As is tradition, the Dave Matthews Band made their annual shlep to The Gorge Amphitheatre in Gorge, Wash., for three days of music at the picturesque Pacific Northwest venue over Labor Day Weekend. The trio of shows started on Friday, Sept. 1, with the band’s frontman sitting in with opener Molly Tuttle on her City of Gold track, “Yosemite.” The studio recording of the tune featured Matthews, making the collaborative live performance all the more relevant. During sets that unfolded during the ensuing evenings, the band continued to dot their shows with special moments, guest sit-ins, and specialty tributes in honor of friends and recently deceased music industry luminaries. 

After joining the opener during her set, Matthews invited Golden Highway fiddler Bronwyn Keith-Hynes to the stage at the tail end of Friday night’s main frame. The musician added flair to a take on “Tripping Billies,” ahead of Tuttle’s ascent on “Spoon” and “Ants Marching,” which marked high points from Friday’s display. The high-powered finale beckoned the night’s encore, “Little Red Bird,” “Pig,” and fan favorite, “Crush.” The latter song featured the “Price Is Right Theme” produced by the horns section as a tribute to Bob Barker, the program’s host, who passed away on Aug. 26, 2023. 

To follow the special moment for a fallen entertainment industry member on Friday, DMB kept up the homages on Saturday, Sept. 2, beginning with a cover of “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” scribed by Jimmy Buffett, who just passed away the day prior, at age 76. The band continued by picking up a series of originals, then welcoming Joe Lawlor, their recording engineer, to join in on “Rhyme & Reason.” Another memorable moment occurred next, as Matthews and company covered “The Weight” as they remembered The Band’s Robbie Robertson, who died on Aug. 9, 2023. 

Another noteworthy moment from night two was DMB’s encore of the Pearl Jam original “Just Breathe.” Before starting the song, which was performed for the first time during the Sept. 2, 2023 show, Matthews talked about the loss of several friends. The song choice doubled as a locationally fitting number, considering the proximity to Seattle and the band’s connection to the Emerald City. 

The final day of music doubled as the summer tour finale. Sunday’s setlist was peppered with fan favorites, in addition to a special sit-in from Sierra Ferrell, who opened the show, and then helped out on a cover of Lefty Frizzell’s “Long Black Veil,” last played by DMB on Aug. 1, 2015. Then, as a  well-thought-out send-off, the band marked their summer conclusion with “Last Stop,” doubled as a bust out, before “Halloween” sent them into the night. 

Scroll down to view the setlists from this weekend’s shows at The Gorge. 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Relix (@relixmag)

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Dave Matthews Band (@davematthewsband)

Dave Matthews Band 

The Gorge Amphitheatre – Gorge, Wash.

September 1, 2023 

Set: American Baby Intro, Break Free, Minarets, Virginia in the Rain, Walk Around the Moon, It Could Happen, Lie in Our Graves, #27, So Damn Lucky, Seek Up, Monsters, Stay or Leave, Typical Situation, Tripping Billies+, Spoon+%, Ants Marching+%

Enc.: Little Red Bird, Pig, Crush 

Notes:

+ With Bronwyn Keith-Hynes 

% With Molly Tuttle 

Dave Matthews Band 

The Gorge Amphitheatre – Gorge, Wash.

September 2, 2023 

Set: A Pirate Looks at Forty (Jimmy Buffett), Big Eyed Fish, The Stone, Bartender, Help Myself, Madman’s Eyes+, Looking for a Vein, Joyride, Rhyme & Reason$, The Weight (The Band), You Might Die Trying, Gravedigger, Louisiana Bayou, Jimi Thing, Brick House (The Commodores), Busted Stuff, Spaceman, Granny, Pantala Naga Pampa, Rapunzel

Enc.: Just Breathe (Pearl Jam)^, Two Step 

Notes:

+ Teased on night one, Sept. 1  

$ With Joe Lawlor

^ Debut, first time played

Dave Matthews Band 

The Gorge Amphitheatre – Gorge, Wash.

September 3, 2023 

Set: Water into Wine (partial) > Dancing Nancies, Proudest Monkey, Warehouse, Sweet, All You Wanted Was Tomorrow, #41, Grey Street, Long Black Veil (Lefty Frizzell)+@, She, Grace Is Gone, Cornbread, The Ocean and the Butterfly, The Only Thing, Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel), Lover Lay Down, Don’t Drink The Water, Old Dirty Hill (Bring That Beat Back) > All Along The Watchtower 

Enc.: Something to Tell My Baby, The Last Stop, Halloween 

Notes: 

+With Sierra Ferrell 

@ Bust out, last played Aug. 1, 2015