Trombone Shorty & John D’earth Join Dave Matthews Band In Charlottesville

Dave Matthews Band brought their fall tour to their hometown of Charlottesville this past weekend for a two-night stand at the John Paul Jones Arena on Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11. Saturday’s show featured guest appearances by Charlottesville-based trumpeter John D’Earth and NOLA’s Trombone Shorty on trombone.

The septet kicked off the second night in Charlottesville with “Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back),” which marked the first time the song from the band’s 2005 LP Stand Up opened since May 15, 2015. DMB then offered tour debuts of oldies “The Best Of What’s Around” and “#27” before performing the title track of their latest record, 2023’s Walk Around The Moon.

Walk Around The Moon was also represented in the setlist on Saturday by “The Ocean And The Butterfly,” “Monsters” and “Looking For A Vein.” The former was a tour debut with “Minarets” and “Cry Freedom” also trotted out for the first time this fall towards the middle of DMB’s main set at their Charlottesville finale.

Musician John D’earth, who played a key role in helping Matthews recruit members of his band in 1991, came out for a run connecting a cover of Daniel Lanois’ “The Maker” and fan-favorite DMB original “Warehouse.” Trombone Shorty emerged a few songs later to help Dave Matthews Band end their main set in Charlottesville with a “Jimi Thing” that gave way to a take on the Commodores’ “Brick House” and the beloved “Ants Marching.”

Dave Matthews returned to the stage for the encore augmented by DMB drummer Carter Beauford, lead guitarist Tim Reynolds and trumpeter Rashawn Ross. The paired-down lineup began Saturday’s encore with the tour’s first “Sister.” Then, the rest of the group rejoined the fray for a show-closing “Two Step.”

Watch fan-shot video from Saturday’s DMB concert below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MPtXK8SX6g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBwf7pMHLuE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46terQ9u1fE

Setlist (via DMB Almanac)

Set: Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back), The Best of What’s Around, #27, Walk Around the Moon, Hunger for the Great Light, Pantala Naga Pampa » Rapunzel, The Ocean and the Butterfly, Rooftop, Minarets, Cry Freedom, So Damn Lucky, Monsters, The Maker* » Warehouse*, Looking for a Vein, Spaceman, Jimi Thing^ » Brick House^, Ants Marching^

Encore: Sister, Two Step

• * – with John D’earth on trumpet
• ^ – with Trombone Shorty on trombone