Star Lake Rocks: DMB’s Epic Night of Jams and New Fiddle

The crowd gathered at the Pavilion at Star Lake on a cool Friday night for a night of music that lasted about two and a half hours. The group played a long set of twenty‑one songs, mixing familiar hits with deeper tracks. Fans got a taste of the band’s wide‑ranging catalog, and the energy in the arena stayed high from start to finish.

The lineup featured many of the band’s biggest singles. Listeners sang along to the gentle ballad "Where Are You Going," the upbeat acoustic "So Much To Say," and the emotionally charged "Crash Into Me." Guitar solos shone in "Shake Me Like a Monkey" and "#41," while trumpet player Rashawn Ross added bright notes. Saxophonist Jeff Coffin and Ross traded spots during the jam "Typical Situation." The stage also held a new fiddle player, Jake Simpson, who joined for "Lie in Our Graves" and later helped turn "Warehouse" into a Latin‑flavored showcase.

The frontman, Dave Matthews, has a reputation for speaking out on politics during shows. Recent performances have included comments against former President Trump and support for Palestine. Matthews was born in South Africa and first gained fame with the 1994 album "Under the Table and Dreaming." That record sold six times platinum, and the band has racked up nine Billboard Hot 100 hits, 25 million tickets sold, and a Grammy win from 14 nominations.

The encore brought back Simpson for "Papertown," a tune inspired by a documentary about a North Carolina town that once lived off a paper mill. The song blends country and folk vibes, and Matthews’ voice sounded raw over sparse guitar and fiddle. The night wrapped up with a final track that left the audience cheering, capping off a memorable show at Star Lake.