Another Riverbend Review

[Caveat Emperor]

Tonight was my 10th DMB show, hitting double digits on my "home" venue Riverbend.

There are a lot of things that go into making a truly great show. First off, the set has to have good song selections. Good songs aren't enough, though -- they have to be placed appropriately to keep the energy from spiraling out of control (wearing the crowd out) and also to keep the energy from dieing (too many people heading to the john for 2-3 song runs). Second, the band has to be playing with purpose. Finally, there has to be that little something extra that puts it over the top -- a surprise tune, a random solo that rocks, etc.

Tonight at Riverbend combined all those factors. Tonight was a great show.

Without further ado:

Dave & Co. hit the stage. Crowd is appropriately appreciative. The guys seem a little more animated than usual - Dave is interacting with fans in the pit almost immediately.

Don't Drink the Water -- There was no wasted motion in this song. No long intro - just straight into the bad boy. Lack of saxophone is somewhat noticeable, but Tim covers very nicely. A good song to open with.

One Sweet World -- The first (and, really only) song of the night where the lack of saxophone was really noticeable. The trumpet was a little high in the mix and it really stood out from the rest of the song - I'd have preferred the trumpet muted just a bit more. Song placement was key -- got the crowd dancing a little bit right off the bat.

So Damn Lucky -- Great performance all around, even better than I remember it being at DC. This song has been a fantastic addition and benefited from going 'full band' much more than Gravedigger did. Crowd is liking it, but still not totally into the show yet.

Old Dirt Hill -- Some good davespeak here and then the song itself. Started off with a long bit of dave solo, then the rest of the band joined in as the song went. I like doing these songs so long as they have good pace -- play them and move on, like they did tonight. A good bit of "set fill."

Cornbread -- I like the drum intro they've been doing. No matter what your opinion on the CB is, the crowd really does like it. Rashawn does a great job filling the horns section here. Sidenote: The lighting they use in this song (heavy orange) gives the impression Dave is playing the song at sunrise or sunset, which is really neat. I dig. Crowd goes uptempo a bit more for this song.

#27 -- My personal favorite of the recent new song batch. I love the structure of Dave Solo -- Full Band -- Dave Solo and Boyd's part rocks it hard. Glad to see it back in action.

After this, there is a MASSIVE Halloween chant that gets going. Seriously, loudest song chant I've ever heard at a DMB show. I'd guess at least 25-35% of the pavilion was chanting.

(Everyday) Fake -- First chords hit and there was a bit of disappointment in the crowd that you could sense. The "Hani Hani" bits weren't up to what you'd usually expect at a show, but just when Carter was going to come in and transition from the #36 part to the Everyday part....

HALLOWEEN -- ...Carter's drumming changed and it hit the entire crowd like a wave -- holy shit, they're really going to do this. They're really going to play this here, in Cincinnati. The venue that got shit on by awful weather two straight years and a single song Everyday closer. Dave started singing and it became real. For a song they hadn't practiced, it sounded really, really good. The lyrics were a bit of a work, but Dave hit all the best parts so the crowd could sing along.

Here's where I give it up to the Riverbend crowd -- the place sang along to Halloween. Not just the hardcores, but EVERYONE was getting into it. They finished the song and the place went bananas. The kind of cheering that is usually reserved for a set-closer or encore.

Water Into Wine -- And here's where I give it up to the band, they knew they just lit the match in the venue. The crowd was amped up beyond belief, but instead of going crazy, they backed it down a bit with this beautiful number. Great bit of song here to bring the energy back to a sustainable level. Performance seemed spot on, but the memory is a haze.

Everyday (reprise) -- And just like that, they started up where they left off with Everyday. Is Cincinnati going to be known as the "stop a song / start a song" venue after last year's LIOG split debut? The crowd, appreciative of what it had just received, played along with Everyday -- the "Hani Hani"s were much stronger, the hardcores loving the split, the casuals loving that they came back to the song again. Song itself was

ATSB >> Too Much (Fake) >> Billies -- They gave the crowd a moment to calm down, now time to bring them back up. Crowd was electric for this and the band was on too. Lack of sax was in no way noticeable. It's always a treat to get a closer in the middle of a set.

Out of My Hands -- Again, great set construction to bring the energy back down after having the crowd, again, on the brink. This song has become a nice little treat in the middle, with Dave playing the Piano and Tim/Carter filling as it goes along.

Crush -- Fonz starts to solo, as the crowd stands up to prepare to sing along. Here's where Rashawn moved from "he's covering nicely" to "he's really adding something different to this song." The trumpet added something to this song -- a bit of Miles Davis, a bit of different, who knows. What I do know is that it sounded really good. Not earth-shatteringly awesome like DC n2 was, but just really good. Timmy owned this song. Crowd loved it.

Burning Down the House -- Cincinnati is a classic rock town. If you're not from here, you might not understand. Most, if not every, kid grew up listening to WEBN's formatless classic rock when they were in 6th / 7th grade. You'd be hard pressed to find a better place to bust out the Talking Heads than Riverbend. Dave sounded fantastic on this cover and Tim was amazing, as usual. The crowd ate this up.

Idea of You -- Back the energy down a little bit for this one. It's a nice song, and Rashawn sounded particularly nice with his role in it. They're using a new intro to it, which I kinda dug. Overall, this is a "meh" song for me, but I thought it fit well into the set.

Granny -- I kinda figured this was going to be somewhere tonight, as it's the perfect song to play without a sax on staff. Getting it this late was a real treat. Crowd was LOUD on the "LOVE, BABY!" parts. This is another DMB song that just doesn't get old, ironically enough.

