Matthews, Reynolds Combine Their Crowd-Pleasing Crafts

At a time when pop stars seem to be increasingly estranged from their fans, Dave Matthews gives his audiences what they want. At the singer-guitarist’s Pantages Theatre show on Tuesday, which also featured guitarist Tim Reynolds, a smattering of red “record” lights could be seen around the theater, the result of Matthews’ open-door policy for amateur tapers.

They had plenty to record: Matthews and Reynolds played for more than three hours, and during that span they inspired more whoops and hollers than a Texas rodeo.

As the leader of the Dave Matthews Band, the musician fills a void in the pop landscape for listeners who were weaned on the ‘70s singer-songwriter movement, with its emphasis on song craft over attitude, and acoustic guitars over high-decibel bluster. In this non-band show at the Pantages, Matthews and Reynolds--a longtime friend and guest collaborator with the Matthews Band--unspooled compositions built around the repetition of terse, circular riffs.

Using that foundation, Matthews sang his modern-day parables in a burnished mahogany voice that brought to mind singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading.

As a guitarist, Matthews has a knack for convoluted melodies that sound organic. He constantly maneuvered into different styles, from haunting modal themes to vigorous flamenco strumming, while Reynolds kept busy with brisk, staccato solos and electronic atmospherics.

A three-hour set may have been overstating their case a bit, but it was hard to spot anyone sneaking a peek at their watches.