Live in Chicago 12-19-98 at the United Center

Performer: Dave Matthews Band
Artist: Tim Reynolds; Maceo Parker; Victor Wooten
Engineer: Jeff Thomas
Producer: Dave Matthews Band; John Alagia
Distributor: BMG (distributor)

Notes: Dave Matthews Band: Dave Matthews, Leroi Moore, Boyd Tinsley, Stefan Lessard, Carter Beauford. Additional personnel includes: Maceo Parker (saxophone); Victor Wooten (bass); Tim Reynolds. Recorded at United Center, Chicago, Illinois on December 12, 1998. Personnel: Tim Reynolds (electric guitar); Victor Wooten (bass guitar). Audio Mixers: Jeff Juliano ; John Alagia. Recording information: United Center, Chicago IL (12/19/1998). Editors: Doug Derryberry; Jeff Juliano ; Jeff Thomas; John Alagia. Photographer: Sam Erickson. Long ago -- a full four years, actually -- Dave Matthews decided that it was a very good idea to thwart bootleggers by offering official versions of noteworthy concerts. By the time the series reached its fourth volume, Live in Chicago 12.19.98, in 2001, fans were clamoring for such unreleased material as the scrapped Steve Lillywhite album from 2000, not unadorned, lengthy live records like this, but Matthews and company aren't ones that necessarily follow the direct wishes of the fans -- they'd rather follow the general intent. And so, there are releases like Live in Chicago 12.19.98, finding the band doing pretty fine versions of album favorites and live staples, from "Don't Drink the Water" and "Jimi Thing" to "#41" and "All Along the Watchtower." Since the DMB hasn't been officially captured live since the PBS tie-in Listener Supported this is somewhat valuable, especially since the band is livelier, better here than they were then, but ultimately there really aren't many revelations and based on this it's hard to say why (at least for an outsider) this concert was picked over many others on the tour. Not bad, by any means, but still not the live album that the Dave Matthews Band is capable of producing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Though the Dave Matthews Band is generally associated (not without reason) with the jam band contingent, this live album puts the distinctions between them and the HORDE horde in clear focus. For one thing, Matthews and company have a surprisingly gritty edge to their live sound, with the guitar and drums in particular achieving a noticeably punchier attack than on the group's studio recordings. Despite the amount of punch packed by the DMB on LIVE IN CHICAGO, the band's sophisticated side is amply demonstrated as well, from the Middle Easternisms of "The Last Stop" to the jazzy atmospherics of "Pantala Intro" and Leroi Moore's saxophone outbursts on the ubiquitous "What Would You Say." Of course the spontaneous group interplay and daring time signatures that are at the heart of the band's appeal are fully in evidence as well, making this the perfect vehicle for getting the live Dave Matthews Band feel (short of attending a concert).

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Dave Matthews was born in South Africa, but it was after moving to Charlottesville, Virginia, in the 1980s that he assembled his world-beating band. Adding violin and multiple saxophones to the traditional rock-band instrumentation, Matthews and his cohorts created a unique, idiosyncratic sound that melded jam-band improvisation with elements of folk-rock, funk, and jazz fusion. A homegrown phenomenon, the band sold a stunning number of copies of a self-released debut album via non-stop touring. After signing to a major label, avoiding any artistic compromise in the process, the band immediately broke through on a national level, becoming one of the most popular groups in the U.S.

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