Eh Hee -- Odd placement for this song too, but in a good way. The set went new (IOY) / real old (Gran) / new (Eh), which I dig. Tim really adds something to this song and seemed especially prominent tonight without Roi/Coffin.

Wine Water (Reprise) -- Dave went back to the mic to sing a little bit more of the "round and round" bits. It was nice, a little slow down in the show before...

#41 -- Didn't think they'd try to bust this out with no sax, but Rashawn did a fantastic job. Splendid performance.

You Might Die Trying -- Looking at the clock, we were certain this was going to be the closer. Yeah, it's a Stand Up song (true story: my friend, fellow DMB nut, got into my car the other day and saw "Stand Up" sitting on the passenger seat. He then commented to me "Hey, somebody left a drink coaster sitting here."), but its a good live cut. A good choice, because it has a good part for Rashawn.

Ants Marching -- Another song I didn't think they'd try without a sax. It sounded different with Rashawn playing the horn parts, but honestly, the crowd was so loud singing along that I don't think anyone could tell. Loudest crowd I've ever heard at Riverbend.

Crowd was noisy and boisterous through the encore break -- by Riverbend standards, off the charts. Usually I worry the band won't come back out because the crowd seems indifferent. Maybe 2 days of nothing but DMB on the local FM station really got the people amped.

Two Step -- There was a lot of talking and laughing on stage, and some interaction with the front row. We figured they were cutting something from the set, and then Boyd started the intro for Two Step. This is the performance of the show -- Carter took things to a different universe here, and the band jammed WELL past the 11pm curfew. It was a great end to a great show, leaving the energy on a huge high.

Amazing, Amazing show. I can't wait to hear the tapes.

Oh yeah, and the poster kicks ass too.

[hbktonyb]

Great review!!

[TrueHoosier]

Awesome awesome review. Being from Indy, I've always been tempted to pick up tickets to Riverbend, but stayed away because of the lackluster shows it usually gets. Congrats on seeing that show!

[DMBTattoo]

thanks for that excellent review. i wish i was there

[joeyfine]

great review man!

[nycgirl77]

wow! sounds like a great, great show! awesome review! thanks.

[A.K.A]

nice rev! cant wait to dl this!

[Rockhound18]

You did all the work for me, now I don't have to write one.

And yeah, I'm a big fan of the poster too!

[HollieZ98]

Awesome Review! I was there and could not have said it better myself. The energy at Riverbend last night was, by far, the best it has been in many, many moons!

Thanks!

[Barefoot Ant]

Well done on the review, Emperor!

So, is all the negative criticism now put to rest? In the days between DC and Riverbend, I spent time reading quite a bit of negative talk from Ants going to this show that turned out to be badass! I had faith, and held to that faith, and sure enough karma greeted me last night and said "Here you go, dance your ass off!" And I did!

I was feeling high and happy when they played Halloween, and I kept thinking about all the Ants who were going "Oh, Shit, they are playing it." NICE! Congrats to all of us! Off the hook!

Carter's encore solo was ridiculous! I'm prepared to have his babies, as I know they will be prodigies! (My husband probably wouldn't be down!)

I have converted yet another virgin to a DMB fan. I brought one last night, and she just can't get over the excitement and energy she was a part of last night.

Me at the end of the night: "I'm all wet, I have grass all over my shirt, my skirt is torn, and my feet are dirty. Uh, yeah, it's time for me to go home!"

Peace and Love

[Recently74]

Great review...I must always seem to pick the right years to go to Riverbend...98, 04 and now 08. I've always seen great shows there.

[tyrish103]

Riverbend always pisses me off when I get there for a show because compared to other venues around the country, there is such a huge lack of festivity before the show. I guess a lot of it has to do with the fact that there's no tailgating beforehand, so most people don't even bother showing up until the opening act is well underway. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how hard the energy and atmosphere kicked up as the band got going, and as I look back I think this was the best crowd I've ever seen at a DMB show. That really made the show a special one.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by tyrish103

Riverbend always pisses me off when I get there for a show because compared to other venues around the country, there is such a huge lack of festivity before the show. I guess a lot of it has to do with the fact that there's no tailgating beforehand, so most people don't even bother showing up until the opening act is well underway. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how hard the energy and atmosphere kicked up as the band got going, and as I look back I think this was the best crowd I've ever seen at a DMB show. That really made the show a special one.

The Riverdowns lot next door had TONS of people tailgating -- I'd love to see the band come next year on a weekend night, because I think there's plenty of space for some really good tailgating to go on.

[Barefoot Ant]

Originally Posted by tyrish103

Riverbend always pisses me off when I get there for a show because compared to other venues around the country, there is such a huge lack of festivity before the show. I guess a lot of it has to do with the fact that there's no tailgating beforehand, so most people don't even bother showing up until the opening act is well underway. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how hard the energy and atmosphere kicked up as the band got going, and as I look back I think this was the best crowd I've ever seen at a DMB show. That really made the show a special one.

I agree! People look at you like your crazy if you are hooting and hollaring trying to get people pumped. Seems so conservative to me, like some people are afraid to let loose and have a good time.

I did meet some awesome fans there though. Most of them were from out of town. A few were from here.

[dmbfan101]

had to bump this excellent review cuz i've been listening to this show for a few days now and it still takes me right back to that incredible night. the loudest and craziest crowd i've ever been a part of, including Vegas. perfect setlist for a sans-sax show. energy was mind-blowing. my 19th show, unforgettable.
C'Ville N1 will be my 20th... so here's hoping it'll @ least match Riverbend's quality

[41 Step]

Everyday (fake) > Halloween from this show is the ultimate "HOLY SHIT" moment from this tour, perhaps in all of the band's history.

[dmbfan101]

^^^^ ::sigh:: indeed it was

[richie2017]

Little Thing...so close.