by photojournalist Dan Fernandez
Nothing could stop fans from attending Dave Matthews Band’s concert at Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheater on May 26th, 2026. Insane traffic that added an hour and 40 minutes to the ETA? Booming thunder? Heavy, intermittent rain and the humidity that followed? Nah… Merely hurdles to clear for these die hards who would not let anything get in the way of their melody filled night. They were not let down in their efforts. 35 years in and Dave Matthews and his cohorts have not lost a single dang step, hitting the stage tuned up to 100 from word go. On a personal side note, I don’t know if I have ever attended a DMB show in Tampa that didn’t include a torrential downpour or 3. I guess you can call it a rite of passage of sorts?
Dave Matthews Band came out swinging to start the evening with a heavy hitting medley that absolutely ignited the venue, including crowd favorites “So Much to Say” and “Too Much” with “Anyone Seen the Bridge” sandwiched right in the between. As this was only the beginning of their roughly 2 hour, 21 song long set attendees already knew that Tuesday night’s arrangement was going to be one to remember. DMB followed up the high octane start to their show with a mix of wide cuts and favorites including “So Right,” “Busted Stuff,” “Monsters” and “Grey Street” before pausing the music to comment on the blanket of humidity that had settled over the post storm venue, a deep suffering feeling that all Floridians are far too familiar with. After some banter with the crowd DMB effortlessly slipped right back into jam mode, keeping up with the bands improvisational approach that has become synonymous with their live performances, allowing each musician’s mastery to shine with “Lying in the Hands of God” into “American Baby Intro/American Baby” and rounded out with “Drive in, Drive out.”
Right around the mid-point of “Stolen Away on 55th & 3rd” and the start of “Warehouse” that stubborn rainstorm came back to haunt us. Mirroring the band the rain came in fast and heavy, causing some fans to take shelter under the protection of the Food and Beverage overhang, while most braved it out and embraced the cool down. As the weather reached its peak Dave made mention of the fabled missing sail that used to cover a large portion of the venue. The covering got severely damaged during 2024’s Hurricane Milton that laid waste to much of the Bay Area and has not yet been able to be replaced. Keeping in line with his sense of humor Dave simply said that he was told that “there was some wind and it flew away” while motioning a loose, whimsical movement to the sky with his hands.
Thankfully the return of the storm was short lived and contained no lightning which allowed the show to continue without any stoppage or delay. DMB rounded out their offerings with an electrifying mix of tunes including a cover of Daniel Lanois’ “The Maker”, a heartfelt rendition of “You & Me” followed by “You Might Die Trying”, “Shake Me Like a Monkey”, “Halloween” and, what is probably their most recognizable hit, “Crash into Me.”
As chants of “encore!” and “one more song!” filled the amphitheater Dave Matthews Band obliged with a powerful performance of “Peace on Earth” followed by another of their top hits “Don’t Drink the Water” before thanking the fans once again and wishing them all a safe trip home. DMB’s message of unity resonated throughout their entire performance, but was on full display during “Peace on Earth” and was effortlessly encapsulated in a comment made to fans at the band’s Austin, Texas show on May 11th when Dave remarked “The world is a funny place right now… It feels like there’s not much room for love as there should be, but don’t believe the hype, there’s always room in the world for love. We just need to keep on pushing it.” What a perfect sentiment in a time where intense tribalism has infiltrated nearly every aspect of our society be it personal beliefs, political affiliation or simply the way that we treat one another in our daily interactions. Sometimes we all need that reminder of how powerful true love for one another can be. After all, love costs absolutely nothing and can mean everything, why would anyone choose hate?
If you missed Dave Matthews Band in Tampa, don’t worry, the party has just begun as Tampa was only the band’s 7th stop on their whopping 35 stop tour. Following the Tampa show DMB will be in West Palm Beach for a 2 night-stand before taking their show on the road through September when the guys end this marathon with their annual 3 residency at The Gorge Amphitheater in Washington State.
