Last night, Dave Matthews Band returned to New York’s Madison Square Garden, marking just over 30 years since their debut appearance at the World’s Most Famous Arena. The group loaded their setlist with surprises, beginning with the first show-opening performance of the Crash track “Drive In Drive Out” since December 21, 2002. During the night, they also pulled out the Under the Table and Dreaming numbers “Pay for What You Get” and “Rhyme & Reason” for the first time this tour, with longtime DMB crew member Joe Lawlor appearing on the latter tune. An old friend of the band who has worked with its members outside DMB, Lawlor has sat in with the ensemble numerous times over the years, often in their native Virginia, but last night marked the guitarist’s first onstage appearance at the Garden. Matthews also noted that they were playing MSG on a Thursday this run since Saturday was also booked by a wrestling match.
Throughout the past two summers, Dave Matthews Band has welcomed a mix of guest fiddlers, with Lukas Nelson associate Jake Renick Simpson sitting in numerous times between his myriad other commitments. Simpson has been on the road with DMB throughout their brief fall tour as well, joining them for a stretch of tunes each night, and yesterday the fiddler emerged for “Ants Marching,” “The Riff,” “Everyday,” “Lie in Our Graves” and “The Last Stop” at the end of their set. Despite being a signature element of their early sound, Dave Matthews Band has not had a permeant fiddler since Boyd Tinsley left in 2018.
Simpson also returned at the top of Matthews’ encore for “Sister,” an unreleased original that has not been played yet this fall. DMB then closed the night with another classic-era favorite, “The Stone.”
Dave Matthews Band will close their 2026 touring commitments at the Garden this evening.
