\n<\/figure>\n
Under the towering presence of Lone Mountain, the summer nights of the Wildlands Music Festival<\/strong> on August\u202f1 and 2, 2025<\/span>, delivered a rare and intimate musical experience with Dave Matthews<\/strong> at the helm \u2013 marking his first public show in Montana in over 30 years.<\/p>\n Friday evening opened with Molly Tuttle<\/strong> and her touring band, who set the tone with crisp Americana and roots-rock melodies. Tuttle, the exceptionally gifted guitarist and Grammy-winning flat-picker, known for her dexterity and warm vocal timbre, opened Friday\u2019s concert with a set that immediately fused technical bluegrass brilliance with rock-inflected storytelling. \u201cCrooked Tree\u201d and \u201cEl Dorado\u201d highlighted her uncanny ability to marry progressive string work with accessible, emotionally resonant melodies. Her scorching rendition of Jefferson Airplane\u2019s \u201cWhite Rabbit\u201d earned one of the evening\u2019s first full-arena standing ovations. Her 45-minute set never lost momentum, even as she transitioned into more introspective material like \u201cSan Joaquin\u201d and \u201cWhere Did All the Wild Things Go?\u201d \u2013 songs that echoed the festival\u2019s overarching theme of environmental reverence.<\/p>\n By the time Saturday rolled around, word had spread about the power of her Friday performance, and anticipation for her second set was palpable. Tuttle more than delivered. Backed by her two accomplished bandmates, guitarist\/mandolinist Mary Meyer and bassist Vanessa McGowan, the acoustic trio ignited the early evening with a chemistry and command that felt both intimate and expansive. Their set became the spark that lit what would become a roaring musical fire in the mountains.<\/p>\n Lukas Nelson & The Shadow Band<\/b><\/span> followed, their soulful performance stoking the fire Molly Tuttle had started and warming the Big Sky Events Arena with ease and conviction. Nelson\u2019s set felt both wide open and deeply personal \u2013 anchored in heartland storytelling and elevated by raw, unfiltered musicianship. Backed by his newly-named Shadow Band<\/b><\/span>, he blended cowboy poetry with soul-baring ballads and freewheeling guitar jams that nodded to his father\u2019s legacy without leaning on it. \u201cForget About Georgia\u201d carried a cinematic ache, while \u201cFind Yourself\u201d unfolded into a rousing, full-throated singalong that swept through the crowd.<\/p>\n A returning presence each year at Wildlands and a devoted Montana lover, Nelson also debuted \u201cMontana<\/span>,\u201d a track from his upcoming album American Romance<\/i>. Written in Big Sky at a friend\u2019s home, the song landed perfectly with the sold-out audience \u2013 its lyrical warmth and lived-in authenticity striking a chord that felt as rooted as the pines behind the stage.<\/p>\n The Shadow Band played with that rare mix of tight precision and instinctive looseness that only years on the road can deliver \u2013 each player bringing warmth, grit, and emotional punch. By the end of both their Friday and Saturday sets, the slow burn they\u2019d tended had erupted into a full-on barn burner, leaving the mountain air buzzing long after the final notes faded.<\/p>\n Beginning around 9\u202fPM, Dave Matthews delivered a stripped-down solo set built around \u201cBartender,\u201d \u201cStay or Leave,\u201d and \u201cWalk Around the Moon.\u201d Molly Tuttle made a surprise arrival as she joined Matthews on stage for some heartfelt covers: Dylan\u2019s \u201cOh, Sister\u201d and her own \u201cYosemite,\u201d the latter featuring Mary Meyer and Vanessa McGowen. The evening crescendoed with a collaborative cascade of \u201cJust Breathe,\u201d \u201cSave Me,\u201d and the climactic \u201cAnts Marching,\u201d which united Matthews, Nelson, Tuttle, and their bands. The encore, solo \u201cGravedigger,\u201d left the crowd in awed silence.<\/p>\n Saturday brought heightened camaraderie and a brief confrontation. Matthews paused mid-\u201cPig\u201d after spotting a fight, halting the performance until the disruption was cleared. Once control was restored, the mood shifted back to unity and spirit.<\/p>\n The second night\u2019s setlist broadened in scope: Matthews solo on \u201cSinging From the Windows\u201d and \u201cCrash Into Me,\u201d then inviting Molly Tuttle and Lukas Nelson\u2019s ensemble for a set propelled by Prine\u2019s \u201cSpeed of the Sound of Loneliness,\u201d \u201cAngel From Montgomery,\u201d \u201cSpoon,\u201d and Lanois\u2019 \u201cThe Maker.\u201d A burning rendition of Neil Young\u2019s \u201cCortez the Killer\u201d featured Nelson and Tuttle in perfect synergy. The night closed on Matthews\u2019 solo encore of \u201cSome Devil\u201d \u2013 the emotional capstone to a weekend steeped in musical communion.<\/p>\n Friday and Saturday\u2019s performances served as a powerful reminder of Dave Matthews\u2019<\/span> songwriting depth, magnetic stage presence, and enduring vocal command. Performing for over two hours each night, Matthews held court with effortless charisma, telling stories and joking, captivating a crowd that had traveled from across the country, many of them longtime fans with hundreds of shows under their belts. The audience remained rapt throughout, responding to every quiet moment and explosive crescendo with reverent energy.\u00a0<\/p>\n In keeping with Wildlands\u2019 mission, the festival combined artistry with activism. This year\u2019s event raised approximately $1.3 million<\/span> to benefit American Rivers and the Center for Large Landscape Conservation \u2013 a striking leap from all the money raised in previous years. Contributions included matching generosity from Matthews\u2019 Bama Works Foundation.<\/p>\n These two nights in Big Sky weren\u2019t just concerts, they were understated masterpieces of collaboration, conservation, and the sheer wonder of seeing Matthews rediscover Montana at last.<\/p>\n WILDLANDS MUSIC FESTIVAL<\/strong>
\nWebsite<\/a> \u00a0Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.loudhailermagazine.com\/wp-content\/themes\/mh-magazine\/images\/mostadon-logo.png\"){kind=logo}