On a gorgeous Saturday night on June 15th, 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Dave Matthews Band (DMB) returned to their home state of Virginia, ready to energize diehard fans in a packed Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater in Virginia Beach while on Summer Tour 2024 in support of their 10th studio album, Walk Around the Moon. There were a few tailgaters lingering in the parking lot when I arrived, but soon everyone filed in like ants marching, ready to hear their beloved band crush every song.
I was surprised to hear that photographers could only photograph the first two songs instead of the usual three, but “Don’t Drink the Water,” and “Pig” each were around seven minutes long, providing plenty of time to capture these incredible musicians in action. Thankfully, many DMB songs lasted at least 4-5 minutes, which also gave me plenty of time to catch most of their 22-song setlist after returning my gear to the Live Nation office.
Next, I settled in to experience this GRAMMY®-winning band for the first time. It felt like I had walked into someone’s living room for a jam session but with some of the most skilled musicians in the country. The stage production rivaled many arena concerts that I’ve covered and provided a visual feast. The staggered 7-panel arrangement in the back provided interesting views as the videos played, but I was most fascinated by the hexagon-shaped lighting in the ceiling and enjoyed seeing its effects throughout the show. Check out the pictures in the gallery below.
Lead singer Dave Matthews was born in South Africa in 1967 and moved to Charlottesville, Virginia when he was 19 years old. The band formed there and with a few members played its first gig in 1991. Fast forward 33 years, and this multi-platinum rock group has 7 members and has amassed a worldwide following, 2 Grammys, 3 American Music Awards, an NAACP Image Award, and formed the Bama Works Fund in 1999 raising over $40 million dollars for humanitarian and environmental initiatives. Some of the fans at the Virginia show had attended over 100 DMB concerts.
The band’s usual practice is to play different songs and not stick to one setlist. The Virginia Beach setlist is given below. There is not enough time to go through all that was unique about every song on the setlist, but I’d like to mention a few. “The Song That Jane Likes” was named such because it was often requested by his sister Jane, and it was one of the first songs he ever wrote. The lighting during this song was stunning. “Monsters” lyrics touch on mental health and are on the most recent album. The song with the best beat of the night, “Let’s Dance,” had fans dancing at their seats, and some in the aisles. However, “Crush” had to be the favorite of the night. The crowd belted the lyrics over Dave Matthews, and each musician played solo parts showing off their seemingly superhuman skills. When he returned for an encore, Dave Matthews spoke for a minute in favor of ending the “carnage” in Gaza and Ukraine, then performed solo “Here on Out” on acoustic guitar. The band then came back out for the last song, “What You Are.”
Dave Matthews Band’s style and sound were unique and provided the ultimate jam session with incredible lighting. If a band has fun on stage, the audience will, too, and I was struck by how happy the drummer Carter Beauford seemed, smiling throughout the night. Dave, of course, danced across the stage having a blast with the band. More importantly, fans had an amazing time, stood up for the entire show, and left happy but exhausted.
Dave Matthews Band Members
Dave Matthews – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, piano
Stefan Lessard – bass guitar
Carter Beauford – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Rashawn Ross – trumpet, percussion, backing vocals
Jeff Coffin – saxophone, winds
Tim Reynolds – lead guitar
Buddy Strong – keyboards, backing vocals
Dave Matthews Band Setlist:
(1) Don’t Drink the Water
(2) Pig
(3) Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back)
(4) Lie In Our Graves
(5) The Only Thin
(6) Stay Or Leave
(7) Rapunzel
(8) Stolen Away On 55th & 3rd
(9) Pantala Naga Pampa
(10) So Damn Lucky
(11) Lying In the Hands of God
(12) American Baby Intro
(13) Recently
(14) Madman’s Eyes
(15) The Song That Jane Likes
(16) Monsters
(17) Let’s Dance
(18) Crush
(19) Shake Me Like a Monkey
(20) Ants Marching
Encore:
(21) Here On Out (Dave Matthews solo)
(22) What You Are
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Annette Holloway is a music, promo, portrait, and event photographer. Live concert photography and band/artist photoshoots occupy much of her time. Her work has been published on numerous media outlets including Billboard, Pollstar, NBC News, Getty Images, Forbes, HM Magazine, ICON Sportswire, Loudwire, CCM Magazine, and many more. Before diving into photography full time, she was a NASA software engineer, webmaster, church youth leader, and robotics mentor. For more information about her photography, visit AnnetteHolloway.com.
