Live Trax Vol. 53
- Artist
- Dave Matthews Band
- Date
- November 2, 1998
- Venue
- BSU Pavilion
- Tour
- Fall 1998
- Series
- Live Trax
- Song Time
- 02:02
- Rating
- 1 — A Strong Run or Two but Otherwise Average
- Review Date
- February 3, 2025
It’s fitting that this is the statistically least rare show of the Fall 1998 tour. It isn’t perfect by any means, but it proves the tour’s overall greatness. The crispness of the sound, fronted by the Chet and punchy bass, can’t be beaten. Imagine seeing the band in a 5,700-person venue at this moment in their career; incredible. SEEK UP is fantastic, everything you want it to be. RAPUNZEL is also very strong, even if Dave’s vocals sound a bit distant. MINARETS is an absolute banger. LIE IN is a vintage Boyd performance and a highlight of the evening. TRIPPING is another example of why so many people still miss Boyd. And then the encore, short as it is, is ripping. CRUSH is an obvious low point (although the middle is actually very strong). I can’t rate it higher than a 1 because of the errors, but that doesn’t stop me from returning to it, especially since it’s a quick fix at just over two hours.