Looking Ahead to the 2008 Dave Matthews Band Summer Tour

A little less than a year has passed by, and yet again, we’re ready for another DMB tour, which has the potential to be a memorable one. With the return of "Shotgun", the vibrant resurgence of "The Dreaming Tree", and guests galore in 2007, the band set the bar even higher with the announcement of Tim Reynolds joining them on stage for the entire summer. Tim hasn't toured with DMB extensively since the winter of '98.

DMB ended 2007 with a string of shows out east in New Jersey at the IZOD Center, and two shows at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Also, they were in the studio working on several songs, specifically "Cornbread", "Shotgun", "Sweet Up and Down", and "Loving Wings".

News like this shows that DMB is thinking about which songs had the most potential, while still trying out some older tunes that have grown to be fan favorites. But more importantly, it showed that a sense of focus about the studio efforts has returned.

Hopes for 2008

With 75 different songs played in ‘07, and 78 different songs played in ‘06, the set lists became a little redundant at times during this past campaign.
Although set list redundancy has been a regular complaint over the years, having a few surprises such as older songs here and there would make this so much more interesting for core followers of this band.

An example of DMB trying out older songs again was the return of "The Dreaming Tree" this past summer. When it debuted at Alpine Valley, Dave nailed every lyric and the band performed the song with a tightness that elevated it to the next level. This musicianship continued throughout the rest of the tour at stops such as Piedmont Park and the West Point shows.

[Editors Note: You can stream the entire 8.26.07 show here , in WDS Live. Just select the 2007 shows, and then you'll see the 8.26.07 link.]

With over six albums, and one independent live recording's worth of material, there is a slew of great material that could and should be injected into the summer 2008 set lists: "Spoon", "Recently", "The Stone", "Last Stop", "Cry Freedom", "Typical Situation", "Lover Lay Down", "Busted Stuff", "Raven", "Captain", "Granny", "Pig" and "Pay For What You Get" all deserve some time under the lights.

Also, the news that Tim Reynolds will be joining DMB on stage this summer for the first time since '04 had fans remembering the storied winter '98 tour which produced some of the most talked about shows in DMB's history.

With Tim on stage this summer, fans are hoping that he will inspire DMB to try some older songs that haven't been played in a while, and also let them experiment with some newer material that they've been working on this spring.

While listening to the tapes from the winter of '98, it's evident that DMB has a much more energized and rawer sound in large part due to the excitement from the solos and fills that Tim has on certain songs. The amount of creativity he adds to certain jams in terms of the depth and structure can be heard on songs such as "Lie In Our Graves", "Jimi Thing", "#41", "Too Much", and "All Along The Watchtower".

[Editors note: Downloads of All Along the Watchtower (12.01.98), Lie In Our Graves (11.05.98), and Rhyme & Reason (12.07.98) are available for immediate download in this post in our forums.]

A more recent example of the magic that happens when Tim partners up with DMB was when him and Dave performed at Farm Aid this past September. The one distinct song from their set was the first ever acoustic rendition of "The Dreaming Tree" (download) which had fans excited over the possibility of what Tim could add to other DMB songs not yet heard with him sitting in.

Impact of the Recent Studio Sessions

Though, with Dave Matthews Band recently recording in Seattle with Rob Cavallo, it is entirely possible that they've begun to re-discover their groove that they let slip away during the last few years in the studio. "Everybody's just really excited about it. That's why I say it sounds very much like DMB. It couldn't be more purely DMB than what it is," said Boyd Tinsley in his recent interview with Billboard.

Look at it as a two way street: The band has an idea in the studio and then works it out to a complete and finished product that will shine on the album. Then, they try these songs out on the road and the songs begin to take on their new life as a live product. With Tim in the studio, the old adages are back, and the boys seem to be more inspired then ever. Dave Matthews recently described Tim's presence in the studio when he said, "I think I can speak for everyone in the band when I say we're all really happy that Tim's got the time for us and we have the space for him."

While DMB is on a break from the studio, fans are still expecting a few new songs to rear their heads this summer. With all of the speculation that's been going on over the past few months, many fans are clamoring for a some evidence from the recent studio stint.

Boyd's recent interview with Billboard suggested that the new songs might at first be relegated to sound checks and rehearsal sessions: "It might be a situation where we might take a couple of those in rehearsals and in sound checks and sort of work out arrangements to play this summer." Traditionally, not all songs make it out of sound check. "Run While You Can" debuted in a sound check first in 2006 and was again performed in relative privacy in 2007 but has yet to see a full performance.

Changes in the Horn Section

This will be Rashawn Ross' third summer touring with DMB and while his influence on the band has been imminent through horn interplays with LeRoi on songs like "Jimi Thing", or in the way he seamlessly adds distinct interpolations to songs such as "Loving Wings" (I Dream of Jeannie) and "The Dreaming Tree" (Chocolate Rain), some fans fear LeRoi's role has been growing smaller.

In older versions of "Jimi Thing" LeRoi takes his solo right after the last verse and this is followed by a scat from Dave. However, nowadays, Rashawn and LeRoi battle it out as the rhythm and tempo increase before climaxing with a scat.

Have a listen to this Jimi Thing from 6.26.99. LeRoi shines for nearly four minutes as the band speeds up and slows down the tempo a few times. This is what fans would like to hear from LeRoi from time to time - those songs that he shined on in the old days.

Now, listen to this version from 8.26.07. It's half as long, but has two people going back and forth. The energy is there no doubt, but the intensity and range of sounds is limited because it comes in bits and pieces from the trumpet and sax. What saves that version is the slammin' solo from Captain Kirk Douglas of The Roots.

Cheers to '08

Dave Matthews Band, the sky's the limit for you this summer. Bring back some older tunes, try some new ones for the first time, and showcase Tim and LeRoi like never before. With all of the excitement that comes with each tour, fans look to creating their last minute wish list for '08 trying to get their last minute wishes out. Have a look and consider adding your own thoughts to the discussion.

The tour is less than a week away. We're all getting ready.