Dave Matthews Band

• CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - Fans of the Dave Matthews Band bobbed in synchronized approval as their unassuming icon did his noodle dance often likened to a chicken scratching at the dirt. It had been nearly seven years since the band has grooved in Charlottesville, where Dave Matthews used to work as a bartender at a downtown restaurant. "I was really nervous about this gig," the newly married father-to-be purred at the audience Saturday in his zephyr-like voice. "Forgive me if I act stupid." A fan bellowed back, cupping his hands as a megaphone: "Welcome home, Dave!" Born in South Africa, Matthews moved to Charlottesville in 1986. The band's four other members were born or raised in the area. The band kicked-off its summer tour Saturday to plug its new double-platinum "Everyday," which critics have panned as too mainstream and too far from the acoustic, hybrid sound that sends hardcore Daveheads into a musical trance.

Despite the criticism, tickets for the show at the 50,000-seat Scott Stadium at the University of Virginia sold out in 35 minutes. The band was in top form as it hit many of its staples, and things heated up when, about an hour and a half into the set, music legend Neil Young, who opened Saturday's concert, returned to the stage to play the Jimi Hendrix anthem, "All Along The Watchtower." It was the only North American performance date on Young's schedule for the rest of 2001. Saturday's concert raised at least $850,000 for a $5 million endowment the band is creating through its Bama Works Fund, which supports community service organizations in central Virginia. Macy Gray joins a leg of the tour for 14 days.