What do MTV Unplugged, a jam in your best friend’s den, and a high school boys bathroom have in common? When you put them together, you get a Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds concert. This concert showed distinct differences from a Dave Matthews Band concert. Before getting all excited about Dave, note that Carter Beauford, Stefan Lessard, Leroi Moore, and Boyd Tinsley did not join in the festivities. This concert consisted of Dave and Tim. That’s it. No one else, except the roadies that wandered on and off stage with water, cords, etc. Personally, I’m a huge Boyd Tinsley fan, so I felt cheated as I drove to the concert. However, as I had been warmed, the Tim and Dave experience not only leapt beyond all expectations, but even can be said to be better than the band at large.

To refocus, I’ll return to the initial sentence of this review. While sitting at the concert, that sentence came to me. Watching the two musicians, sitting alone on a totally black, prop-less stage, the image of MTV Unplugged popped up. Unlike the DMB concerts, no rug laid on the floor and no tapestry hung in the background. Only a table with water, two chairs, four guitars (all acoustic) three microphones, and purple lights adorned the stage. With this simple setting, the two men played for nearly two and a half hours. The banter onstage between Tim and Dave reminded me of being in a den with my friend, jamming. No one could hear what the two said to one another, Tim never spoke to the crowd. But Dave and Tim continually spoke to each other, exchanging private jokes assumingly, and creating a truly relaxed climate. Now, why did I drop high school boys bathroom into my description? Dave somehow ended up in a whole conversation with the crowd concerning masturbation. No, I kid you not. Sitting on the stage, he chatted with the audience as though we were all sitting in an intimate setting, a close group of friends. However, at one point the entire "dialogue" turned into Dave discussing the merits of masturbation.

Apparently, Dave was not only sick (numerous mentions to the joys of Affrin) but hung over (the story about going out the night previously and his mother drinking him under the table). With this combination of ills, the singer and only communicator to the crowd gave off a nasty attitude. Throughout the concert, Dave mocked at the individuals screaming for no apparent reason. And as for those who held up signs, well, let’s just say that Dave didn’t seem to appreciate many of the sentiments a great deal. At shouts of "I love you Dave!" the singer simply replied quietly and in an understated manner, "you don’t know me." True enough, Dave, I can’t argue with you there.

With the Oakdale Theater sold out, the crowd indubitably acted wildly. At the first sign of Dave, the audience stood, expecting to sing and dance as though at DMB concert. Dave. However, set a very different tone for the concert, asking that everyone be seated since they would enjoy the performance more. With this laid-back attitude, the concert began.

Playing many Dave Matthews Band favorites, the two men created an entirely new sound. Dave, as usual, sang his songs and played his guitar. The crowd loved him as always. I feel the need to admit at this point that, while the Dave and Tim concert was probably one of the best I’ve ever been to, Dave Matthews needs the rest of his band to truly pump out the sound that his fans want from him. Without his band, Dave simply plays an average guitar and sings with a slightly above average voice. The joy of DMB lies in the arrangement of the different instruments around a typical rock/folk rock song. Had Dave been performing with just any guitarist, the songs would have sounded flat. For those Dave fans, have you ever noticed that the songs in concert never quite sound the same as they do on CD? Perhaps this difference lies in the fact that Tim Reynolds acts as a "guest" guitarist on all the albums, but does not tour with the group. The addition of Tim Reynolds amazed me.

Dave sang and strummed the guitar. He manages to strike chords and play a good backup guitar, don’t get me wrong. Tim Reynolds, however, stole the show. The things that man could do with a guitar! With his souped-up acoustic guitar, Tim made the instrument sound, at varying times, like a violin, a synth, and a guitar. He used, I believe although I was too far away to tell definitely, three pedals to create these sounds. His CD, entitled "Gossip of the Neurons," amazes and astounds. During different points on the album, Tim sounds similar to Pink Floyd as well as to classic rock and even shifts into a Spanish-guitar sound. The man’s not only got the skills, but baby can he groove!

Although, in terms of the crowd, the entire time, the man looked the part of a rock star. Watching him and Dave walk onto stage amused my friends and I. Dave entered very confident, with his usual "alternative non-rock look consisting of baggy khaki pants and a Henley shirt. Tim, however, walked behind Dave wearing a bright blue, sparkling shirt and leather pants. The man played the part of the quintessential rock star. Lost in his music, Tim seemed to forget that a crowd watched his every move. At two points throughout the concert, Dave wandered offstage and gave Tim free reign to solo. Most disappointingly, the crowd tended to leave the inner part of the theater at this point, missing the evening’s highlight moments. Tim, seemingly oblivious to the mass exodus, engrossed himself in his music, not looking up form his instrument until the end of his performance. The man commands attention on a stage like I have not seen in a while. Unfortunately, those individuals at the concert who only wanted Dave because he was the big name missed out on the true musical gem of the evening.

For the most part, the set list consisted of DMB songs. A few songs went unrecognized. The most amazing moment of the concert came during the performance of "Satellite." With its very specific rhythmic pattern, the song distinguished itself as recognizable from the start. However, Tim did not immediately begin to play the notes of the song right away. The two musicians treated the audience to a very surreal version of the intro. With notes that seemed a cross from the song we all know and the Twilight Zone theme, the sound created confused and delighted the audience. This particular performance of Satellite is one which I wish I could find: if anyone out there has it, send it to my email!

Overall the concert amazed me. I loved it. If the duo comes to a town near you, do what my friend did, wait on line for tickets at 3am. I promise you will not be disappointed. For the Dave Matthews fans out there, I simply ask that if you go to one of these, you give due credit to a true musical genius and an underappreciated musician, Tim Reynolds.