SPAC Announces Yet Another New Rock Show

Photograph by Martin Benjamin

No big surprise here – the Dave Matthews Band is returning to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs for another two-night stand this summer – at 7pm on Friday & Saturday, May 30 & 31.

But the format of DMB’s SPAC shows is definitely something different. The concerts are being billed as “A Very Special Evening with Dave Matthews Band” and will feature the group delivering two sets each evening, performing songs in a variety of different musical configurations – from electric to acoustic, from full-throttle numbers featuring the entire band to more intimate moments featuring small groups of band members – including a stripped-down pairing of Matthews with guitarist Tim Reynolds, performing as an acoustic duo, as they did at SPAC in September at Farm Aid. A variety of special guests will also be joining the band throughout the summer tour.

“I was talking to Carter [Beauford, the band’s drummer] about how much I still like just sitting around playing music together. It’s how we started – in the basements of Carter’s and my mom’s houses,” explains Matthews. “Our shows are loose, but we started thinking that maybe this summer we should make them looser and bring some of that feeling to the stage. It seems like the opposite of a safe plan, so why not?”

Tickets for both shows are slated to go on sale to the general public at 10am on Friday, February 7, priced at $75 for reserved amphitheater seats and $40.50 for lawn general admission.