Béla Fleck & Warren Haynes Guest With Dave Matthews Band In New York City On This Date In 1998

The more things change, the more they stay the same. On this date in 1998, Dave Matthews Band welcomed banjoist Béla Fleck, guitarist Warren Haynes and other guests during a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Fleck and Haynes sat-in again with DMB at MSG last month continuing their long history of collaboration. The show 26 years ago today contained a number of well-jammed DMB classics and also saw guitarist Tim Reynolds sitting in for the entire show a decade before becoming a permanent touring member of the band.

DMB got things underway with “Jimi Thing” followed by “Warehouse,” which together comprised nearly the first 25 minutes of the show. Fleck — who appeared on the band’s current album at the time, Before These Crowded Streets — then emerged for a massive “Lie In Our Graves” that stretched to nearly 18 minutes and saw an extended solo from the banjo master. From “Lie In Our Graves” the band and Béla headed into “Minarets,” which saw Dave delivering lyrics from The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows.” Flecktones saxophonist and current DMB member Jeff Coffin then joined his bandmate, Béla, on stage for another big jam on “#41.”

After DMB went it alone on “Say Goodbye” and “Drive In Drive Out,” Fleck came back out for “The Last Stop,” a song which Béla contributed to on Before These Crowded Streets. Following “Crash Into Me,” Fleck returned once again for “Don’t Drink The Water,” another BTCS track he played on. The album’s opening salvo, “Pantala Naga Pampa” and “Rapunzel,” would close out the set. “I’ll Back You Up” kicked off the encore. Dave then welcomed Haynes — which has become something of an MSG tradition with Warren and DMB — before bassist Stefan Lessard delivered a bass intro for the classic closer, Bob Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower,” which saw Haynes on an outstanding, wailing slide solo.

Watch Dave Matthews Band’s entire December 3, 1998 concert featuring Béla Fleck, Warren Haynes and more below via Copperpot-OEW5:

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Setlist (via DMB Almanac)

Set: Jimi Thing, Warehouse, Lie in Our Graves* » Minarets*, #41**, Say Goodbye, Drive In Drive Out, The Last Stop*, Crash into Me, Don’t Drink the Water* » Heartbeat Intro » Pantala Naga Pampa » Rapunzel

Encore: I’ll Back You Up, All Along the Watchtower#

Notes:

• * – Bela Fleck on Banjo
• ** – Bela Fleck and Jeff Coffin (Sax)
• # – Warren Haynes on Electric Guitar

[Entire show with Tim Reynolds on electric guitar.]

[Originally Published: December 3, 2020 | Updated: December 3, 2024]