Weekend On The Rocks [live CD & DVD]

To loosely paraphrase the traditional Passover question: What makes this Dave Matthews live album different from the last one he recorded at Denver’s Red Rocks amphitheater a decade previously? There's a savory cover of The Zombies' chestnut "Time of the Season" strategically frontloaded, but this edition revolves largely around the Stand Up album he was ostensibly promoting on this ’05 tour stand at his beloved Rocks, as witnessed by focused renditions of the title track, "American Baby" and "Dream Girl" here. But as the set's workout of "Louisiana Bayou" forcefully argues, their sense of energetic economy (and occasional, timely politicking) infuses much of the rest of Matthews jamfest ethos with renewed muscular wallop as well. The presence of a horn section and guest keyboardist Butch Taylor on some tracks ups the ante considerably, though even core band renditions of staples like disc one’s expansive closer "Bartender" seem charged with renewed passion. The running order here occasionally betrays the collection was edited from four nights and a considerably wider range of performances, but the included bonus DVD gratifyingly expands upon the audio rather than simply replicating it with complimentary performances of "Crash Into Me," "Recently" and "Jimi Thing." --Jerry McCulley

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