POP MUSIC REVIEW : Matthews Band Mixes It Up With Feel-Good Blend

The ever-shifting pop landscape has already marked the ‘90s as the time when mainstream audiences accepted the once-radical sounds of punk (witness Green Day and the Offspring). It’s also been a time when listeners have reacted to the rise of such blunt, direct rock by embracing the kind of eclectic folk-rock mix that’s been largely relegated to the coffeehouse scene.

That a multi-genre album like the Dave Matthews Band’s “Under the Table and Dreaming” could sell a million suggests a new readiness for adventurous pop. More proof came at the Matthews Band’s sold-out show at the Hollywood Palladium on Saturday.

The quintet from Charlottesville, Va., played a smooth fusion of rock, folk, jazz and world-music styles. While not a band of virtuosos, Matthews and company have an ear for musical drama that kept the music afloat even during lengthy instrumental sections.

After nearly two hours, even that feel-good groove began to falter. Still, the only real misstep came with the band’s version of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower.” In their struggle to make the song their own, the Matthews group embarked on a bloated, staggered intro that doomed any possibility that it might match, much less improve upon, classic versions by Dylan and Hendrix.

A risky choice, perhaps, but for an audience that suddenly seems to be demanding it.