Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
Camden, NJ
Capacity (Summer): 25,000
July 5, 2005
by Jim McCoy

Any poll, formal or informal, would likely find that few Philadelphia-area concert veterans over the age of 25 or so are fond of seeing a rock act at the Tweeter Center. Opened just over ten years ago, the amphitheater was part of a chain of ambitious redevelopment projects along Camden's waterfront that included an aquarium, a minor league baseball stadium and an office building designed by noted architect Michael Graves.

Its setting along the New Jersey side of the Delaware River is impressive enough, affording generous views of the Philadelphia skyline and the nation's most decorated warship - Battleship New Jersey - which is permanently docked in the waters alongside the venue. On a day which an event takes place, a significant police presence, restricted access to the areas off the main thoroughfare and evidence of slowly moving gentrification can make one forget that Camden often trades places with Compton, CA and Gary, IN when academics and agencies that analyze statistics release their yearly studies that contain listings of the most impoverished and/or dangerous cities in the United States.

Truth be told, the sound at the Tweeter Center is for the most part loud and clear with video screens and a large center projection that allow patrons to catch the action from all areas of the venue. The problem lies in that it is a most sterile and unhip environment in which to take in a performance by a rock band. Unlike the original Philadelphia Spectrum (or even its more modern counterpart located down the block in South Philadelphia) the Tweeter Center gives off a constant suburban movie theater vibe that is difficult to shake. Security can be very helpful, but sometimes walk in small packs sporting a mall Rent-a-Cop attitude that is neither friendly nor service-oriented. (The Tweeter Center was the first venue in which I was told to sit down in my 12th-row seat for a Van Halen concert some years ago.) Security is also rather fond of walking through rows and conducting random ticket checks during the performance itself.

Contrast this to a gritty old hockey and basketball arena filled with history whose management has chosen to adorn the arena's ceiling with banners highlighting the accomplishments of the Grateful Dead and Billy Joel alongside those which commemorate Philadelphia's legendary athletes and precious few world championship teams. Security is both professional and competent, and most importantly knows how to exercise discretion. Vito from South Philly is more likely to give you and wink and a nod as he discovers you moving up four rows into empty seats in the same section, rather than call out an army of his yellow jacketed brethren and causing a scene.

Fortunately, the less-than-stellar environment provided by the Tweeter Center does not appear to affect the acts themselves. The Dave Matthews Band, joined by usual suspect Butch Taylor on keyboards, managed to provide an energetic and strong - but not spectacular - performance on Tuesday night. The Stone, a mid-paced, ominous-sounding tune that gives way to a lush chorus as it nears its conclusion, was an unusual but most welcome choice as an opener. American Baby, from the band's latest studio offering, found itself in the second slot and received a very enthusiastic response from the sold-out crowd despite the mixed reviews of the album among the rank-and-file DMB fans. Another sure crowd pleaser - Grey Street - followed. Ants Marching was given an extended intro with a funkier groove; Carter Beauford took a short drum solo at the end of Hello Again; a jam was added to the debut-album gem Typical Situation; a verse of Everyday was given a brief double-time treatment by Beauford; and, Louisiana Bayou was played with an intensity that suggested that the tune had been in the rotation for years rather than weeks, with violinist Boyd Tinsley and Matthews standing close and facing each other grinning as the song roared to an intense conclusion.

There were some disappointments. Boyd Tinsley's wah-wah touched solo was curiously placed at the end of Everyday - a tune that doesn't provide the jamming opportunity afforded by Lie in Our Graves, which Tinsley often single-handedly turns into a barnburning showstopper. Fans also began anticipating that the drawn out synth-droned intro to the second encore - with touches of the harmonic minor or other darker scale tones subtly thrown across by the other instruments - would lead into the powerful crowd favorite The Last Stop, which has been missing from the rotation for some time. (Fans can be heard clamoring for the song so loudly on the band's 6-CD boxed set from the 2002 stand at The George that Matthews responds to them from the stage, even joking with the fans as the chants continued following Matthews explaination that the song would not be played that evening.) Many fans began an early break for the exit when the band instead launched into What You Are from Everyday, even though an inspired rendition of the tune was played. (Given the parking situation at the venue and the large number of roads blocked off by law enforcement before, during and following an event, it is difficult to blame them.)

Critics and fans alike have chosen to place the "jam band" label on DMB, but this show - along with the voluminous amount of live material that has been tumbling forth from the band's vault - demonstrates that this term has been misapplied with respect to this band. Case in point is Dream Girl, the delightful opening track to Stand Up. Matthews went to a chord near the song's conclusion that is found neither on the studio track nor in the Live8 performance given across the river in Philadelphia only three days prior.

This provided a perfect opportunity to morph the song's conclusion into an extended jam over which LeRoi Moore could continue to lay down licks with his soprano saxophone. A band like the Grateful Dead or latter-day Phish would twist through different chord progressions and modulate into different keys, allowing their soloists to shine and explore new territories before bringing the song back home or abandoning it altogether in order to smoothly segue into a different tune. Instead, Matthews and the band continued to move between two chords for a short time when it seemed that the ending could be built into a much more ambitious musical exploration. Given the soloing abilities of Tinsley, Moore, Taylor (showcased on Live Trax 1) and Matthews' penchant for quirky chord voicings and inversions, the band is certainly capable of doing so. Of course, the band is known to extend songs in a live setting and shake-up arrangements- but any band that does not play exactly like the album versions should not automatically be placed into a jam band classification. However, DMB's focus on crafting a solid song will have the band selling out arenas long after most contemporary jam bands have played their final notes.

Labels: Dave Matthews Band