Most Disappointing Guest

[crounsa810]

Title kinda says it all. Who has sat in with the band and disappointed you either because they didn't add anything/didn't live up to how you thought they'd be guesting/they played on a bad song/were Danny Barnes? Doesn't necessarily need to be from a show you've seen either.

It pains me to say I was disappointed by Gary Clark Jr. His sit ins on Can't Stop and Watchtower kinda meander along and he doesn't show off his chops nearly as well as I would've hoped to see with the band. Mike McCready was pretty disappointing in 2013 too. Not sure if the tapes really do it justice but it didn't really sound like he contributed much.

Stanley Jordan came out at my Scranton 2012 show and while I was excited at first considering how he elevated great songs that year, him showing up on Can't Stop and leaving the stage right after was a pretty big bummer.

[Titotimmy]

The Edge from U2 on Smooth Rider was god awful. The solo didn’t go anywhere and was pretty elementary. Doesn’t help that Smooth Rider sucks too.

Pains me to say it cause U2 was my first favorite band and they’re some great songwriters but they don’t do much in the way of improvisation and it showed.

[Tomacco]

Danny Barnes 3x on the same two songs every night at the Gorge comes to mind immediately.

[MarvinBerry]

Originally Posted by Titotimmy

The Edge from U2 on Smooth Rider was god awful. The solo didn’t go anywhere and was pretty elementary. Doesn’t help that Smooth Rider sucks too.

Pains me to say it cause U2 was my first favorite band and they’re some great songwriters but they don’t do much in the way of improvisation and it showed.

I forgot this happened... a legend like Edge guests on Smooth Rider

[Tomacco]

Black Eyed Peas on Jimi comes to mind too.
I thought Mike Doughty on Jimi at MSG 05 also stunk.

[TwoStep2888]

I breathed a sigh of relief when the Danny Barnes era came to an end

[Titotimmy]

Originally Posted by MarvinBerry

I forgot this happened... a legend like Edge guests on Smooth Rider

In his defense Smooth Rider isn’t a great improv jam song, but I really have a tough time envisioning a situation where Edge absolutely rips a DMB song

[adamreichle22]

Toots.78

[coldengrey12]

I saw Alanis guest at my first show. She sang barely audible backup on DDTW and did not do her verse on Spoon. It is the only time she has appeared as a guest. Big WTF.

[alec]

Originally Posted by crounsa810

Title kinda says it all. Who has sat in with the band and disappointed you either because they didn't add anything/didn't live up to how you thought they'd be guesting/they played on a bad song/were Danny Barnes? Doesn't necessarily need to be from a show you've seen either.

It pains me to say I was disappointed by Gary Clark Jr. His sit ins on Can't Stop and Watchtower kinda meander along and he doesn't show off his chops nearly as well as I would've hoped to see with the band. Mike McCready was pretty disappointing in 2013 too. Not sure if the tapes really do it justice but it didn't really sound like he contributed much.

Stanley Jordan came out at my Scranton 2012 show and while I was excited at first considering how he elevated great songs that year, him showing up on Can't Stop and leaving the stage right after was a pretty big bummer.

I was at the show that Mike McCready guested on and had very good seats. His contribution was ok…not bad but not stellar. I remember there being issues with feedback as well. Gary Clark Jr also sat in on Watchtower at that show. I have heard Gary play great on some guest spots and in his own shows, but that night on Watchtower it took a very long time to get going during his solo. It kind of killed the momentum. Overall though, that show was really good. The band was on fire that night.

[alec]

Also - Robert Randolph taking over the show N2 at the Gorge this year

[btpeters]

Futureman from the Flecktones on Everyday - Louisville 2012 (Fall tour)

Dude literally, just came out wandering around the stage, joking around with the band like he was surprising them or something, dicked around with some of Carter’s kit for a second and wah-lah he gets the “*Futureman (Drums and Percussion)”

[btpeters]

Feel bad for everybody that saw Danny Barnes guest post 2008. I rather enjoyed his guesting at the Hollywood Bowl in 2007. Granted Stone, Satellite, Bartender, Don’t Drink, Eh Hee, Die Trying and Lie In Our Graves make a much bigger difference than nothing but seeing his songs plus, Spaceman of Cornbread…i get it.

His spot on Warehouse at Deer Creek in 2010 was awesome though.

[Speilmen230]

Originally Posted by Tomacco

Danny Barnes 3x on the same two songs every night at the Gorge comes to mind immediately.

Came in here to say Danny.

[crounsa810]

Originally Posted by Titotimmy

In his defense Smooth Rider isn’t a great improv jam song, but I really have a tough time envisioning a situation where Edge absolutely rips a DMB song

Warren Haynes would seem to disagree

[K270]

Fergie and apl.de.ap on Jimi Thing 2009 Outside Lands.

[dmbongreyst]

Originally Posted by btpeters

Futureman from the Flecktones on Everyday - Louisville 2012 (Fall tour)

Dude literally, just came out wandering around the stage, joking around with the band like he was surprising them or something, dicked around with some of Carter’s kit for a second and wah-lah he gets the “*Futureman (Drums and Percussion)”

I have absolutely no recollection of that and had to check the show notes to confirm. I guess that explains why.

