After 26 years and thousands of shows, The New Mastersounds bid adieu on New Year’s Eve with the final shows of their Ta-ta For Now U.S. farewell tour at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver, CO.
The two-night stand kicked off on Tuesday, December 30th with support from Cool Cool Cool. For their headlining sets, The New Mastersounds played both as quartet and with a rotating cast of special guests, including a full horn section, percussion, and guest vocalist Lamar Williams Jr., who sat in with the band on their 2019 collaboration “Let’s Go Back”.
The band returned to Cervantes’ the following night to ring in the new year with help from The Nth Power and more special guests, including vocalists Michelle Sarah and Emily Clark. The first set was highlighted by an instrumental arrangement of the Grateful Dead‘s “Help on the Way”—played by the core quartet of Simon Allen, Eddie Roberts, Pete Shand, and Joe Tatton.
Later on, in the second set, The Nth Power’s Nikki Glaspie took over on drums while Simon Allen shifted over to keyboards to lead a cover of Paul Simon‘s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”, which also featured Michelle Sarah and Emily Clark on background vocals, plus the horns and percussion.
Check out videos of both covers along with other fan-shot highlights below, and scroll down to view the full setlist. Both shows are available to stream through January 4th via thenewmastersounds.live.
These were The New Mastersounds’ final U.S. headlining shows (“for now” at least), but fans have one more chance to catch the band on Jam Cruise 22 in February. After that, guitarist Eddie Roberts is set to debut his new supergroup organ trio, The Breaks, featuring Robert Walter and Stanton Moore at Cervantes’ Other Side, where they’ll open for George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners on Friday, February 27th and Saturday, the 28th.
The New Mastersounds – “Help On The Way” (Grateful Dead) – 12/31/25
[Video: Max Berde]
The New Mastersounds With Nikki Glaspie, Michelle Sarah, Emily Clark, More – “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” (Paul Simon) – 12/31/25
[Video: Max Berde]
The New Mastersounds – NYE Countdown, “Auld Lang Syne” – 12/31/25
[Video: Lazymoon Design]
The New Mastersounds – “One Note Brown”, “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” (Sly And The Family Stone) – 12/31/25
[Video: Lazymoon Design]
The New Mastersounds – “Miracles” – 12/30/25
[Video: Tom Yaley]
The New Mastersounds – “Could’ve Been So Good” – 12/30/25
[Video: Tom Yaley]
The New Mastersounds – “Tantalus” – 12/30/25
[Video: Tom Yaley]
The New Mastersounds – “Hey Fela” – 12/30/25
[Video: Lazymoon Design]
The New Mastersounds With Lama Williams Jr. – “Let’s Go Back” – 12/30/25
[Video: Lazymoon Design]
The New Mastersounds – “Give Me A Minute, Pt. 2“, “Six Underground” – 12/30/25
[Video: Lazymoon Design]
Setlist: The New Mastersounds | Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom | Denver, CO | 12/31/25
set 1: Zambezi, Coming Up Roses, Take What You Need, Boogaloo Is Dead, Smoothie, Two Fat Ladies (88), Passport, All I Want (Right Now), Up and At It (With Horns), Turn This Thing Around (With Michelle Sarah and Horns), On the Up (With Horns and “Ska” version), Help on the Way (Grateful Dead), Why Did You Do It (Stretch cover), Flimsy
Set 2: Dusty Groove, Make Me Proud!, The Road to Fuji Rock, No Way (With Horns), The Minx, Zebra Walk (With horns and Jared), 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (Paul Simon cover) (Horns+Percussion+Nikki Glaspie + ME and Emily bvs), When Will You Be Mine (Average White Band cover), All We Can Do (with Michelle Sarah), Yokacoka (“Jared” in brackets on printed setlist after song title), Land of Nod, The Vandenburg Suite, Freckles, Down on the Farm, San Frantico, 102%, Summercamp, Paranoid (“J Prah” in bold and brackets after song title on printed set list), Hot Dog (With Horns), It Ain’t Fair but It’s Fun (With horns and Jared), One Note Brown, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Sly and the Family Stone)
Note: The last show of the Ta-Ta for Now Tour. Setlist taken from images of set 1 and 2 from the band’s social pages. Can NOT confirm the order or accuracy, but added notes they had either way. Listed as Encores (in smaller font) were N. Lights and Baby B.