Labor Day is dubbed the unofficial end of summer, making it the perfect weekend for the throngs of eager Dave Matthews Band fans at Alpine Valley to throw caution to the wind and celebrate this last bastion of summer freedom.

Sunday night, as Matthews slowly staggered onto stage with his signature walk, he immediately drew cheers from the ecstatic crowd of over 35,000. As he has before, Matthews stated Alpine is his favorite venue in which to play, although he appeared unsure how many nights he had been there as he held out three fingers saying how great it was to be back yet again.

Soon after acknowledging the crowd he and his band started off slow with "Don't Burn the Pig" followed by "Granny." Both songs proved to be warm-ups as each band member seemed to be adjusting to his instrument. Matthews then pleased the bellowing crowd with the requisite, recently overplayed radio hit "Where Are You Going?" Even the newest fans could sing along to this one.

Matthews and his band then followed with some of his earlier, yet wildly popular, songs. During "Dancing Nancies," rapidly flashing camera angles featuring views of the stage and the fans further heightened the crowd's intensity. It was followed by "Warehouse" and the seldom performed, from the much maligned "Everyday" album, "If I Had It All."

The album "Everyday" has received more negative feedback than any Dave Matthews Band album in it's 10+ year history. Many fans believe it is not what Dave Matthews should be playing and they have made it clear that this is their least favorite album in chatrooms and review postings because of it's electric, almost rock-like feel. While it is not rare for a band with a long career to have an album released from a different producer that creates a new/different sound, it is generally not a popular move.

U2 went through similar scrutiny when they released "Pop" to bad reviews. Matthews and his band quickly returned to the studio to record "Busted Stuff" which has given his expansive fan base reason to cheer. In a concerted effort to let Matthews know that "Everyday" was a good album, a group of fans launched a bundled up t-shirt onto the stage which simply stated in red letters "It's OK to like Everyday." These fans also proudly sported the homemade shirts themselves.

The band then began to reach back a bit and played songs from early albums such as "Rhyme & Reason," "One Sweet World," and "#41." They then began to crescendo by playing trademark hits "So Much To Say" and "Too Much." During "Too Much" he entertained the crowd with his quirky style of dancing which amazingly brings down the house every time. With the fans at a near-frenzied level, he unfortunately next played a mellow "Grace Is Gone." After attending multiple Dave Matthews shows, it is evident he has a pattern of following an energetic song with a slow one forgoing the opportunity to build off of the crowd's intense excitement level.

Matthews and company closed the show with hits "I Did It" and "Two Step" before returning to stage to perform "Gravedigger" and an impressive rendition of "Ants Marching" as encores.

Each "Dave show" that I attend reinforces many of the beliefs I have about this eclectic band and their niche in the music world. I firmly believe that without his supporting cast, Dave Matthews would not have achieved the status he enjoys today. Matthews has a very unique voice that separates him numerous other musicians from the masses but which gets him only so far. Band members Boyd Tinsley, Carter Beauford, Leroi Moore and Stefan Lessard have given credence that it really is the "Dave Matthews BAND."