After back-to-back successes in 2018 and 2019, the Innings Festival 2020 returned for it’s third annual event this weekend in Tempe Beach Park, Arizona, where baseball and music fans collided to take in 20 plus hours of shear entertainment.
After past headliners, The Avett Brothers (2018) and Eddie Vedder (2019), stole the show on the home plate stage, Dave Matthews Band made their presence known on Saturday night to cap off a very impressive Day 1 showing that saw Jason Isbell and Portugal The Man turn heads as well.
“I’m having too much fun. I blame y’all”, Dave Matthews said during his electric performance on Saturday night that lasted nearly three hours.
“I just hope we can add more fun to their musical day”, said Matthews before tearing the house down on Saturday night.
Dave Matthews drew the largest, most enthusiastic crowd at Innings Fest and held that crowd’s attention for more than two hours with a dizzying display of the musicianship on which their legendary jam-rock circuit status rests.
They offset such well-received staples as “Crush” and “So Much To Say” with high-energy crowd-pleasing treatment of the Doobie Brothers’ “Long Train Runnin'” and a very funky “Tell Me Something Good” by Rufus. DMB finished strong with a spirited “Ants Marching” before a two-song encore.
The band is talented throughout, with Tim Reynolds on guitar, Rashawn Ross on trumpet, Jeff Coffin on saxophone, Carter Beauford on drums, Stefan Lessard on bass and Buddy Strong on keyboards.
Dave Matthews Band provided Tempe Beach Park with it’s highest moment of the weekend, as Innings Festival was also hit with some lows in the form of Death Cab For Cutie frontman, Ben Gibbard.
Gibbard had been battling illness for a number of days leading up to the event on Sunday night, as he was forced to postpone a solo show on Friday night in San Francisco.
Death Cab For Cutie was able to get through two songs (Summer Years and The New Year) before calling it a night, as Gibbard’s voice was no longer able to continue.
Rivers Cuomo and company wrapped up the festival on Sunday night, as Weezer delivered all of their greatest hits, as well as a few fun covers to end an extravagant weekend of music and baseball.
Many hall of famers were in attendance this weekend, as Jim Thome took in the festivities by launching foam baseballs of the stage of Ryan Demspter’s “Off The Mound” talk show over the wall at Luis Gonzalez Field in the left field section of the festival.
“I think all acts that they’ve brought in have been great, but I’ll be honest, I’m a huge Stapleton guy”, Thome said when Belly Up Sports’ Jack O’Hara asked about his favorite Innings Festival lineup in the three years it’s been in existence.
Kevin Millar brought some laughs to the stage as well, appearing on “Off The Mound” with Ryan Dempster, as he told plenty of great stories from the 2004 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees.
“He called us frauds”, said Millar when referring to Dan O’Shaughnessy’s article written about the Red Sox team that trailed the New York Yankees three games to nothing in that 2004 championship series.
“Ha! Nice hair, Dan! Your hair sucks!”, Millar recalls screaming at Shaughnessy when entering the clubhouse prior to Game 4. “Don’t let us win tonight”, Millar said, and the rest was history, as the Boston Red Sox became the first and only baseball team, to this day, to erase a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series.
Jake Peavy made an appearance in Tempe this weekend, and didn’t come alone. Jake has been opening for Willie Nelson recently, and decided to bring his guitar to Innings Festival, playing a little Bruce Springsteen on “Off The Mound” for the fans.
“I came out to Badlands when I was in Boston”, Peavy said, as he talked about his fandom for Springsteen with Belly Up Sports‘ Jack O’Hara. “I saw him on Broadway a few years back. I’m a huge Springsteen guy.”
With Innings Festival 2020 in the books, only one can guess who will be in the lineup next year, as Innings Festival 2021 returns on February 27-28 live from Tempe Beach Park.
Who will join The Avett Brothers, Eddie Vedder and Dave Matthews Band as the big headliner in 2021? We’ll find out soon enough.
