streets,” Dave wandered into mainstream listener territory with his smash single “Crash,” followed by a fan favorite, “When the World Ends.” The rest of the show was littered with a mix of songs off of the band’s newest album, “Stand Up,” as well as other’s from their extensive back catalog.

Ian Gerg, junior in Music Education, stated that “The show had a great feel to it. I particularly enjoyed the extended jam at the end of “Seek Up,” where each band member really showed their musical prowess.” Christie Bankovic, sophomore in Finance, said that “Even though I’ve been to three other shows prior to this one, there were only two or three songs that he played that I’d heard at previous shows,” paying tribute to the amount of diversity that The Dave Matthews Band puts into setlist selection.

To celebrate the holiday season, Butch Taylor snuck in a piano outro reminiscent of Vince Guaraldi’s classic “Christmas Time is Here.” In addition, Dave began his band’s encore performance with his simple “Christmas Song,” which melodically retells the story of Jesus’ life.

The show concluded with a fan favorite, “Everyday”: the title track off of the band’s 2001 studio album. It was an incredible ending to a show that ran for almost two-and-a-half hours. As Carter Beauford left the stage, he tossed out his half-dozen drumsticks to eager audience members: honoring their support throughout the show. Actions like these make it clear to see why The Dave Matthews Band remains one of the most beloved bands in the nation; because for them, it’s still all about the fans… just as it was in the early 90’s, on those cold winter nights playing in tiny clubs back in Charolettesville, VA.