Dave Matthews Band shared the stage with hundreds of guests since forming in 1991. While some musicians have only sat-in with DMB once, many have become frequent collaborators over the course of the group’s nearly 30-year career. This edition of the JamBase List features five stellar collaborations that took place during Dave Matthews Band concerts with a focus on those who have joined the group a number of times.
Check out video of five stellar Dave Matthews Band collaborations below:
Lie In Our Graves with Trey Anastasio | May 19, 2001
Only a few acts have opened for Phish since 1993 and one of those acts was the Dave Matthews Band, who opened a handful of Phish concerts in 1994. Most of those shows ended with collaborations, cementing a friendship that continues through the present. Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio sat-in with both DMB and Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds a number of times over the years and was a member of Matthews’ Dave & Friends ensemble. A notable Trey/DMB collaboration took place at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco on May 19, 2001. Anastasio added to a “Lie In Our Graves” that spanned nearly 18 minutes and features plenty of fretboard fireworks.
Rhyme And Reason with Stanley Jordan | July 7, 2012
Guitarist Stanley Jordan was a frequent guest of DMB in 2012 and 2013, when he sat-in at 13 different shows. Jordan often contributed to live versions of Under The Table And Dreaming track “Rhyme & Reason.” Jordan’s signature tapping fits the song perfectly. An example was a version from July 7, 2012 during Dave Matthews Band’s second of two Summer Tour 2012 concerts at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin. Stanley emerged in the middle of the set for “Rhyme & Reason” and stuck around for “The Dreaming Tree” that followed before returning to augment DMB’s show-closing cover of “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).”
Spoon with Brandi Carlile and Mike McCready | August 30, 2014
Brandi Carlile forged a relationship with fellow Washington resident Dave Matthews that led to both artists guesting with each other over the past decade. Matthews sat-in with Brandi and her band on covers of John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” five times in 2011 and 2012. Then, Carlile first took the stage with DMB at Klipsch Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana on June 22, 2013 for “Spoon” off Before These Crowded Streets. Brandi went on to perform “Spoon” with Matthews and company three additional times with the version from August 30, 2014 at The Gorge in George, Washington also featuring Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready.
Tripping Billies with Warren Haynes | November 30, 2018
In 1993, the Dave Matthews Band took part in a superjam at The Ritz in New York City put together by Warren Haynes that marked the start of a long and fruitful history between the guitarist and DMB. Haynes sat-in with the group when they headlined the Wetlands Preserve later that year and has made dozens of appearances with Dave Matthews Band since. While Warren often joined DMB for covers of Bob Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower” or Neil Young’s “Cortez The Killer,” he’s also added to originals. On November 30, 2018, Haynes was among the group’s special guests at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Warren came out towards the end of the set for “Cortez The Killer” and stuck around to rip it up on DMB classic “Tripping Billies.”
Cortez The Killer with Susan Tedeschi | May 1, 2019
Tedeschi Trucks Band guitarist Susan Tedeschi only made one appearance with the Dave Matthews Band, but she sure made it count. DMB invited Tedeschi to share the stage on a sizzling cover of Neil Young’s “Cortez The Killer” at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida on May 1, 2019. Susan thrilled the hometown crowd by dueting with Dave and delivering three impressive solos over the course of the memorable “Cortez.”
