Worst show I ever saw: 

Tim Reynolds (you know, the Dave Matthew's Guitar Prodigy) live at the Jazzhaus in Lawrence,Oct. Somethin', 1999.

Ok...here's the deal.  I have never seen Dave Matthews but have all of his studio recordings...I'm not a huge fan but it's good music.  A buddy of mine and a fine guitar player Nathan Wilson came up from Oklahoma where he was working on his Masters.  We got there early and had seats up by the stage.  We weren't expecting a dave matthews like show especially since his flyers warned, "This will not be like Luther College!!!" or something like that.  Mr. Reynolds comes out in a tight tie dye'd half shirt and a vinyl miniskirt with pink armlength gloves and flys into this metal/prog epic about 8 minutes long complete with Strobe Lights and Smoke Machine. (keep in mind, the Jazzhaus stage is barely 20 feet across, the width of the entire bar.)  The DMB fans were horrified. No pretty acoustic songs...lots of math rock! I was entertained until I realized that it was just like watching a guy noodle on the guitar at a guitar shop, showing off for the girls.  He'd intersperse his songs with "lyrics" like "Big Dick Ego Trip" and "Lose the Bible Belt and your pants fall off."  Sometimes he even wore a gas mask. 

Musically, the band was tight, he's a fabulous guitar player but the presentation of the show was just dumb. (that's the only word that fit...I tried bigger words but DUMB does it for me.) Had he just kept his mouth shut and played, the show would have been really great...but the onstage antics, costuming, cussing at the audience "Why don'tchall git up'n dance...y'all got legs n'shit." really left a bad taste.  By the second set (two sets of guitar diarrhea) all the college boys and girls were gone and the screams of "Tim, just play STREAM" had been silenced.  Maybe 20 people remained by the time I completed my last beer and my final nerve had been sawed apart by the continual onslaught of repetitive showoff blather and screeching dillusional lyrics.  I left before it was over.  Nathan and I joked the whole way home. 

Someday, I hope to be able to go out and do that.  Yes, it was noise but they(the band and crew) had a lot of fun.  He did exactly what he wanted to do and had a blast doing it.  He didn't CARE whether anyone liked it or not.  Mr. Reynolds ruled the night, even if it was in his own head.  I guess it was kind of like the humor of a comedian that is way before their time.  Either you get it or you don't...and those lucky enough to see the genius can say "Yeah, I laughed at the Mighty Mouse joke!"  But I can honestly say that I just didn't get anything out of it. 

Since then, I've heard more of his recordings and I need to say this...he plays circles around most folks and this review is not a reflection on the whole body of work, just the ONE NIGHT.

Thanks y'all!

PRH