Dave Matthews Band Cover Peter Gabriel, Honor LeRoi Moore at New York AIDS Benefit

"I cannot tell you how excited I am to be in the greatest city in the world to introduce one of the greatest bands of the world!" said actress Julia Roberts, clad in a Barack Obama T-shirt, as she introduced the Dave Matthews Band at New York's Madison Square Garden last night. The occassion was a benefit for the Stand Up for a Cure organization, which raises money for cancer and HIV/AIDS research, among other causes. Matthews and Co. didn't disappoint with a powerful two-and-a-half hour set, featuring crowd favorites ("Ants Marching" and "Two Step"), guest spots (singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson joined the group on "Spoon") and a pitch-perfect rendition of Peter Gabriel's "Sledghammer" with gospel-style backup vocals from drummer Carter Beauford and trumpet player Rashawn Ross. Longtime collaborator Tim Reynolds also delivered rip-roaring solos on jams like "Cornbread."

Of course, Matthews made sure to pay tribute to recently deceased saxophonist LeRoi Moore, who died last month from complications due to an ATV accident. And when he opened up to the crowd about his departed friend — "We've had to great honor of playing this room a few times in the past, but this is the first time without our good friend LeRoi Moore. We want to salute him. We miss you very much, LeRoi" — the crowd responded with a standing ovation and hair-raising chants of "LeRoi! LeRoi! LeRoi!"

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Song Stories

“Let My Love Open the Door”

Pete Townshend | 1980

A peppy, hopeful love song, "Let My Love Open the Door" became a U. S. Top Ten hit for Pete Townshend in 1980, anchored by the kind of repeating synthesizer figures that he'd used in some of the Who's recordings in the previous decade. Although Townshend brushed the song off as "just a ditty" in Rolling Stone shortly after its release, in 1996 he revealed it was about love of the holiest sort. "It's supposed to be about the power of God's love," he remarked. "That when you're in difficulty, whether it's major or minor, God's love is always there for you."

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