We had the chance to see TR3 in an intimate venue on Saturday night.
TR3 brought their style of rock and roll to Havana in New Hope, PA on Saturday night!
I’ve seen Tim Reynolds perform many times – whether as a solo artist, as a duo with Dave Matthews, or as part of Dave Matthews Band. But, this was my first time seeing TR3. I’ve enjoyed seeing Tim Reynolds solo, because it not only gives him a chance to showcase his incredible guitar skills, but it also gives him a chance to spotlight his personality. Check out my review of the last time I saw Reynolds solo this past December at The Ardmore Music Hall:
Both when he is performing with Dave or as a member of DMB, Reynolds doesn’t have a chance to talk or interact with the audience directly. Reynolds always seems very workmanlike – doing his job and that’s it. As a solo artist, he gets to interact with the crowd and share his unique sense of humor.
With TR3, Reynolds gets the opportunity to play the role of band “front man”. And Tim even sings! Keep reading to hear more about Saturday night’s show.
With TR3, Tim Reynolds gets the chance to play the role of band “front man”. But, the highlight is still Reynolds’ amazing guitar work.
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THE VENUE
HAVANA – NEW HOPE, PA
Havana is a restaurant/bar/concert venue/nightclub located in downtown New Hope, PA. They are open from noon to 2 a.m. every day, and serve food from noon to 11:00 p.m.
On nights when there is a concert, entrance to the restaurant and bar area is limited to patrons who have tickets to the event. All concerts have a number of tables for reserved seating.
Tip #1: When you buy your ticket to a show, it does not include a reserved table. Call Havana directly after purchasing your ticket to reserve a table. The tables are assigned with patrons purchasing their tickets first being seated closest to the stage.
The room is very nice for a show. Tables are close together, but not so tight that you don’t have room to move around. The stage is small, and the seats closest to the stage are right next to it. There isn’t a bad seat in the place.
Havana is a great room to see a show in! There isn’t a bad seat in the house, including the upstairs loft area.
Tip #2: There is a loft area which is open. The loft gives you a great view down onto the stage.
While some people in our group ate before the show, several people in our group ordered dinner. The food was great and the portions were large. We ordered the onion rings to snack on, and they were huge! They were also well seasoned, and came with ketchup and a very tasty sauce for dipping.
If you are at a reserved table, there is table service throughout the show. The staff does a great job of making sure everyone is taken care of with food and drinks, without interfering with the show.
After the show (and after 11:00 p.m. on other nights), Havana turns into a club. There is music playing, the bar is hopping, and there were people out on the dance floor. On a relatively mild night in February, there were also a lot of people hanging out on the outside patio area as we were leaving.
Tip #3: Parking in New Hope can be a bit challenging, particularly on weekends during nice weather. All parking on the street and in the lots is metered. You need to pay the meters until 9:00 p.m. Payment can be made at a parking kiosk, or on the mobile app.
Tip #4: There is a lot to do in the New Hope area. In addition to downtown New Hope, if you are into wine, make a day out of your visit and do some wine tasting at some local wineries. Check out my article about wine tasting in the area here:
Tip #5: If you are visiting Havana for a show and want to eat somewhere else, there are lots of options in New Hope. Triumph Brewing Company (http://www.triumphbrewing.com/new-hope/) is about a 7 or 8 minute walk from Havana. We had dinner there prior to the show. I had the burger, which was delicious. They also have a nice beer selection. If you want to spend a bit more money, check out Marsha Bown’s (http://www.marshabrownrestaurant.com/). We had an amazing dinner there several months ago.
THE SHOW
TR3
TR3 is made up of Tim Reynolds (guitar, vocals), Mick Vaughn (bass, vocals), and Dan Martier (drums, vocals). Many Dave Matthews Band fans know Tim Reynolds as the lead guitarist for the band. However, Reynolds is also a very successful solo artist, as well as his success with his trio TR3.
