Dave Matthews Band kicks off spring tour in Birmingham

It seems that I'm becoming quite the live music junkie this year, and it's only April. Last weekend, I decided to check out the Dave Matthews Band show at the Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham, Alabama (right outside of Birmingham). I'm glad I did: It was a gorgeous, warm night, the crowd was into the music in a major way and well, Dave was Dave. DMB puts on a great live show, and even for this casual fan, the April 6, 2013, show was exciting.

One caveat: I'm still recovering from a lovely oral surgery, and I think perhaps my experience was tainted a bit by the fact that at some points during the concert, I could literally feel the music in my teeth. Despite that fact, I had a nice, laid back time with good friends and great tunes. What more could one ask for during recovery?

I have some close friends who are hardcore Dave Matthews fans, and they were all playing "guess the setlist" while tailgating before the show in the Oak Mountain parking lot. It's always amusing listening to them talk things out, and it's even funnier after the show, when someone gets to play king of the hill.

As a layperson where DMB is concerned, I thought the concert was perfect. Dave pulled out several new songs from the latest CD, Away From the World, and as usual, the songs took on a new depth live. I particularly enjoyed "Belly Belly Nice" and "Rooftop." But for the casual fan who mainly knows the hits and not necessarily the "deep cuts," I was thrilled to hear "Crush," "What Would You Say" and "Ants Marching" (a predictable, but excellent encore).

Without a doubt my favorite song of the night was "Grey Street." In fact, please don't laugh, I actually attempted to video the song while simultaneously swaying and holding my jaw to keep my teeth intact (OK, I'm exaggerating, but that's what it felt like). I finally handed the iPhone to my spouse, and thankfully his hand was much steadier.

Grey Street DMB Pelham

So, as you can see, we were, without question, in the cheap seats. The Oak Mountain Amphitheatre is a relatively small shed, so even in the third tier we had a good view and really good sound. If you have a favorite band coming to Oak Mountain, it's worth a trip.

Any DMB fans out there care to weigh in on the April 6 setlist in Pelham, Alabama? I'd love to hear what you thought in the comments. I don't think DMB sounded rusty at all, and the sound was great, especially considering this was the first show of 2013. Dave Matthews is always a good show, and the band might jam with a mix of rock, jazz and even folk, but they are always tight.

Photo courtesy of Laurie P.