Dave Matthews Band: The Central Park Concert : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

This three-disc set, recorded live on the Great Lawn of New York's Central Park in September, is a decent place holder for Dave Matthews Band fans until the next album. Those familiar with the band's live sets won't find many surprises here, but Central Park nonetheless catches DMB on an up night: Saxophonist Leroi Moore and violinist Boyd Tinsley turn out nimble, flamboyant solos on classics such as the rollicking "Ants Marching." The guest star is ex-Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes, who contributes vocals and guitar to a mournful version of Neil Young's "Cortez, the Killer." When DMB stretches out, it focuses on group interplay rather than extravagant soloing, as on an eighteen-plus-minute version of "Two Step" that riffs on "New York, New York" before evolving into a low-key, jazzy jam. Though the quintet may be one of the most bootlegged live acts in existence, Central Park is the live DMB record nonfanatics would do well to start with.