The Dave Matthews Band Summer Tour 2008 rolled into the Comcast Center in Mansfield after a day of wild, windy, rainy weather. It seems as though the set list, at least for the first part of the show, reflected that with mellow and melodic songs with signature upbeat notes the band presented to the sold out crowd, setting the stage for an explosive finish.

The band - lead vocalist and guitarist Dave Matthews, violinist Boyd Tinsley, drummer Carter Beauford, sax player LeRoi Moore, and bassist Stefan Lessard - started the show off with "The Stone" from 1998's "Before These Crowded Streets," which instantly brought the crowd to its feet. The song drifted to near silence before ending on a strong, resounding note.

"Old Dirt Hill" from 2005's "Stand Up" followed, and led into a crowd favorite "Grey Street," off of "Busted Stuff," which featured big vocals from Matthews and a complementing sound from both Moore's sax and Tinsley's violin.

"You Might Die Trying," also from "Stand Up," featured Tinsley's soaring violin melodies along with electric guitar riffs from special guest Tim Reynolds, who has performed several acoustic tours with Matthews and played with the band for the entire show. As is apt to happen with any of the band's songs, this one turned into a mini jam session between the members, giving the audience a look at how much these musicians still enjoy performing together after nearly 15 years touring as a band.

Matthews's colorful tale about watching a monkey in his homeland of South Africa segued into a mellow version of "Proudest Monkey" off "Crash" from 1996. A recent addition to the tour, trumpet player Rashawn Ross, along with Moore, added upbeat notes to the smooth sounds from the rest of the band. A monkey call from Matthews capped the song and drew large cheers from the crowd. "So Damn Lucky" from Matthews's 2003 solo effort "Some Devil" followed. New song "Eh Hee," which appears on Matthews and Reynolds 2007 acoustic album "Live at Radio City" captured a bluesy feel that the crowd danced along to.

Moore's saxophone led into the somber "Dreaming Tree," which had the crowd swaying, and the sultry "Crush" brought them to their feet. Again, Reynolds's electric guitar riffs coupled with Matthews's vocals, Tinsley's soaring violin, Moore's sexy saxophone and Beauford's beat on the drums set the mood for the song and highlighted each member's talents.

"Out Of My Hands" from "Stand Up" featured Matthews soloing on the keyboard as well as singing. The rest of the band joined in gradually, which made for a melodic treat. The fast paced Rolling Stones cover "Bitch" followed.

"Everyday," from the same titled 2003 album, had the crowd dancing with an especially loud cheer for Tinsley's solo.

Matthews seemed particularly energetic as he played guitar and sang along to "Corn Bread" from Matthews and Reynolds's Radio City album.

To finish out the main set, the band played Pantala Naga Pampa, which segued into a spirited version of "Rapunzel."

Perhaps the song that excited the crowd most was the one that has been on DMB's setlists the longest. "Ants Marching," which appears on "Remember Two Things" and "Under the Table and Dreaming" from 1993 and 1994 respectively, had the crowd from the front row to the lawn dancing, singing and enjoying being at the show.

The two song encore featured favorites "Gravedigger" and "Tripping Billies," which capped a night of smooth old favorites, and soon-to-be new classics, and left the band's fans satisfied with the evening.

JESSICA KOSOWSKI can be reached at 508-236-0331 or at jkosowski@thesunchronicle.com.