This band first caught my attention because of its originality. The instrumentation: acoustic guitar, violin, bass, drums, and variety of woodwinds produces a blend of sound unlike any other band I have heard. Many bands produce albums where every song basically sounds the same. Each Dave Matthews Band song has its own feel and emotional content.
The amazing thing about this band is how they give the listener a full range of emotions.
Songs such as "I'll Back You Up" and "Christmas Song" are very relaxed and mellow. On the other hand songs
such as "Rhyme and Reason" and "Halloween" are dramatic and full of anger and rage. Then there are songs like "Typical Situation" and "Dancing Nancies"
which contain many different emotions in one song.
If you haven't seen this band live, you are missing it all. The energy in their live shows is incredible. While the material they produce in the studio is great, it is somewhat restricted. When they are on stage, it is obvious that those restrictions are gone. Boyd and Carter become different people when they are taken out of the studio and put on the stage. Boyd can be described as untamed, especially on songs such as "Tripping Billies" and "Ants Marching". If you are lucky enough to attend a show where they play "True Reflections" or "Angel From Montgomery" you might even get to hear him sing. In concert, Carter goes nuts on the cymbals does a lot more exciting rolls, especially in songs such as "Recently" and "Too Much".