While in Chicago to perform at the Old Town School of Folk Music with
Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet, Bela Fleck stopped
by Bridgeview, IL’s Toyota Park to make a surprise appearance with
Dave Matthews Band on Friday night. Fleck, an old friend of the group,
took the stage with the septet partway through its set to play
banjo on an extended version of ‘#41’ that featured an interpolation of
his own ‘Sojourn of Arjuna,’ as well as ‘Don’t Drink the Water’ and
‘Cornbread.’ At the end of the night, he also returned for a
set-closing version of ‘Ants Marching.’ With longtime associate Tim
Reynolds back in the fray, Dave Matthews Band continued to bust out
some older tunes over the weekend, including a cover of ‘Long Black
Veil’ on Friday and ‘Pay For What You Get,’ ‘Recently’ and the
‘Water/Wine Jam’ Saturday at St. Louis, MO’s Busch Stadium, the latter
of which has not been played since 1996. Dave Matthews Band will
appear at Clarkston, MI’s DTE Energy Music Theatre this evening, while
Fleck will play Bonnaroo this Saturday.