See Kamasi Washington & Bob Mintzer Join Dave Matthews Band For ‘What Would You Say’ In Southern California

Dave Matthews Band brought their summer tour to FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, California for concerts on Friday and Saturday near Los Angeles. Keyboardist Greg Phillinganes made guest appearances at both shows with saxophonists Kamasi Washington and Bob Mintzer joining the DMB horns on Friday for three songs.

The second stop of DMB’s West Coast swing began on Friday with the first full-band “Spoon” opener. “Spoon” was dusted off in Highland, California last Thursday, August 24 after four years on the shelf. The Before These Crowded Streets gem did kick off a DMB concert on July 29, 2015 but that version was played solo by Dave Matthews.

“Spoon” was followed by rarity “#27” and newer tunes “Virginia In The Rain,” “Madman’s Eyes” and “The Ocean And The Butterfly.” Next, “Don’t Drink The Water” led into tour debuts of “Stolen Away On 55th & 3rd” and “Cry Freedom” split by “So Damn Lucky.” A few songs later Greg Phillinganes — best known as Michael Jackson’s musical director and his contributions to four MJ albums as well as tenures touring with the King Of Pop, Toto, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Stevie Wonder and John Mayer — emerged for “Grace Is Gone” and “Sledgehammer.”

Dave Matthews Band went it alone after Phillinganes’ appearance for “Monsters,” one of four songs off the recently released studio album, Walk Around The Moon, to make the setlist on Friday. Then, Matthews introduced “friends” Kamasi Washington and Bob Mintzer to augment saxophonist Jeff Coffin and trumpeter Rashawn Ross on DMB’s breakthrough 1994 single “What Would You Say” Washington and Mintzer filled the spot featuring John Popper’s harmonica solo on Under The Table And Dreaming with dueling sax solos.

Watch Kamasi Washington and Bob Mintzer help out DMB on “What Would You Say” via fan-shot footage below:

Kamasi Washington and Bob Mintzer stuck around for a version of “Jimi Thing” that like others this summer gave way to a cover of the Commodores’ “Brick House.” DMB sans guests closed out their main set on Friday with oldies “Crash Into Me” and “Two Step.” Matthews then offered the tour’s first “Little Red Bird” to start the encore before the rest of the band returned for the “Crush” finale.

Dave Matthews Band’s Saturday night concert in Irvine was a 21-song affair featuring material from nearly every era of the band’s 31-year career. The “Looking For A Vein” opener was one of four Walk Around The Moon cuts played on Saturday while three songs a piece off 2009’s Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King and 1995’s Crash were trotted out the same night.

Greg Phillinganes came out towards the middle of Saturday’s main set for “Break Free” and “Louisiana Bayou.” Phillinganes returned later in the set to join DMB on a cover of Paul Simon’s “Late In The Evening.” The 1980 hit followed Ross playing the theme to The Price Is Right to honor Bob Barker who died earlier in the day at the age of 99. Next up was “Corn Bread” and “So Much To Say” into “Anyone Seen The Bridge.” The latter gave way to its usual partner, “Too Much,” however it was just a tease. Instead, Dave Matthews Band ended the set with “Ants Marching.”

Dave Matthews, Rashawn Ross, drummer Carter Beauford and guitarist Tim Reynolds went with “Sister” to start Saturday’s encore. the rest of the band then returned to help close the show and run with “All Along The Watchtower.” Dave Matthews Band now heads to Oregon for a show at Bend’s Hayden Homes Amphitheater on Tuesday night.

See fan-shot video of Greg Phillinganes joining DMB in Irvine below:

Setlists (via DMB Almanac)

Friday, August 25

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Set: Spoon, #27, Virginia in the Rain, Madman’s Eyes, The Ocean and the Butterfly, Don’t Drink the Water, Stolen Away on 55th & 3rd, So Damn Lucky, Cry Freedom, Walk Around the Moon, Grace Is Gone*, Sledgehammer*, Monsters, What Would You Say**, Jimi Thing** » Brick House**, Crash Into Me » Two Step

Encore: Little Red Bird^, Crush

• * – with Greg Phillinganes on keyboards
• ** – with Kamasi Washington and Bob Mintzer on saxophone
• ^ – Dave solo

Saturday, August 26

Set: Looking for a Vein, #41, Come On Come On, Granny, All You Wanted Was Tomorrow, Spaceman, Big Eyed Fish, Lie in Our Graves, Lover Lay Down, The Song That Jane Likes, Break Free*, Louisiana Bayou*, It Could Happen, Lying in the Hands of God » American Baby Intro, The Price Is Right [tease], Late in the Evening*, Corn Bread, So Much to Say » Anyone Seen the Bridge » Too Much [fake] » Ants Marching

Encore: Sister, All Along the Watchtower » Stairway to Heaven [partial] » All Along the Watchtower [reprise]

* – with Greg Phillinganes on keyboards

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