I’m chilling with my feet up this morning and conserving some energy for the big SXSW show tonight featuring The Whigs, Yo La Tengo, and My Morning Jacket; I can’t wait for that and hope to hit the Vampire Weekend show this afternoon assuming the line isn’t too long. In the meantime, time to catch up on some blogs.
Even though they’re probably the biggest live band out there (consistently) these days, I post these tour dates with hesitation knowing that we’ve got a bunch of Dave Matthews Band haters that read this site. I want to go into this more in the future if I get the time to put my thoughts down, but this is clearly one of those bands that people seem to a) love for the crowd the music attracts or b) hate for the crowd the music attracts. Much like the Grateful Dead. Much like O.A.R. Much like 311…and so on.
So why did I decide to post these tour dates, you ask? Well, I’m not much of a fan of the DMB anymore because I kinda just grew out of listening to his music (even though I was definitely impressed by a lot of the instrumentation and song-writing abilities when I was an impressionable, young college freshman). That said, one thing I’m consistently impressed with is the ability for Dave and crew to pick a solid batch of openers for the major, annual, set-your-watch-to-it Summer Tour that the band always announces early Spring.
Read on for the tour dates and try not to get all testy about Dave or his abilities. Say what you will, but he’s a major force in the live music scene and one that’s largely responsible for getting me into some of the bands that I love today. He was my live music gateway drug, and the openers on this tour prove to me that Dave Matthews is a guy that knows and respects great live music himself.
Dave Matthews Band | 2008 SUMMER TOUR DATES
with State Radio
Fri / May 30 / Post-Gazette Pavilion / Burgettstown, PA
Sat / May 31 / Post-Gazette Pavilion / Burgettstown, PA
Tue / Jun 3 / Susquehanna Bank Center / Camden, NJ
Wed / Jun 4 / Susquehanna Bank Center / Camden, NJ
with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Fri / Jun 6 / Toyota Park / Bridgeview, IL (VIP Packages Available)
with The Black Crowes
Sat / Jun 7 / Busch Stadium / St. Louis, MO (VIP Packages Available)
with Paolo Nutini
Mon / Jun 9 / DTE Energy Music Theatre / Clarkston, MI
Tue / Jun 10 / Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain / Scranton, PA
Fri / Jun 13 / New England Dodge Music Center / Hartford, CT
Sat / Jun 14 / New England Dodge Music Center / Hartford, CT
with Paolo Nutini
Tue / Jun 17 / Six Flags Darien Lake – Performing Arts Center / Darien Center, NY
Wed / Jun 18 / Molson Amphitheatre / Toronto, Ontario
with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Fri / Jun 20 / Saratoga Performing Arts Center / Saratoga Springs, NY
Sat / Jun 21 / Saratoga Performing Arts Center / Saratoga Springs, NY
Tue / Jun 24 / Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts / Mansfield, MA
With Michael Franti and Spearhead
Wed / Jun 25 / Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts / Mansfield, MA
with Black Crowes
Fri / Jun 27 / Hersheypark Stadium / Hershey, PA
with Michael Franti and Spearhead
Sat / Jun 28 / Nissan Pavilion at Stoneridge / Bristow, VA
with Michael Franti and Spearhead
Tue / Jul 1 / Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre / Charlotte, NC
Wed / Jul 2 / Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek/ Raleigh, NC
with Old Crow Medicine Show
Fri / Jul 4 / Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park / Charleston, SC
with Gomez
Mon / Jul 7 / Lakewood Amphitheatre / Atlanta, GA
Wed / Jul 9 / Ford Amphitheatre / Tampa, FL
Fri / Jul 11 / Cruzan Amphitheatre / West Palm Beach, FL
Sat / Jul 12 / Cruzan Amphitheatre / West Palm Beach, FL
with Ingrid Michaelson
Tue / Jul 22 / Qwest Center / Omaha, NE
Fri / Jul 25 / Verizon Wireless Music Center / Noblesville, IN
Sat / Jul 26 / Verizon Wireless Music Center / Noblesville, IN
Tue / Jul 29 / Crew Stadium / Columbus, OH (VIP Packages Available)
Wed / Jul 30 / Blossom Music Center / Cuyahoga Falls, OH
with Willie Nelson
Fri / Aug 1 / Louisville Slugger Field / Louisville, KY
Sat / Aug 2 / AutoZone Park / Memphis, TN
with TR3
Tue / Aug 5 / Riverbend Music Center / Cincinnati, OH
Thu / Aug 7 / Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater / Virginia Beach, VA
with The Black Crowes
Sat / Aug 9 / Alpine Valley Music Theatre / East Troy, WI
Sun / Aug 10 / Alpine Valley Music Theatre / East Troy, WI
with Eli Young Band
Wed / Aug 13 / AT&T Bricktown Ballpark / Oklahoma City, OK
Fri / Aug 15 / The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion / The Woodlands, TX
Sat / Aug 16 / Superpages.com Center / Dallas, TX
with The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker (thx EJ)
Tue / Aug 19 / Staples Center / Los Angeles, CA
Wed / Aug 20 / Staples Center / Los Angeles, CA
with Robert Earl Keen
Fri / Aug 22 / Coors Amphitheatre / Chula Vista, CA
Sat / Aug 23 / Cricket Wireless Pavilion / Phoenix, AZ
Mon / Aug 25 / Raley Field / West Sacramento, CA
Wed / Aug 27 / USANA Amphitheatre / West Valley City, UT
with O.A.R.
Fri / Aug 29 / Gorge Amphitheatre / George, WA
Sat / Aug 30 / Gorge Amphitheatre / George, WA
Sun / Aug 31 / Gorge Amphitheatre / George, WA
with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Fri / Sep 5 / University of CA, Berkeley Greek Theatre / Berkeley, CA
Sat / Sep 6 / University of CA, Berkeley Greek Theatre / Berkeley, CA
Sun / Sep 7 University of CA, Berkeley Greek Theatre / Berkeley, CA
