Before this summer even began, the Dave Matthews Band made a shocking announcement. The group not only gave fans an extended tour schedule, but revealed that they would be taking an extended hiatus from the road afterwards. The tour was a rigorous one, keeping the band on the road for a full four-month period, and with great ceremony the band rolled into The Gorge Amphitheatre for one final three-night run at the storied venue.
The DMB has made The Gorge a Labor Day tradition for the last 11 years, hitting the famed George, WA venue for three nights at the end of every summer from 2006-today. Last night’s performance was extra emotional, as it marked the last DMB show for a very long time. Though Dave Matthews has a handful of solo and duo performances (with Tim Reynolds) on the books, the band stated that they would not be touring at all in 2017. So, it’s going to be a while.
The show itself started off with “The Stone” and featured mega-hit “Crash Into Me” early on. The band worked in “Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back)” and “The Idea Of You” in the first part of the set, before jamming into Talking Heads’ “Burning Down The House.”
The house was burnt down, and the hits kept on coming with “#41,” “Say Goodbye,” “So Damn Lucky,” “Minarets” and more. After a few more songs, the band closed out the main set with “Ants Marching.” With just a few minutes left, the DMB returned with two great selections, “Pig” and “Stay (Wasting Time).” It was a beautiful moment to end a great run of shows at the Gorge and a great summer tour. Until next time, Dave.
Check out some clips and the full setlist, below.
[Photo by phillyjim // Instagram]