Dave Matthews Band Ushers In Valdez Brantley For Cameo At Pine Knob

Dave Matthews Band hit Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkson, Michigan on Wednesday. The Detroit area play saw DMB welcoming Usher musical director and keyboardist Valdez Brantley halfway through the set.

Following a brief weather delay, Dave Matthews Band kicked off the concert with a rare “Dancing Nancies” opener. The song was one of three off DMB’s 1994 album Under the Table and Dreaming along with “Warehouse” and “Satellite” to make the setlist. DMB also dipped three times from their latest studio album Walk Around the Moon.

From WATM, the band — guitarist Dave Matthews, drummer Carter Beauford, bassist Stefan Lessard, guitarist Tim Reynolds, trumpeter Rashawn Ross, saxophonist Dave Coffin and keyboardist Buddy Strong — performed “Madman’s Eyes,” “The Only Thing” and “Looking for a Vein.”

Following the latter, DMB offered their recently debuted, now staple cover “Word Up!” by funk band Cameo. Valdez Brantley, who sat in with DMB last year at Pine Knob, emerged for the Cameo number. Manning a Moog synthesizer set up next to Buddy Strong’s rig — the keyboardists were both touring members in Usher’s band — Brantley played along as Rashawn Ross led the group through the song and also added some sweeping synth runs to the tune. Check out the performance below:

Brantley would also rip the keytar on “Tripping Billies” before the band went it alone for the tour debut of “Cry Freedom” and a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Fool in the Rain.” The main set came to a close with “Grey Street.” Dave would go solo for the tour debut of “Some Devil,” the title track to his only solo album released in 2003. The band then returned to wrap up the Pine Knob play with “So Right.”

Setlist (via DMBAlmanac)

Set: Dancing Nancies, Funny the Way It Is, Warehouse, Fool to Think, Satellite, Madman’s Eyes, Seven, The Stone, The Only Thing, Word Up!*, Tripping Billies*, Cry Freedom, Fool in the Rain, Say Goodbye, Blackjack, Looking for a Vein, You Might Die Trying, Grey Street

Encore: Some Devil, So Right

* – with Valdez Brantley

Dave Matthews Band heads to Ruoff Music Center for a two-night stand on Friday and Saturday July 11 and 12. Scroll down for DMB’s full tour routing and ticket info.