Review / Videos / Setlist | Dave & Tim @ Northerly Island, 6/10/17 & 6/11/17

Jun 13, 2017

Words: Alex Wood | Photo: Lacubanaboo

Rarely in history have two acoustic guitarists commanded a 30,000 capacity venue’s attention as Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds do.

The two sold-out nights at Northerly Island’s Huntington Bank Pavilion were amongst the most sought-after tickets for Dave & Tim’s tour, and the shows didn’t disappoint.

Saturday, June 11

Saturday night began with back-to-back classics “Lie In Our Graves” and “Satellite,” setting up an early section of the set that featured many Dave Matthews Band favorites such as “What Would You Say” and “Warehouse.”

“Dive In” came unexpectedly, a tour debut that hadn’t been performed in 36 shows. “Proudest Monkey” was an even bigger surprise, last performed 79 shows prior.

The duo was able to fill the massive outdoor venue with sound thanks to Dave’s powerful vocals and commanding stage presence, with Tim’s exceptional guitar playing covering more ground than three musicians usually could.

As always, Tim performed two acoustic instrumentals, recent favorite “Manfood” and older song “Che,” a tour debut which has only been performed twice since 2011. Both songs flaunted his lightning-fast finger-picking and progressive chord progressions, sounding like a mix of classical music, bluegrass, folk and rock.

New songs “Samurai Cop” and “Bismark” were performed, in addition to the Woody Guthrie song “Worried Man Blues” which has been performed heavily this tour.

A somewhat rare and appreciated “Where Are You Going” shined in the acoustic setting, and led to DMB classics “Don’t Drink The Water” and “Two Step” closing out the set.

“Why I Am” opened the encore, the song always feeling like a favorite of Tim’s, and led to older staples “The Song That Jane Likes” and “Jimi Thing” to end the night.

Sunday, June 12

Sunday’s set rewarded longtime followers with a mix of deeper-cut fan favorites and surprises.

The show opened with “Little Thing,” a song that never saw an official release but was reworked under a new titled on Matthews’ solo record Some Devil. The song then became “Bartender” and “Granny,” two undeniable highlights.

Later in the set, the duo played “Cornbread” and “Little Red Bird” in a row, both b-sides from the Groogrux King era.

The set also notable featured three tracks from Everyday (“When The World Ends,” “The Space Between,” “Everyday”) and two from Stand Up (“Old Dirt Hill,” “You Might Die Trying”), both albums that Dave Matthews Band tends to perform the least. This tends to feel like a treat during a Dave & Tim set, even during songs that are somewhat exhausting during the band’s sets.

Tim performed “Jemez Rolling Waves,” an instrumental not heard since 2009, paired fittingly with “Death On The High Seas.”

Other highlights included fan favorites “The Stone” and “Minarets,” and a tour debut of “Too Much.”

The end of the set was heavy on material from Under The Table And Dreaming, ending with “The Best Of What’s Around” and “Dancing Nancies,” and the encore finishing with an obligatory “Ants Marching.”

Performing 54 songs over the course of two nights, Dave & Tim again justify the existence of their diehard fanbase, and more than lived up to the hype surrounding the run.

Watch video from the shows below.

"Dive In" (6/10/17)