By Jessica Dionne for Curtains Up (@maccajess)
Up until last night’s show, Dave Matthews Band hadn’t blessed Montreal with their presence since their 2009 stop at Parc Jean Drapeau as a part of their yearly summer tour. After six years of waiting – a long six years – some 10, 000 fans filled the Bell Centre last night and rocked out for two sets with arguably one of the best and most musically talented bands to come out of the 20th century.
In true DMB fashion, the setlist was a complete surprise; the band rarely plays the same songs night after night and this particular Montreal set list – filled with rarities and classics – was nothing short of spectacular.
The stage was set up for two bands and for a slight moment the question of who would open for them lingered in the air, and the crowd impatiently awaited the moment when Dave Matthews himself would come out onto the stage and introduce the opening act. When the lights finally went down, he stepped out onto the stage, grabbed a guitar, and went right into a cover of John Denver’s ‘Take Me To Tomorrow’. Who better to open for Dave Matthews than Dave Matthews? Eventually joined by the incredible Tim Reynolds, whose guitar-playing skills are exceptional, their hour-long ‘acoustic’ set proved to be the best possible opening act. The highlight of the set was most definitely the second song of the evening, ‘Let You Down’, a rarity that has only been performed live twice since 1997.
After a short break where the audience was encouraged to go get a glass of champagne or beer, the band took over the entire stage and delved into their impressive catalogue, performing rarities such as ‘Hunger for the Great Light’ and covering the Talking Heads song ‘Burning Down the House’, as well as including more common songs such as ‘The Best of What’s Around’ and ‘Crush’. Their over two-hour ‘electric’ set created a trance-like atmostphere that had the entire Bell Centre singing and dancing along.
As a relatively new but big fan, this was the first time that I was seeing them live, and having been promised a great musical experience, I was not disappointed. The highlight for me had to have been the moment Dave Matthews traded his 6-string guitar for a 12-string and Carter Beauford on the drums launched the band into an explosive version of my all-time favourite DMB song ‘Grey Street’. It was the luck of the draw and I definitely wasn’t expecting to hear it, hence why I must apologize to the people sitting around me whose hearing was diminished by my cheering and screaming.
During their 22-song set list, the band performed a new song, ‘Virginia in the Rain’, which means that DMB fans can expect a new album within the near future. Until then, music fans of all ages should seriously consider adding seeing a Dave Matthews Band show to their bucket list. In a world with such musical uncertainty, DMB are like sweet like candy to the soul.
