Watch Cory Wong & Trombone Shorty Electrify Dave Matthews Band’s Show At MSG

Dave Matthews Band wrapped a two-night stand and their fall tour at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday with a guest-filled, adventurous concert. After welcoming Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Trombone Shorty and others on Friday, DMB continued the guest train Saturday with Trombone Shorty returning, and guitarists Cory Wong and Mark Whitfield getting in on the action.

Dave Matthews and company launched the concert with Before These Crowded Streets rarity “Spoon” followed by Busted Stuff’s “You Never Know.” Newish song “Monsters,” from DMB’s latest studio album Walk Around The Moon, came next ahead of another rarity, “Hunger For The Great Light,” which fell in the fourth song slot.

After “Grey Street,” “American Baby Intro” prefaced Walk Around The Moon’s “Break Free.” “You Might Die Trying” came next. DMB welcomed their first guest of the evening, jazz guitarist Mark Whitfield, for a bust out of “Captain,” last played on August 18, 2021, as per DMBAlmanac. DMB went it alone for a cover of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer.”

Trombone Shorty then made the first of two appearances, helping the band dust off “Smooth Rider,” last played on August 27, 2019. The Stand Up cut led into the classic “Crush,” which the band explored for 15 minutes. Shorty then departed as DMB reeled off “Rooftop,” “Granny” and Led Zeppelin’s “Fool In The Rain.”

Next, Cory Wong joined, beginning with the tour debut of staple “Tripping Billies,” which the guitarist absolutely tore up. Cory would stay on for the rest of the set, a seamless sequence of “So Much To Say,” “Anyone Seen The Bridge,” “Too Much” and “Ants Marching” with the latter seeing the return of Trombone Shorty. Watch video of the sit-in with Wong and Shorty below:

Dave would go solo to begin the encore with rarity “Baby Blue” before the band joined for yet another rarity, the fitting “The Last Stop.” The Before These Crowded Streets track segued into a partial rendition (last verse and outro) of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” — first time played by DMB — to bring the MSG run and fall tour to a close.

Next up for DMB are two concerts in Dave Matthews’ native South Africa.

Setlist (via DMBAlmanac)

Set: Spoon, You Never Know, Monsters, Hunger for the Great Light, Grey Street, American Baby Intro » Break Free, You Might Die Trying, Captain, Sledgehammer, Smooth Rider » Crush, Rooftop, Granny, Fool in the Rain, Tripping Billies, So Much to Say » Anyone Seen the Bridge » Too Much » Ants Marching

Encore: Baby Blue, The Last Stop » Immigrant Song [partial]