Search - Dave Matthews, Dave Matthews Band :: Weekend On The Rocks [live CD & DVD]

Must Have for all that enjoy Dave Matthews Band

HeatherAnn | Atlanta, GA | 08/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fantastic CD and DVD!! My husband and I caught snippets of it at a Best Buy store - and had to have it. Best Buy did not carry it though. Strange but true. It is a wonderful addition to any CD/DVD collection. Highly recommend it to anyone who loves live music!! Enjoy!!!"

Is It the Music or the Setting

Bryan A. Pfleeger | Metairie, Louisiana United States | 01/13/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded at Red Rocks in Morrison,Colorado on September 9-12,2005 the Dave Matthews Band gives the casual listener almost three hours of material from his end of tour stand. The recording does not capture a complete performance. For that one needs to get the Complete Weekend on the Rocks available from the band'd website. What is offered are highlights from the entire weekend and the two CD and DVD show does not disappoint.



Sonically, this show is similar to the show recorded at the Gorge but the song selection is better here. The high point is an incredible version of Louisiana Bayou featuring Robert Randolph and the rarely performed Smooth Rider. Bartender on the CD only is also great.



The DVD chooses ten performances some on and some not on the CD's. The picture and sound are excellent and Matthew's energy shines through on each song. The DVD runs about eighty-three minutes and is worth a look.



For about $25 dollars this set is well worth the price."

Good - but buy the entire set

Kiel | TX | 09/26/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a condensed form of a 4-night stand from 2005. If you're willing to make the big plunge, go for the boxed set, available on the band's website - it covers much of their catalogue, and the audio, to my untrained ears, is almost perfect. Much better than the poor quality of The Gorge release.



As for this release, it's a nice change of pace from the full-concert recordings of other live albums. Like Live At Folsom Field before it, this is mainly a showcase for their latest album, in this case Stand Up. And while many fans and critics decried that album for being too studio-ish, the tracks work in a live setting, for the most part. American Baby is gritty and energetic, Stand Up (For It) is a rousing tune (especially the video included on the DVD), and Smooth Rider is very expanded jammy tune that's a far cry from the ho-hum album version. The energy doesn't always work for the new studio songs - Hunger For the Great Light is louder and faster, but the lyrics are still cringe-worthy; Steady As We Go is just as boring as it was on the studio release. Louisiana Bayou is also greatly improved when performed live, and we're offered two versions of it - one, on the CD, and one on the DVD, which includes Robert Randolph in a fantastic version. Seems pretty silly to include both, as the DVD version is far superior.



The other non-Stand Up songs are mostly good choices - somewhat rare choices such as the instrumental #34, the meandering Pig and You Never Know, the ominous The Stone, the emotion of Say Goodbye, and perhaps the best version of Bartender I've ever heard. There's also a great version of Halloween, played impromptu due to the crowd calling for it. It's not a song for everyone, but for fans, it's also a great rendition. Songs like Everyday and #41 are very solid, if not a little typical.



As for the DVD, it's also refreshing in that it mostly showcases older favorites, and not just the songs on the CDs. These are some great versions of old favorites like Crash Into Me, So Much To Say-Too Much, Recently, and Jimi Thing. Too bad it also includes pretty dull versions of Dreamgirl and Everybody Wake Up.



This is a great release, but I can't help but question some of the song choices (like the aforementioned 2 versions of Bayou). Knowing how great the full 8-disc release is, I can't help but notice some of the better or more rare songs that were left out - a great cover of Blackbird, which precedes Steady As We Go, for instance, or perhaps the high-energy performances of Tripping Billies or Hello Again.



If you're a casual fan, go with The Central Park Concert. If you're hardcore like some of us, get the full release from their website. If you fall somewhere in between, get this."