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Dave Matthews Band
LIVE AT FOLSOM FIELD BOULDER COLORADO
(RCA)

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This two-and-a-half-hour double CD is the fourth Dave Matthews Band live album since the release of Crash (RCA), the group’s ’96 studio blockbuster. Still, there are a couple of significant firsts for DMB fans here: it’s the band’s first live album from a stadium show, and the first to focus on songs from the hit discs Everyday and Busted Stuff (both RCA).

Other than that, it’s business as usual, and that’s just fine. Matthews sings his heart out, and the crowd squeals its approval when they break into classics like "Crash into Me," "What Would You Say," and "Ants Marching." The band get plenty of chances to strut their stuff: six tracks eclipse the nine-minute mark, including the opening "Don’t Drink the Water" and the group’s signature cover of "All Along the Watchtower." Most of the first disc is dedicated to their most recent material; the highlight is a cathartic performance of the brooding epic "Bartender." There’s an unreleased track for completists ("JTR") plus several soulful guest spots by the feisty female back-up singers. Few bands fill stadiums as consistently as the Dave Matthews Band do, and even fewer do it with such an adventurous spirit.

BY SEAN RICHARDSON

Issue Date: December 19 - 26, 2002
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