After having to perform in an “alternate format” at his annual Labor Day 3-day appearance, at the Gorge Amphitheater outside Seattle, Washington, upon learning his longtime rhythm section (bassist Stefan Lessard and drummer Carter Beauford) had to be sidelined after testing positive for COVID-19 (despite being vaccinated), Dave Matthews and his band of friends responded with epic aplomb.
Videos by American Songwriter
For one, the band called on legendary singer, Mavis Staples. Not bad! Here Mavis and Matthews sing, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” here:
DMB saxophonist, Jeff Coffin, posted a photo of Dave and Mavis on Instagram when the two met to chat: “Unreal” he wrote.
Matthews and company were also graced by the masterful table slide guitarist, Robert Randolph to play the Stevie Wonder hit, “Superstition”:
On Saturday (September 4), The Seattle Times reported that Matthews addressed the crowd on hand after learning the news about Lessard and Beauford, saying, “I hope you’ll bear with us tonight because due to COVID-19, Carter Beauford and Stefan Lessard are not able to be here. And so we are gonna do our best with our friends to make tonight a beautiful experience for all of you, and I only hope that it can be. But thank you, and I hope that you can understand.”
Seems like everyone understood just fine. Check out other songs from the weekend, including “Hey Bulldog” and “If You Want Me To Stay”:
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