TR3 is made up of Tim Reynolds, Mick Vaughn and Dan Martier. Photo credit: Chris Bickford
Reynolds founded TR3 (Tim Reynolds Trio) in the mid-1980’s in Charlottesville, VA. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s, TR3 toured with various musicians accompanying Reynolds. It was also during this time that Reynolds met Dave Matthews. This was the beginning a long musical collaboration with Matthews – both with his band and as a duo.
In the late ‘90’s Reynolds decided to disband TR3 and pursue a solo career. He moved to Santa Fe, NM and hit the road with his solo guitar shows.
In 2007, Reynolds re-located again to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. It was there that he met Mick Vaughn and Dan Martier. They started making music together, and after a few rehearsals and small performances, Reynolds decided to reform TR3, with Vaughn and Martier making up the rest of the trio.
TR3 has been recording music and touring ever since. Their first studio album – Radiance – was released in 2009, and was nominated for Home Grown Music Network’s Album of the Year. They released their first double live CD – From Space and Beyond – in 2011.
Their most recent album – Like Some Kind of Alien Invasion – was released in October of 2014. They plan on hitting the studio later this year to record a new album.
Of course, Reynolds full-time gig is as lead guitarist of the Dave Matthews Band. While the band was on a year-long hiatus in 2017, Reynolds still toured across the US and Europe with Dave Matthews as an acoustic duo.
In 2018, Dave Matthews Band is back and will be hitting the road in North America throughout the summer. In the meantime, you can catch TR3 for their spring tour. During the tour, TR3 will be debuting new material, digging deep into their library for some older TR3 songs, and unveiling some new covers as well.
TR3 took the stage shortly after 9 p.m., and they played for about 2 hours. The first couple of songs were all instrumental, showing off the musical skills of all three guys.
TR3 wrapped up the opening instrumental songs with “Sweet Spot“. As Reynolds switched over to his acoustic guitar, the guys thanked Dave Cahill who they said had brought the right cords so that Reynolds could play acoustic.
TR3 went into the song “Everything I Believe In”, which they said is about everything you disbelieve in. The song featured Reynolds on lead vocals.
During the show, the songs alternated between instrumentals and songs with vocals. Each of the guys in TR3 had the chance to be highlighted – both musically and on lead vocals. Vaughn took the lead on a couple of songs, and Martier took the lead on vocals on TR3’s version of “Aqualung” by Jethro Tull.
All of the guys contributed on vocals, and each of them got the chance to do lead vocals on a couple of songs.
One of the things I loved about this show (and the audience), was that everyone was quiet and respectful during the show. I’ve been to so many concerts where people chat during the whole show. That was not the case here. Everyone seemed to be so enthralled and engaged with the music, that there was no chatting anywhere near me.
Of course, plenty of Tim Reynolds and DMB fans were in the house, including the group we were with. There were several shouts of “Timmaayy!!” during the show, and Reynolds seemed to love it.
TR3 gave the crowd two solid hours of great music. The show was well worth the price of admission!
TR3 gave the crowd a solid two hours of great music!
After the show, both Vaughn and Martier came out and visited with fans – signing autographs, taking pictures, and just hanging out. I got the chance to meet both, and share with them some of the things my husband’s Tailgate Caravan group are planning for the upcoming DMB summer tour. It was really great of both of them to take the time to talk with everyone and hang out.
To the disappointment of several of his fans (including a couple we were with), Reynolds didn’t come out after the show. TR3 had to head down to Virginia after the show to play in Harrisonburg the next night, so I’m sure Reynolds was trying to get some well-deserved rest.
Be sure to catch TR3 out on the road this spring, before Tim Reynolds joins Dave Matthews Band for their upcoming summer tour. And, be sure to look for a new album after they hit the studio this fall! Photo credit: G. Milo Farineau
If you are a DMB or Dave and Tim fan, you should make a point to check out TR3. It’s a great opportunity to see Reynolds in a totally different environment, playing the music he likes to make and play with his bandmates. Be sure to visit www.timreynolds.com for more information on upcoming tour dates. The dates are currently announced for February and March, with April dates coming soon.
Have questions about seeing a show at Havana in New Hope? Want to know more about TR3? Comment below or e-mail me at tips2livebywriter@gmail.com.
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