Matthews Band Seems to Hold Back

When was the last time you left a concert wishing a band had done more jamming? That was the odd sensation on Friday after the first of two weekend shows at the Universal Amphitheatre by the Dave Matthews Band. Where such peers as Blues Traveler, Phish and Rusted Root--the other leaders of the ‘90s neo-Deadhead horde--could stand to rein in their instrumental indulgences, this Virginia quintet seemed to be holding back.

Perhaps it’s an appropriate approach for a band seemingly obsessed about being hemmed in by self-doubt and fear. The lyrics on the recent “Crash” album, the strong follow-up to the 4-million-selling 1994 debut “Under the Table and Dreaming,” form a compendium of claustrophobic imagery.

On stage, Matthews seemed a loose kind of guy, gangly and easygoing, practically swimming in a baggy T-shirt. He brought a highly personable touch to his complex folk-fusion songs--a little R.E.M., a little Grateful Dead, even a bit of Sting here and there.

His cohorts, especially dreadlocked violinist Boyd Tinsley and drummer Carter Beauford, added both personality and first-rate musical chops, from the first album’s shambling sing-along “What Would You Say” to the new one’s funk-driven “Too Much.” And, most important, the band has a loyal legion of fans that would follow any flight of its fancy.

But rarely in its two-hour set Friday did the Dave Matthews Band take advantage of all that to step outside the tight structures of its recordings and head into unexplored territory. That’s the kind of thing that, when done right, can transform a concert from an event into an experience.