This came out in 2001 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
With this ninth release, the Dave Matthews Band officially have more live albums than studio discs. Which is OK; the jam-band kings are, after all, a group that must be seen (or at least heard) live to be truly appreciated. Even so, it’s kind of hard to appreciate the two-CD Live in Chicago 12.19.98.
It’s not that the performance and set list on this show aren’t up to snuff, because they are. The main problem: The show is three years old. And given that the band a) just finished a summer tour; b) recorded shows for the purpose of issuing a new live album, and c) still has an unreleased studio album fans are clamouring for, this CD seems like an unnecessary stopgap at best and a pointless cash-in at worst. They could have made better use of their time. And ours.
