Dave Matthews Band covers Talking Heads,plays 'Gravedigger' with Willie Nelson

Dave Matthews Band tried some new things at its last two concerts in Louisville, Ky. and Memphis, Tenn.

Both nights, DMB invited Willie Nelson on stage to play "Gravedigger" with the band. Willie recorded the Dave Matthews solo song for his latest album, Moment of Forever.

DMB also broke out a new cover song at the two concerts: "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads.

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Dave Matthews Band plays Rothbury Festival

Dave Matthews Band headlined the Rothbury Festival last night, playing a nearly three-hour set that relied heavily on '90s classics.

The concert was a live webcast, giving most DMB fans their first chance to see the band in action without LeRoi Moore, who reportedly punctured a lung and broke ribs in a June 30 ATV accident. Replacement sax player Jeff Coffin shined on several solos, including "Grey Street" and "#41," but you can tell he's still learning a lot of the songs. Rashawn Ross was showing him how to play songs during breaks, and Jeff also played with notes on a stand in front of him. A musician of Jeff's caliber will definitely catch on quickly.

Other highlights of the show included a very heavy, rock version of "Eh Hee," a climactic "You Might Die Trying" and great horn work by Jeff and Rashawn on "Gravedigger." Classics included the "Seek Up" opener, "Satellite," "Jimi Thing," "Tripping Billies" and "Ants Marching."

DMB's next show is Monday in Atlanta.

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Dave Matthews Band plays 'Sledgehammer'

Dave Matthews Band covered "Sledgehammer," Peter Gabriel's 1986 classic, during the June 28 concert in Bristow, Va.

DMB had been rehearsing "Sledgehammer" in pre-show soundchecks for a while, increasing fans' expectations each time. Here's video of the live performance:



The Richmond Times-Dispatch gave the concert a glowing review and even called "Sledgehammer" the highlight of the night.

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Dave Matthews Band revives 'Water/Wine Jam'

Dave Matthews band played the "Water/Wine Jam" outro to "Recently" last night in St. Louis for the first time in nearly 12 years.

DMB last played "Water/Wine Jam" on Oct. 24, 1996. Last night's setlist also featured "Recently" and "Pay For What You Get," two songs last played in 2006. For the first time this tour, the band did not debut a new cover song.

The concert was the first ever at the new Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a positive review of the show as well as a behind-the-scenes article. And the Riverfront Times features a DMB concert photo slideshow.

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Dave Matthews Band plays Rolling Stones' 'Bitch'

Dave Matthews Band continued its streak of performing a new cover song at every concert last night, playing "Bitch" by the Rolling Stones.

"Bitch" was the final song of the night in Camden, N.J. The concert also featured the tour debuts of "What You Are," which was only played once last year, and "Crush." In addition, DMB debuted a new intro to "Ants Marching" that starts off with just Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds playing before the rest of the band joins in.

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Dave Matthews Band covers Neil Young

Dave Matthews Band played Neil Young's "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" last night, continuing a run of surprising setlists so far on the summer 2008 tour.

"Hey Hey, My My" was the first song of the encore during the show in Camden, N.J. DMB has never played the song before, although Dave Matthews did play it solo at a Neil Young tribute concert in 2001.

DMB has previously covered Young's "Cortez the Killer" and "Down by the River." The band has even performed "Rockin' in the Free World" with Neil and Peggy Young. Dave, Eddie Vedder and members of the Dave Matthews and Friends band also covered "Rockin' in the Free World" once, as has Stefan Lessard's side project, Yukon Kornelius.

Last night's DMB show received a positive review on Delaware Online. Here's a video of DMB playing "Hey Hey, My My":



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Dave Matthews Band kicks off tour with surprises

The Dave Matthews Band 2008 summer tour began this weekend with two very unexpected setlists.

The May 30 and May 31 concerts in Burgettstown, Pa. featured several cover songs DMB has never played before, including "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" by Sly and the Family Stone, "Money" by Pink Floyd and the classic "Money (That's What I Want)." For the first time ever, DMB also played "Gravedigger" and "So Damn Lucky," two songs from Dave Matthews' solo album, Some Devil.

There are two likely reasons for the creative setlists: the presence of Tim Reynolds and the absence of Butch Taylor. Tim played guitar on Some Devil and on the Dave Matthews and Friends tour, where the band regularly played "Thank You." And with Butch gone, some of the songs DMB typically plays in concert may need some reworking.

In the meantime, fans are getting some of the most unpredictable sets in years. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the tour goes.

