Dave Matthews Band kicked off a brief fall tour at Madison, WI’s Kohl Center last night, marking their first appearance in the college town in almost 21 years. The show took place right after Election Day, which Matthews seemingly acknowledged by opening with back-to-back versions of “American Baby” and “Don't Drink the Water,” the latter of which included an interpolation of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” Later in the show, Matthews addressed current events more directly at the start of the night’s encore, saying, “In my opinion, you know, it was time for a change. But now we’ve got to get to work, you know, because we’ve got to take care of each other—we’ve got to take care of our brothers and sisters in the world. Every time you say we should take care of all the good people in the world somebody says but first we got to get rid of all the monsters.” He then launched into “Peace on Earth,” an original he debuted last year that has quickly grown into a politically charged solo vehicle.
The evening contained a number of surprises as well. Partway through the show, DMB busted out “The Riff,” a track from 2012’s Away from the World co-written by Matthews and trumpeter Rashawn Ross, for the first time since November 18, 2022. In addition, fiddler Jake Renick Simpson, known for his work with Lukas Nelson, emerged for a string of selections near the end of the night, including “Everyday,” “Lie in Our Graves,” the previously mentioned “The Riff,” “#41,” a segue from “Pantala Naga Pampa” into “Rapunzel” and the set-closing “What Would You Say.” After Matthews performed “Peace on Earth” solo, he also returned with the rest of the band for the night’s finale, “Ants Marching.”
Simpson is one of several guest fiddlers who have joined Dave Matthews Band during their 2026 run. He first shared the stage with Matthews on August 1, 2025, and has become a regular fixture, playing with the singer/guitarist 18 additional times, including last night.
DMB’s tour will continue at Nashville, TN’s Bridgestone Arena tomorrow.
