Bela Fleck Guests With Dave Matthews Band At SPAC

The Dave Matthews Band welcomed old friend Bela Fleck to join them for portions of both sets last night at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, aka SPAC, in Saratoga Springs, New York on Friday night. The legendary banjo player sat-in at the end of both the group’s acoustic and electric sets at SPAC.

[Photo via Jay11824]

Matthews opened the show with solo renditions of “Rye Whiskey” and “Little Red Bird.” Guitarist Tim Reynolds than came out to accompany Dave on “Oh.” Fleck emerged towards the end of the set to contribute to classics “Typical Situation,” “Satellite,” and “Ants Marching.” The band returned for the electric second set along with the Lovely Ladies trio of backing vocals to kick off the set with “Save Me.” The Lovely Ladies returned in the middle of the set for the tour debut of “Take Me To The River.” Al Green’s beloved song hadn’t been performed by DMB in a whopping 1,271 shows (late time played -June 30, 2000). “Black And Blue Bird” and “Belly Belly Nice” kept the electric set flowing before the Lovely Ladies added backing vocals to “Can’t Stop” and “Be Yourself.” Bela Fleck helped the Dave Matthews Band close out the second set with “Corn Bread,” “The Dreaming Tree,” “Don’t Drink The Water,” what fans have dubbed an “Improv Jam” and “Grey Street.” “The Dreaming Tree” was a tour debut. DMB ended the night without any guests on an encore of “Virginia In The Rain” and “You Might Die Trying.” The Dave Matthews Band returns to SPAC tonight.

Watch three of the first fan-shot videos of the collaboration to surface:

Setlist (via DMB Almanac)

Set One (Acoustic): Rye Whiskey (Dave solo), Little Red Bird (Dave solo), Oh (Dave & Tim), Snow Outside, What Would You Say, Stay Or Leave, Typical Situation*, Satellite*, Ants Marching*

Set Two (Electric): Save Me, Granny, Warehouse, Take Me To The River^, Black And Blue Bird, Belly Belly Nice, Can’t Stop^, Be Yourself^, Corn Bread*, The Dreaming Tree*, Don’t Drink The Water*, Improv Jam* > Grey Street*

Encore: Virginia In The Rain, You Might Die Trying

* -w/ Bela Fleck
^ -w/ Lovely Ladies (Candace, Sharon and Tawatha)