Dave Matthews Band Review: Nashville 2026

Surprise guests Stephen Wilson Jr, Emmylou Harris, and Roy Agee joined Dave Matthews to play a full house at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Friday night. This was a very high energy show from start to finish. Concertgoers were singing along to every word, dancing, and locked in all night. The Grammy winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famers found their pocket in “Grux”, the opener, and kept it all the way to the closer, “Trippin Billies”.

The guests were all such special treats in their own ways. Stephen Wilson Jr joined as the first guest for “Time Bomb”. He just got off of a plane from his gig only hours before in Norway! He brought a very unique, but fitting voice, that sat perfectly with the seasoned band. Next Emmylou Harris took the stage to sing “Oh, Sister” along with Jake Renick Simpson who remained on stage for the rest of the night adding some amazing violin lines. She has such a great chemistry next to Dave, and the excitement in the room was tangible when we watched her walk up to the microphone.

The next guest was Nashville based Trombonist Roy Agee, a former member of Prince’s band. He played on “Crush” and probably inspired a whole new wave of people to pick up the trombone after what he did on that stage. It was amazing to see when he got into it, and was a beautiful part of the night. Jake Renick Simpson, the Violinist who has been very happily accepted into the DMB live scene, joined Dave in singing a duet titled, “Papertown”. This was a wonderful version of the emotional song about a 115 year old paper mill in Canton, North Carolina being shut down causing the economical collapse of the nearby community. Dave Matthews was the executive producer of a documentary about the event also titled “Papertown”.

The longtime Dave Matthews Band members all brought their special energy with them tonight. Tim Reynolds played some amazing lead lines throughout the show. His creative and unpredictable style is always so much fun and engaging to watch and he did not disappoint tonight. Jeff Coffin is always a pleasure to watch and always has amazing phrasing no matter which wind instrument he picks up, which there is no shortage of on stage with him! He adds such a nice dynamic to the band that is a very important to the overall sound in my opinion. I have always loved what he brings to the band, but I had my mind blown last winter when I caught him in Athens with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones and they played “Twelve Days of Christmas” in twelve keys and twelve time signatures. Jeff is a superhuman musician and an absolute inspiration.

Rashawn Ross is as sturdy as a rock. He sang background vocals and played trumpet, also adding a dynamic that contributes so much to the overall sound of the band. He is an absolute gem of a musician. Buddy Strong held down the keys all night. He also just brings a great positive energy to the band that is appreciated by all. Carter Beuford, oh where can we start with him? He just celebrated his 68th birthday 4 days before the Nashville performance and I am convinced he can outplay any drummer in their 20s. I would say that he is a human metronome, but that would be an understatement. He defines the pocket and he makes it look effortless while doing so. He is so much fun to watch because he genuinely looks like he is having a great time up there. I know he is the reason so many kids picked up the drumsticks and will continue to for years to come. Stefan Lessard is yet another inspiration on that stage. He finds a groove on the bass and absolutely locks into it. It is hard to stand still when he gets into it.

In closing, the Dave Matthews Band puts on a live show that I believe everyone should experience at least once. But I have a feeling if you do, you will be back for more. I caught up with two fans that made the trek from Atlanta, Nina, who has now been to 107 shows, and Barb who has now been to 146 shows. They told me about another in attendance, Josh, who has just hit his 600th show. These tours really do turn into a community where people make friends for life and count down the days until they can sing and dance along with their favorite stories.