I’d still go with the choice I had in mind that also was in Louisville, Willie Nelson on Gravedigger in 08. I’ll admit I’m not a fan of his and thought his contribution was awful.

[Hilltopper11]

Originally Posted by dmbongreyst

I have absolutely no recollection of that and had to check the show notes to confirm. I guess that explains why.

I’d still go with the choice I had in mind that also was in Louisville, Willie Nelson on Gravedigger in 08. I’ll admit I’m not a fan of his and thought his contribution was awful.

Memory lane! Slugger field was my first DMB show, agree that Willie was out of it. YUM center in 2012 was by far the lowest energy show I have ever been too, weeknight/winter shows are tough though.

[Bearclaw_]

Man, this is bringing me down memory lane.

As K270 said above, I recall the show with fergie was HATED on. Jimi thing. I’d have to listen again but I recall it just being atrocious.

And maybe a hot take but LT2 with Santana on Warehouse or Sugar will.

I forget which song exactly and It wasn’t bad by any means but it never really evolved. I remember always feeling flat after his parts.

[kelchlsm]

Fergie just randomly started singin Santeria, its terrible

[arizza11]

G. Love on Smooth Rider in 06 at Starlake, blahhhhhhh

[willndmb]

Originally Posted by adamreichle22

Toots.78

Originally Posted by Tomacco

Black Eyed Peas on Jimi comes to mind too.
I thought Mike Doughty on Jimi at MSG 05 also stunk.

Originally Posted by Tomacco

Danny Barnes 3x on the same two songs every night at the Gorge comes to mind immediately.

Enough said

[GraceBuckley]

Originally Posted by crounsa810

Title kinda says it all. Who has sat in with the band and disappointed you either because they didn't add anything/didn't live up to how you thought they'd be guesting/they played on a bad song/were Danny Barnes? Doesn't necessarily need to be from a show you've seen either.

It pains me to say I was disappointed by Gary Clark Jr. His sit ins on Can't Stop and Watchtower kinda meander along and he doesn't show off his chops nearly as well as I would've hoped to see with the band. Mike McCready was pretty disappointing in 2013 too. Not sure if the tapes really do it justice but it didn't really sound like he contributed much.

Stanley Jordan came out at my Scranton 2012 show and while I was excited at first considering how he elevated great songs that year, him showing up on Can't Stop and leaving the stage right after was a pretty big bummer.

I can't at all speak to these specific guest appearances, but one thing I've noticed about a lot of artists I truly find mind-blowing as both artists and humans is, when they are guesting with someone else, yes they want to add something to what the band is doing and play off of them, create music that feels great... but they also do NOT want to "show off" or be so "stand out" that it's distracting from the band, so they almost play it down, almost mute themselves a bit.

I've noticed that from a few artists as guests with other people, like it seems teh balance to find is really adding your flavor or your artistic stamp but in a way that lifts the whole song up, not that just makes you look like the biggest rockstar or best ____________ on stage at the time.

No idea if that plays into the guests being named here or not, but I think of Mike McCready and as a major PJ fan, clearly he COULD blow it all away, but I"m not surprised he didn't. Haven't seen his appearance but I could totally understand him playing it down a bit.

[too69short]

Not a singular guest but an advertisement of special guest was for the listener supported show.
Drove from Michigan overnight to see the show, speculated the whole way and even during the show who might show up.

Turned out "with special guests" were Butch Taylor and the Lovely Ladies, that hurt.

[Drock414]

Black eyed peas were the WORST guests ever.

[SeanMH]

Originally Posted by arizza11

G. Love on Smooth Rider in 06 at Starlake, blahhhhhhh

I disagree. I was there and enjoyed that,


Vusi Malasalaai or whatever is horrible IMO

[Cobo]

The black eyed peas guest spot hurts so bad that I’ll refuse to watch it ever again.

[Roose13]

Originally Posted by Tomacco

Black Eyed Peas on Jimi comes to mind too.

LOL one of the most atrocious things this band has ever done, and that includes dumping shit in the Chicago River.

[Hahninator]

There is no doubt Black Eyed Peas and the Danny Barnes stuff are the worst of all time.

For me personally that I've seen, I hate to say this since he has passed and I do like him a lot (RIP), but Kofi Burbridge both times I saw him guest. These shows were Duluth 2012 and Atlanta 2015. He flat out missed his queue on Jimi Thing in 2012, and was not enjoyable to me on Mercy in 2015. Too bad we don't have a tape of that ATL 2015 show, though.

Originally Posted by btpeters

Futureman from the Flecktones on Everyday - Louisville 2012 (Fall tour)

Dude literally, just came out wandering around the stage, joking around with the band like he was surprising them or something, dicked around with some of Carter’s kit for a second and wah-lah he gets the “*Futureman (Drums and Percussion)”

Weird story - we ran into him outside of Bridgestone Arena in 2019 before DMB. Didn't even think to ask if he'd be guesting, I just assumed he would be. I mean if he's there, why not? He never guested lol

[TimHonks]

At a show I've been at - Stanley Jordan. Not because it was terrible, it was just a big boring nothingburger. I had heard good things but a guest typically adds energy and something new and I felt like nothing was added at all.

Watching, Stevie Wonder @ the Charlottesville thing. Should have been a cool moment, but it sucked.