As Dave and Boyd Tinsley both hinted at before the tour started, DMB did not play any songs from this spring's studio sessions, although the band did play "#27" and "Cornbread," two songs that debuted last year and will likely be on the next DMB album.

Friday's tour opener received rave reviews from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Rolling Stone.

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Dave and Tim play concert at Microsoft conference

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds played a private concert for attendees of the Microsoft advance08 conference in Seattle on May 20.

The complete setlist is unknown, but Dave and Tim played "Where Are You Going," "Lie in Our Graves," "Crash Into Me," "Ants Marching" and "All Along the Watchtower," according to DMBAlmanac.com. Tim also played an unknown solo.

Advance08 is Microsoft's annual advertising leadership forum.

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Yukon Kornelius videos hit YouTube

Videos of last night's Yukon Kornelius concert in Killington, Vt. are appearing on YouTube this afternoon. Blog-Eyed Fish has the entire performance here, song by song. Enjoy!

"Yukon Kornelius Theme"



"(Don't Fear) The Reaper"



"Low Rider" --> "Word Up"



"Sympathy for the Devil"



"Psycho Killer"



"Careless Whisper"



"White Room"



"Center of Attention"



"Pinch Me"



"Lost in the Supermarket"



"Superman"



Bass solo



"Rockin' in the Free World"



"We're Not Gonna Take It"



"Highway to Hell"



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Yukon Kornelius debuts in Vermont

Yukon Kornelius -- the band made up of Dave Matthews Band's Stefan Lessard, Guster's Adam Gardner and Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson -- played its first concert last night at the Pickle Barrel Nightclub in Killington, Vt.

Here's the setlist:

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (Blue Oyster Cult) *
"Low Rider" (War) * -->
"Word Up" (Cameo)
"Sympathy for the Devil" (Rolling Stones)
"Psycho Killer" (Talking Heads)
"Careless Whisper" (George Michael)
"White Room" (Cream)
"Center of Attention" (Guster)
"Pinch Me" (Barenaked Ladies)
"Lost In The Supermarket" (The Clash)
"Superman" (The Clique)
Bass solo
"Rockin' in the Free World" (Neil Young) -->
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (reprise)
"We're Not Gonna Take It" (Twisted Sister) **
---------------------------
"Highway to Hell" (AC/DC) ***

* with Jason Biggs on cowbell
** with Jason Biggs on cowbell and Dee Snider on vocals
*** with Dee Snider on vocals

Eric Fawcett of N.E.R.D. also played on every song, although he is considered a "special guest." Biggs, an actor most famous for the "American Pie" movies, and the members of Yukon Kornelius are filming a snowboarding movie, and the Pickle Barrel is at Okemo Mountain Resort. It's unclear how they got matched up with Snider, the lead singer of Twisted Sister.

It's interesting that Yukon Kornelius played a song each by Guster and Barenaked Ladies, but not Dave Matthews Band. Although the band did play two songs that DMB has covered: "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Rockin' in the Free World."

Photo credit: Mary Lepke

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Dave Matthews Band concert Webcast tonight

Dave Matthews Band's concerts tonight and tomorrow at the U.S. Military Academy will be broadcast live online in the AT&T Blue Room.

The shows begin at 7 p.m. Eastern with Robert Randolph and The Family Band, followed by Dave Matthews Band sometime between 8 and 8:30 p.m. Army won the two concerts through the World's Loudest Pep Rally, an AT&T contest to see which college's students could submit the most "invitations" to DMB.

The Times-Herald Record in Middletown, N.Y. has a short interview with Boyd Tinsley today, where he says he'll push for the band to play "American Baby" for the cadets. Dave Matthews Band hasn't played that song all year.

DMB played a warm-up for the two Army shows last night at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J. Highlights of that concert included "#41" with Soulive's Eric Krasno, "Louisiana Bayou" with Robert Randolph and the new song "'Round and 'Round."

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Gregg Allman plays with Dave Matthews Band

Gregg Allman sat in with Dave Matthews Band during tonight's concert at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, playing the Allman Bros. Band classic, "Melissa."

The show is still going on, but DMB has also played "Happy Birthday" for saxophonist LeRoi Moore. And Warren Haynes, the Allman Bros. Band guitarist and frequent DMB guest, sat in on "What Would You Say."

The Allmans were tonight's opening act, and the concert is a benefit for Piedmont Park.

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Dave Matthews plays at Kenny Chesney concert

Dave Matthews showed up on stage at Kenny Chesney's concert in Atlanta last night, according to nancies.org.

Details are still coming in, but apparently Dave played "Where Are You Going" and then joined Chesney on a duet cover of "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band. Dave was in Atlanta for tonight's big Dave Matthews Band benefit show at Piedmont Park with the Allman Bros. Band.

