Following the death of Jimmy Buffett on Friday, Dave Matthews paid tribute to the “Margaritaville” singer first with a heartfelt note posted to his website and social media, and then by opening his show at The Gorge Amphitheatre with the debut of Buffett’s “A Pirate Looks at 40”. Later in the show, he also acknowledged the passing of Trey Anastasio Band saxophonist James Casey, who recorded with Dave Matthews Band.
Although Saturday marked the DMB debut of “A Pirate Looks at 40”, Matthews previously played the song with Buffett himself at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2017, as well as with Jack Johnson at Johnson’s Kokua Festival in 2008. Before the show, Matthews shared his thoughts on Buffett and his passing:
“Whether planned or coincidence, every time I ran into Jimmy it was like seeing an old friend,” Matthews wrote. “He was brilliant and a genuinely good and generous man. We didn’t know each other that well. We weren’t old friends, but that’s how I felt around him. He is loved by so many because that’s how he made us all feel. It would be nice to run into him again.”
He expressed a similar sentiment earlier in the week in a note titled “A Tribute To James Casey,” writing, “It seems there’s never enough time with the very best people. I wish we had more time with James. Such a bright and brilliant light.”
Related: “A Bright And Brilliant Light”: Music Community Remembers James Casey [Photos/Videos]
Saturday’s show, which was the second night of DMB’s annual Labor Day run at The Gorge, also included a nod to the late Robbie Robertson with a cover of The Band‘s “The Weight” and ended with the live debut of “Just Breathe” by local Washington natives Pearl Jam. Before starting the song, Matthews, himself a longtime Seattle resident, apologized to the audience the evening’s unusually heavy tone.
“I suppose for a lot of us, it’s been a funny week,” he told the crowd. “A lot of my good friends have breathed their last, so I hope tonight wasn’t too much blue, but that’s just the way I feel.” He then introduced the song saying, “I’ve never played this, but I heard it today and I thought it was a pretty song.”
Dave Matthews Band concludes its summer tour tonight at The Gorge. The group will return to the road in the fall, starting November 7 in Savannah, GA, before heading to South Africa for the band’s first shows in Matthews’ birth country in ten years. For more information on the band’s upcoming tour, head here, and to purchase tickets, visit the band’s website.
Dave Matthews Band – “A Pirate Looks At 40” (Jimmy Buffett) – 9/2/23
[Video: Ansley .Snapp]
Dave Matthews Band – “The Weight” (The Band) – 9/2/23
[Video: Mitch Wight]
Dave Matthews Band – “Just Breathe” (Pearl Jam) – 9/2/23
[Video: Mitch Wight]
Dave Matthews Band – The Gorge Amphitheatre – George, WA – 9/2/23 [Full Show]
[Video: Jordan Norris]
Setlist: Dave Matthews Band | The Gorge Amphitheatre | George, WA | 9/2/23
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 (with Joe Lawlor), The Weight (The Band), You Might Die Trying, Gravedigger (Dave Matthews song), Louisiana Bayou, Jimi Thing, Brick House (Commodores), Busted Stuff, Spaceman, Granny, Pantala Naga Pampa, Rapunzel
Encore: Just Breathe (Pearl Jam) (Live debut), Two Step (Snippet Time Bomb)
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