Radio hits not the only crowd pleasers

September 5th, 2006

By TRAVIS HAY

GEORGE -- Every time the Dave Matthews Band performs at The Gorge Amphitheatre it's one big party, and Sunday night's performance was no exception.

The show was the group's 24th concert at the Central Washington venue, and the set list consisted mostly of deeper album tracks.

The back-to-back performance of "Jimi Thing" and "Tripping Billies" was the closest DMB came to playing any of its singles, and those songs are more fan favorites that radio hits.

The crowd didn't seem to mind the lack of hits and the set list made for a well-rounded and musically varied show. Fans sang and danced along to "Crush," "Can't Stop," "The Dreaming Tree" and other rare delights.

There's no denying Matthews is a talented frontman, and his bandmates elevate the band's live show into something that seemingly transcends music for DMB fans.

Saxophonist LeRoi Moore and violinist Boyd Tinsley delivered solo after solo during extended jams and amped-up bridges, some of the trademarks of a DMB show, making each song shine with their contributions. Guest trumpet player Rashawn Ross accompanied the band, and his performance added style and flair to the show. It would be a shame if he didn't become a full-time member of the group.

While DMB's set was free of radio hits, the group closed the chapter on its three-day stint at The Gorge with a cover of a familiar song, "All Along the Watchtower."

O.A.R., which stands for Of A Revolution, opened the show with a spirited 45-minute set. The band played material from its latest record, "Stories of a Stranger," and the music's energy and zest meshed well with Matthews' style. Like Matthews, O.A.R. ended its set with a cover of a classic, "Sunday, Bloody Sunday."