Live at Folsom Field

Dave Matthews Band

RCA Records

… Live at Folsom Field

Dave Matthews Band

RCA Records

The house lights dim, making the whole arena dark. The crowd roars in anticipation, and as the seconds roll into minutes the crowd only gets louder. Finally satisfied with the amped-up audience, the band takes the stage. The crowd increasingly gets louder as the lead singer steps up to the microphone and mumbles something that everyone understands as, “Thank you very much.”

The No. 1 touring band in the nation, Dave Matthews Band, has taken the stage prepped for two and a half hours, armed with an arsenal of songs that keep the audience members on their feet screaming for more.

You can’t say too much about Dave Matthews Band that hasn’t been said already. Music listeners either love them or loathe them, but either way you have to respect their abilities as talented musicians. This said, the new release, Live at Folsom Field, is now in stores and well worth a listen.

After releasing two mediocre albums, Live in Chicago and Busted Stuff, Dave Matthews Band finally gets back in step with the quality of music that they should be releasing. Live at Folsom is filled with classic Dave songs, including “Crash Into Me,” “What Would You Say,” “Two Step” and “Ants Marching.”

But the highlight of the album is that it features songs from Everyday and Busted Stuff that have not been recorded live before. Featured are “Angel,” “Digging a Ditch,” “Big Eyed Fish” and “Bartender.”

Recorded live on July 7, 2001, the album captures the energy and excitement that you can only get from a Dave Matthews Band concert.