Fresh off their long-awaited induction ceremony at The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, the Dave Matthews Band returned to Ohio to deliver a nearly 3 hour set of music to fans in Columbus on night two of their short 7-night fall run.

Matthews greeted the crowd with sage wisdom that even though the world seems to be in a strange place, a crowd of people can still come together to listen to some music. Saturday’s varied setlist spanned across the band’s extensive discography including long time hits like, “Ants Marching”, “Grace is Gone”, and “Don’t Drink The Water” and also included the title track from their latest release, Walk Around The Moon. Matthews and the band have come a long way over three decades of mixing rock, jazz, folk, funk, and world music into highly accessible improvisational live jams. Staples from the band’s breakout 1994 release, Under the Table and Dreaming, remain in their live setlist today as do favorites from Crash, Before These Crowded Streets, Busted Stuff, and Come Tomorrow.

This writer has fond memories of experiencing the band’s music for the first time when DMB was the supporting act for the Grateful Dead at the now closed Sam Boyd Silverbowl in Las Vegas in the Spring of 1995. Hearing “Typical Situation,” and “Jimi Thing” again on Saturday, was just as sweet now as it was standing in the heat of the Las Vegas sun nearly 30 years ago. Fans were also treated to several covers including, Daniel Lanois’ “The Maker,” Led Zeppelin’s “Fool In The Rain,” and The Commodore’s “Brick House.”

The Columbus crowd came from all round the Midwest and beyond. Some in attendance were seeing DMB for the first time, although several had seen the band 5, 20, 30 times and more, which will come as no surprise to die-hard fans and Warehouse fan club members. When asked what the Dave Matthews Band means to you, one fan stated, “it was the first time I realized music could be more than background and could be the thing itself.”  Such a statement likely hits home with many who have made the band’s music a soundtrack of their lives.

Earlier this fall, Matthews showed sincere appreciation on behalf of the band for their fans in his nearly 7-minute speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This, their second nomination into the Hall of Fame, saw them winning both the fan vote and (finally) induction to the Rock Hall to join a long legacy of bands and artists who have been bestowed this honor. In return on Saturday, the 15,000+ crowd expressed its continued appreciation of the band with loud accolades the minute it hit the stage and throughout the evening during the 21 song set.

Joining Matthews on stage for the tour are original and founding members, Carter Beauford (Drums), and Stefan Lessard (Bass). Long time collaborator Tim Reynolds joins on Guitar, and Rashawn Ross (Trumpet), Jeff Coffin (Saxophone), and Buddy Strong (Keyboards) round out the lineup.

Next up, Dave and Tim will headline 3 shows at the Moon Palace Resort in Riviera Mara on January 23, 24, and 25, 2025. Tickets and trip packages for those dates can be found here.