Trey Anastasio Joins Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds For Garth Hudson Tribute & More In Mexico

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds wrapped up the eighth installment of their Riviera Maya all-inclusive concert vacation in Mexico on Sunday with help from special guest Trey Anastasio. The Phish guitarist sat in with Dave and Tim on the last three songs of their main set at the Moon Palace Resort.

Trey Anastasio is in Mexico for Phish's destination event in Mexico, which gets underway at the Moon Palace on Wednesday night. The Dave and Tim collaboration with Trey has become a tradition of sorts as Anastasio previously made guest appearances with the Dave Matthews Band guitarists during their final night in Mexico in 2020, 2022 and 2024.

Sunday night marked Matthews and Reynolds’ third of three headlining performances at Dave & Tim Riviera Maya 2024. The duo dug deep into their repertoire over the course of the run.

On Friday, the pair trotted out the long-lost “Kit Kat Jam” for the first time at a Dave and Tim show. The song dating back to 2002’s Busted Stuff hadn’t been performed by DMB since July 26, 2013. Opening night also featured Dave and Tim’s first performances of “Spaceman” and “Help Myself” in eight years.

The surprises on Saturday came right from the start as Dave Matthews took the stage by himself to kick off the night with a solo piano cover of the Buffalo Springfield classic “For What It’s Worth,” last played in 2007. A few songs later, Matthews and Reynolds dusted off “Pig” for the first time in duo format since 2018. “Little Red Bird” and and “Loving Wings” also saw action with each last played at Dave and Tim shows in 2020. Additionally, Sierra Hull and bandmates Avery Merritt and Shaun Richardson lent a hand on the beloved “Ants Marching” towards the middle of the main set.

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds had more treats for attendees at the finale last night. Matthews delivered a solo “Baby Blue” to launch the show, which was the first time the tune had been played at a Dave and Tim show since August 20, 2011. Also revived later in the set were “Recently” and “Proudest Monkey,” which the pair previously performed at duo shows in 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Towards the end of the set, Matthews moved to piano to played “Out Of My Hands” with Reynolds. Dave then addressed the crowd. “A very good friend of mine is here this year. It’s happened before that we’ve been this lucky, so it’s even crazier that we’re lucky this year that we have our good friend Trey Anastasio,” Matthews said.

Anastasio’s time with the pair began with Dave and Tim debut of The Band’s 1975 hit “Ophelia.” Trey Anastasio and Dave Matthews shared vocal duties on a cover played in honor of Garth Hudson, the last surviving member of The Band, who died at age 87 on Tuesday, January 21. “We wanted to play that one for Garth … Garth Hudson, with a lot of love,” Trey exclaimed following the “Ophelia” performance.

The Phish guitarist stuck around for DMB fan-favorite “Everyday” and a set-closing, singalong cover of Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds.” Anastasio played “Everyday” regularly as a member of Dave & Friends between 2003 and 2006 and accompanied Matthews and Reynolds for a performance of the title track from the 2001 DMB studio album at their 2022 Riviera Maya event. On June 17, 1995, Matthews joined Phish for their first and what still stands as the quartet’s only version of “Three Little Birds.” Four performances of the Marley classic were played by Matthews and Anastasio during Dave & Friends’ time together.

Dave Matthews returned to launch last night’s encore with a solo “Some Devil.” Reynolds then teamed with Matthews on “Typical Situation” and “Tripping Billies.” Both hadn’t been performed in the encore slot by either DMB or Dave and Tim in years.

Watch fan-shot footage of Trey Anastasio’s guest appearance with Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds below:

https://www.instagram.com/j9_corcoran/reel/DFUJjMhunyD/?hl=en

Dave Matthews will perform with John Mayer at the FireAid benefit concert on Thursday, January 30 in Los Angeles. Phish begins Phish: Riviera Maya 2025 on Wednesday, January 29. Livestreams of all four Phish shows in Mexico are available for purchase.

Setlist (via DMBAlmanac.com)

Set: Baby Blue*, Bartender, Virginia in the Rain, Drunken Soldier, Lie in Our Graves, The Ocean and the Butterfly, Stay or Leave, Recently, I’ll Back You Up, Minarets, The Court of the Crimson King**, Pay for What You Get, Pay for What You Get [reprise], Funny the Way It Is, Big Eyed Fish, Improv/Jam, Proudest Monkey, Satellite, Jimi Thing, A Tangled Web We Weave**, Out of My Hands, Ophelia^, Everyday^, Three Little Birds^

Encore: Some Devil*, Typical Situation, Tripping Billies

• * – Dave Matthews solo
• ** – Tim Reynolds solo
• ^ – with Trey Anastasio on guitar and vocals