Dave Matthews Band opened up their 2018 touring schedule this past weekend, playing two shows in Texas and debuting new tracks from their upcoming album Come Tomorrow, set for release on June 8, along with welcoming new touring keyboardist Buddy Strong, who made quite an impression, especially during the debut of Come Tomorrow track “She,” which came on Saturday night in Dallas.

It’s always a bit of a hold-your-breath moment for fans when a veteran band debuts a new tune in a live setting. First of all, there’s the question if it will be good or not, then you add on the fact that it might not even translate well to an onstage performance no matter how good the studio version might be. I have not heard the studio version of “She,” but I think it’s safe to say that it translates well to the stage. The song features a strong main riff played by Matthews and Tim Reynolds during the verses, then breaks what seems to be a fairly catchy chorus, with Reynolds picking out a high-neck melody on his axe. It’s a rocker, and a good one at that.

The real treat of the song’s debut, though, was the outro, which saw Matthews concede the spotlight to his new bandmate Strong, who took the moment and ran with it, busting out an extended keyboard solo that showed off his funky chops. His thick, staccato lines and use of pitch bending had the whole band smiling, no more so than Strong himself, then the DMB horn section of Rashawn Ross and Jeff Coffin added in some of their own funky lines over the top for good measure.  

To get a good sense of the song and Strong’s solo, YouTube user ChesterCopperpot5 combined multiple videos from the debut performance and paired that with high-quality audio sound from a taper. The result is a must-see for any longtime DMB fan and maybe even those willing to give the band another chance.  Watch below. (h/t JamBase)