Round 2: Watch Warren Haynes Join Dave Matthews Band For Allman Brothers & Neil Young Covers

Gov’t Mule frontman Warren Haynes has hopped on Dave Matthews Band tour. The guitarist/vocalist sat-in with DMB again on Wednesday at Northwell Health at Jones Beach in Wantagh, New York one night after Haynes joined the septet at Holmdel, New Jersey's PNC Bank Arts Center.

Warren Haynes’ guest appearance on Long Island came for three songs at the end of DMB’s main set, the same spot as the Tuesday night collaboration on the Jersey Shore. Three different tunes were played by Haynes and Dave Matthews Band at Jones Beach including two rare covers.

“A friend of ours is in town on he’s gonna join us on stage,” Dave Matthews alerted the crowd last night following a performance of “Madman’s Eyes” off the group’s recently released Walk Around The Moon studio album. “Please welcome Mr. Warren Haynes.” Up first on Wednesday for Haynes and DMB was a cover of “Melissa,” a The Allman Brothers Band song penned by Gregg Allman.

Dave Matthews Band debuted what Matthews called one of his favorite songs “ever written in the world” with special guest Gregg Allman at Atlanta’s Piedmont Park on September 8, 2007. The next night Matthews, Allman and Haynes performed “Melissa” at Farm Aid 2007 which was held at Randall’s Island Park in New York City. A pair of additional versions of the Eat A Peach gem followed in 2008 and 2009, including Gregg Allman joining DMB for “Melissa” at Madison Square Garden on April 14, 2009. “Melissa” was shelved by Matthews & Co. until 2017, when four renditions were played by Dave and Tim Reynolds in the weeks following Gregg Allman’s death.

Last night marked Matthews’ first “Melissa” cover since June 17, 2017 and the first full-band version since September 29, 2009. Warren shared lead vocal duties with Dave and delivered gorgeous guitar work on a song he played hundreds of times as a member of The Allman Brothers Band from 1989 – 1997 and 2000 – 2014.

The second round of this week’s Warren Haynes/Dave Matthews Band collaboration continued with “Cortez The Killer.” Originally written and recorded by Neil Young for 1975’s Zuma, “Cortez” has now been played by Haynes and DMB 15 times between December 13, 2000 and last night. Warren has added to a number of outstanding versions of “Cortez” over the past 23 years with Wednesday’s rendition another scorcher. Haynes and Reynolds traded effusive licks throughout while Warren and Dave co-helmed the song.

Haynes stuck around for a well-jammed, set-closing “Two Step.” Warren hadn’t performed the oldie with Dave Matthews Band since June 12, 1994 — a night DMB and Mule shared the bill in Athens with Widespread Panic, Jackopierce, Allgood and Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit. Matthews and his band mates returned sans Haynes to cap the night with an encore consisting of “The Ocean & The Butterfly” and “So Damn Lucky.” Last night’s show was also notable for the tour’s first “Seven,” which followed the “Virginia In The Rain” opener.

Other rarities to make the setlist at Jones Beach included “Hello Again,” “Big Eyed Fish,” “The Best Of What’s Around” and “Lover Lay Down.” Additionally, DMB treated fans to the recently liberated “American Baby Intro” and third-ever cover of Paul Simon’s “Late In The Evening.”

The tour moves on to Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey on Friday and Saturday. Tune in to Dave Matthews Band Radio on SiriusXM to hear Friday night’s show.

Setlist (via DMB Almanac)

Set: Virginia in the Rain, Seven, Hello Again, Walk Around the Moon, Looking for a Vein, You Might Die Trying, Big Eyed Fish » Lie in Our Graves, Cha Cha, The Best of What’s Around, American Baby Intro, Break Free, Late in the Evening, Lover Lay Down, Madman’s Eyes, Melissa*, Cortez the Killer* » Two Step*

Encore: The Ocean and the Butterfly » So Damn Lucky

* – w/ Warren Haynes