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Music

One night of Dave Matthews is not enough

By RICK GERSHMAN
Published August 10, 2006

TAMPA - I appreciated the effort, Dave Matthews. I truly did.

I loved it when you and the boys, your beloved Dave Matthews Band, followed up So Much To Say by jumping right into Too Much.

It was right in the thick of your sold-out performance Wednesday at the Ford Amphitheatre, just when the crowd had gotten used to you alternating a big hit with a lesser-known tune. But then you hit 'em with back to-back-bombshells. Sweet.

The kids went appropriately crazy, and it was the usual good-time-had-by-all. For the 20,000 crowding the amphitheater, there was no such thing as too much.

Here's the deal: Though none of the attendees seemed wanting in the slightest - it's awfully hard to disappoint a fan base this rabid and loyal - it was hard to shake the feeling that the end product was a little ... too little.

Before your adoring nation of true believers starts filling my inbox with attacks on my family, my mental capacity and my family's mental capacity, allow me to explain.

You've raised the bar too high, Dave. And painted yourself into a corner. And forced me into a truly unfortunate series of metaphors.

See, we need more than one show from you here in Tampa. You've been doing two-nighters so many other places - Boston, New York City, even Hartford - but where's our love?

Some place called Burgettstown, Pa., booked you for two nights. Sure, I know it's just outside Pittsburgh. But come on, Burgettstown? And you're doing two shows later this week in West Palm Beach. They don't love you, Dave. Not like we do.

Why does the Tampa Bay area need the doubleheader? Because you like to change up your set list every night, changing out nearly every song from show to show. You perform about 18 songs each time.

In the two-night towns, the Dave faithful get two entirely different shows, about 36 different tunes. Which is perfect for you, since you play a lot of stuff from all over your catalog, including several unreleased tunes that are live favorites. But you also have to show a little love for the more casual fans who want to hear the hits.

It's not like everyone didn't dig Where Are You Going, which had them swooning in the aisles Wednesday, or Crash Into Me - you can't ever go wrong there. But with a repertoire as big as yours, Dave, we need time to get the full effect. And with gas prices what they are, we're not driving to West Palm.

One upside: No mud pits this time, unlike your show last year, which followed steady rains. Wednesday's weather was as pleasant as you could ask for on an August evening in Florida, wasn't it, Dave?

So next time, stay the night.

We'll leave a light on for you.

Rick Gershman can be reached at rgershman@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3431. His Times blog, the Ill Literate, is at www.sptimes.com/blogs/tampaarts.

[Last modified August 10, 2006, 05:44:16]