Dave Matthews Band
October 12, 1996
New Haven Coliseum
New Haven, CT
I consider this Dave Matthews Band (DMB) show in 1996 to be one of my first “real” concert experiences. I say that because it was my first without parental supervision. DMB was extremely popular and I think half of my high school was in attendance. While the band appealed to a somewhat diverse audience, including soccer moms, I don’t remember seeing any adults at the New Haven Coliseum that night.
The tour was in support of Crash, an album that included the Grammy award winning So Much to Say. The more mainstream hit at the time was definitely the title track (Crash), although the band didn’t play that song. This surprised me, but I would soon learn to appreciate the way they mixed up their set lists. This was also before I was really aware of the Grateful Dead, Phish, The Allman Brothers and the other bands that were known for perpetually touring.
After more than twenty consecutive years on the road the band recently announced that they would take next year off. As soon as this was made public almost every show on the current tour sold out. Fitting for a group that has sold more tickets than any band in the world since 2000 according to Billboard Boxscore.
It’s interesting how the circumstances surrounding a band can change your perspective of a live performance. I was able to catch their Hartford, CT show this past weekend and they seemed to be really enjoying themselves. The band was as tight as ever and Dave seemed more animated then I’ve seen him in the past. They played a great mix of old, new and cover songs, including Neil Young’s Needle and the Damage Done. The band also played Crash, the song everyone was hoping to hear during my first show back in ’96.
Here’s a live clip from that same year. Wow, they look young….I’m sure I did too.