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Dave Matthews meets Virginia Tech victims

Dave Matthews Band headlined A Concert for Virginia Tech on Thursday night, helping about 50,000 members of the Virginia Tech community heal after April's campus massacre.

Highlights of DMB's set included a cover of Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" and John Mayer's appearance playing guitar on "#41." DMB also flew in The Roots' horn section to sit in for most of the show. And during Mayer's set, LeRoi Moore came out and played saxophone on "Gravity."

Nas and Phil Vassar also performed at the free show. The Roanoke Times has a great photo gallery, which includes pictures of Dave Matthews meeting Virginia Tech shooting victims before the concert. The Richmond Times-Dispatch has a positive review, featuring interviews with students talking about how the concert helped the school. But the review by Planet Blacksburg, a student-run media organization, is full of inaccuracies.

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Dave Matthews Band debuts another new song

Dave Matthews Band played a new song, "A Dream So Real," for the first time during last night's show at Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy, Wisc.

The concert is getting great reviews from fans, mostly because the horn section from The Roots sat in for nearly half the show. Kirk Douglas, The Roots' guitar player, joined in on "Jimi Thing" and "Eh Hee," which also featured a freestyle rap intro by MC Black Thought.

Another highlight of the show was the opening song: "The Dreaming Tree," a rarity that DMB had not played in nearly a year.

"A Dream So Real" is the fifth new song DMB has played this year, along with "Falling Off The Roof," "#27," "Cornbread" and "Eh Hee." DMB also tried out another new song, "Run While We Can," during a March sound check.

Here's a video of last night's performance of "A Dream So Real":



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Dave Matthews Band revives "Sweet Up and Down"

Dave Matthews Band played "Sweet Up and Down" for the first time in seven years at last night's show in Camden, N.J.

DMB had only played "Sweet Up and Down" 14 times, all during the 2000 summer tour, before last night. Dave Matthews and Friends played it six times during their 2003-2004 tour. Last month, when Stefan Lessard asked fans on his Web site what lost song they most wanted to hear this tour, "Sweet Up and Down" got the second-highest number of votes.

"Sweet Up and Down" appeared on the Lillywhite Sessions, a leaked 2000 album that DMB scrapped in favor of 2001's Everyday.

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Dave Matthews Band covers Doobie Brothers

Dave Matthews Band shook the rust off and played a high-energy, jammed-out set last night in Mansfield, Mass.

The best part of the show came during "Grace Is Gone," where DMB segued into a giant sing-along of "Black Water" by the Doobie Brothers and then back into "Grace Is Gone." The only repeats from Wednesday night's show were the new songs "#27" and "Corn Bread," but "Corn Bread" was different. Dave Matthews played it solo the first night but was joined by Carter Beauford and Butch Taylor last night. Carter's drumming really added a lot to the song and showed its full-band potential.

Other highlights included the "Seek Up" opener and "Lie In Our Graves." DMB's next show is tomorrow in Hartford, Conn.

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Dave Matthews Band kicks off summer tour

Dave Matthews Band's summer tour started last night with a solid but not spectacular show in Mansfield, Mass.

DMB didn't bring back any long-dormant songs, as some fans had expected, but did play "#27," a song that Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds debuted last weekend. That bluesy rocker was one of the show's highlights, along with an energetic "Don't Drink the Water" featuring Xavier Rudd and Dave's solo performance of "Cornbread," another new song.

The Boston Herald has a positive review of the show, while The Providence Journal has a pretty nondescript recap. The tour continues tonight with another show in Mansfield before DMB moves on to Hartford, Conn. for the weekend.

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Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds debut new song

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds played a new song at their East Hampton, N.Y. show last night. Dave called the song "#27" (download), but that is likely a temporary name that has nothing to do with his former practice of numbering every song he wrote (which gave us "#34," "#36," "#40" and "#41").

Dave also said that the song is a new Dave Matthews Band tune, according to fans in attendance. DMB's summer tour kicks off Wednesday in Mansfield, Mass.

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Dave Matthews Band debuts new song

Dave Matthews Band played a new song at last night's show in Bridgeview, Ill. It's called "Falling Off the Roof," and according to these lyrics, it's about someone contemplating suicide in the aftermath of a car accident. Only Dave Matthews and Carter Beauford played on the song.

Here's video of the performance:



The other major news from last night's show is that DMB played "Shotgun" during the pre-show soundcheck. "Shotgun" is a popular song from 2006 that fans feared would disappear this year.

DMB's summer tour kicks off Aug. 1 in Mansfield, Mass.