DMB
Origin Charlottesville,
Virginia, United States
Genres Rock, jam, jazz fusion,
folk rock, bluegrass, funk rock, pop rock, alternative rock, Post-grunge
Years active 1991–present
Labels
RCA (US),
V2 (international)
Associated acts Dave Matthews
& Friends, Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones,
Yukon Kornelius
Members Dave Matthews
Carter Beauford
Stefan Lessard
Boyd Tinsley
Tim Reynolds[1]
Rashawn Ross[2]
Jeff Coffin[3]
Past members LeRoi Moore
(deceased)
Peter Griesar
Butch Taylor
Dave Matthews Band (often abbreviated to DMB) is an American rock band
that was formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were
singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard,
drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd
Tinsley was added to the band as a violinist soon after the band was formed.
Moore died suddenly in August 2008 due to complications from injuries sustained
in an ATV accident. Grammy Award-winner Jeff Coffin[4] of Béla Fleck and the
Flecktones has since filled Moore's spot as the band's saxophonist. Rashawn
Ross and Tim Reynolds have also become full-time touring members of the band.
The band's 2009 album Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King (the first album since
Moore's death) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, earning the band
their fifth consecutive number-one debut. Their most recent album, Away from
the World, released in 2012, debuted at number one on the Billboard chart —
making them the only group to have six consecutive studio albums debut in the
top spot.[5] As of 2010, the Dave Matthews Band has sold over 30 million
records worldwide.[6]
The band is known for their annual summer-long tours of the United
States and Europe, featuring lengthy improvisational renditions of their songs,
accompanied by an elaborate video and lighting show. The band is known for
playing the songs differently each time. This portion of the tour has become a
stamp of DMB and has grown with the band since Fenton Williams began working
with them in the early 1990s.[7][8] After twenty consecutive years of touring
the band announced that it would take the summer of 2011 off.
History[edit]
Songwriter David John Matthews, working in Charlottesville, Virginia,
as a bartender at Miller's bar in November 1990, became a friend of a lawyer
named Ross Hoffman. Hoffman convinced the usually reserved Matthews to record a
demo of the few songs he had written. Hoffman hoped Matthews could shop the
songs in order to find other musicians to perform on some studio work with him.
Hoffman encouraged Matthews to approach Carter Beauford, a local drummer on the
Charlottesville music scene. Beauford had been in several bands and was then
playing on a jazz show on BET. After hearing Matthews' demo, Carter agreed to
spend some time playing the drums, both inside and outside the studio. Matthews
also approached LeRoi Moore, another local jazz musician who often performed
with the John D'earth Quintet to join them. Moore skeptically listened to the
demo, but liked what he heard and decided that he, too, would give the young
South African a chance. These three began working on Matthews' songs in 1991.
Matthews recollects that, "...the reason I went to Carter was not because
I needed a drummer, but because I thought he was the baddest thing I'd ever
seen and Leroi, it wasn't because I desperately wanted a saxophone, it was
because this guy just blew my mind. At this jazz place I used to bartend at
Miller's, I would just sit back and watch him. I would be serving the musicians
fat whiskeys and they'd be getting more and more hosed, but no matter how much,
he used to still blow my mind. And it was the sense that everyone played from
their heart. And when we got together and they asked, 'What do you want the
music to sound like?' I said, 'I know this is a song I wrote and I like what
you guys play, so I want you to play the way you react to my song.' There was a
lot of breaking of our inhibitions."[9]
Matthews later said in an interview with Michael Krugman,[10] "In
a way, initially it was just the three of us and I approached them with this
tape and they said 'Sure,' cause they had time on their hands. They were both
working on other things, but they had some afternoon time."[10] The
beginning stages of this new band was, in the words of Morgan Delancey, "a
time of trial and incubation."[11] Beauford would later recall that,
"It started out as a three-piece thing with Dave and Leroi...working on
some of Dave's songs. He only had four songs at the time..And it didn't work
out with the three of us."[11] Matthews said, "The first time we
played together...we were awful. Not just kind of bad, I mean heinously bad. We
tried a couple of different songs and they were all terrible...Sometimes it
amazes me that we ever had a second rehearsal."[11]
Miller's Bar on the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville
Their limited instrumentals, however, did not provide the full sound
they desired; more musicians were needed. Secret was a former jazz fusion band
based in Richmond, Virginia most notable for having LeRoi Moore and Carter
Beauford as members before forming the Dave Matthews Band. Moore's former
bandmate, John D'earth, conductor of the University of Virginia orchestra and a
local musician, taught music at the Tandem Friends School. Stefan Lessard, a
junior bassist at the time, was under his guidance in the student jazz combo,
Yabanci Jazzites. On the recommendation of John D’earth, the 15-year-old
Lessard was asked to join in the studio to help complete the demo. While the
partnership was never intended to continue beyond the studio, the four liked
the sound and decided to continue together for live performances as well.
Consequently, regular practices began in the basement of Carter Beauford's and
Matthews' mother's home.
Peter Griesar was a bartender at Miller's beginning in 1989. In August
1991, during Miller's annual respite for inventory, Matthews, Beauford, Moore
and Lessard used the empty bar for rehearsing. Griesar heard them rehearsing
and decided to stop working for a while, pulled out his harmonica, and started
playing with them. After a few songs, he was invited to perform with them. He
immediately accepted and became the band's first keyboardist. Griesar's last
show with the band was March 23, 1993.
Boyd Tinsley was the last member to join the band. Although he had
performed on the demo with Matthews, Moore, Beauford and Lessard, he was busy
with a couple of other bands at the time (Boyd Tinsley Band and Down Boy Down)
and did not want to commit to a group of musicians that were only together in
the studio at the time. He didn't become a full-time member until the middle of
1992. Tinsley is well known for his violin solos, which often become one-on-one
duels with Dave during live shows. Matthews later admitted,[10] "We had no
plans of adding a violinist. We just wanted some fiddle tracked on this one
song "Tripping Billies", and Boyd was a friend of Leroi. He came in
and it just clicked. That completely solidified the band, gave it a lot more
power."[10]
Early years[edit]
The band's first in-studio demo was recorded in February or March 1991
prior to Tinsley joining as a full-time band member and consisted of "Song
That Jane Likes," "Recently," "Best of What's Around,"
and "I'll Back You Up." [12]
For years, it was believed that the band's first public show was at the
Charleston's 1991 Earth Day Festival.[11] A recent pronouncement by band member
Stefan Lessard via Twitter on October 9, 2010, reports the discovery of an
earlier show, taped March 14, 1991, at TRAX. The show was a benefit for the
Middle East Children's Alliance and, according to Lessard, included the
following songs: "Typical Situation," "Best of What's
Around," "I'll Back You Up," "Song That Jane Likes,"
"Warehouse," "Cry Freedom," and "Recently". The
show included only Dave, Stefan, Carter, and LeRoi.[13] Local weekly
appearances soon followed, and within a short time word of the band’s sound
spread.[14]
They still did not have a name for the band. One name that was
considered was "Dumwelah," which is the Tswana word for
"hello",[15] but created little enthusiasm and they decided against it.[16]
One story is that Moore reportedly telephoned a place they were booked and said
to write "Dave Matthews." The person receiving the call wrote
"band" after the name, and the name stayed Dave Matthews Band from
that point on.[11] Matthews told Robert Trott of AP, "Boyd [Tinsley], if
memory serves, wrote 'Dave Matthews Band [on this flyer for the show]. There
was no time when we said, 'Let's call this band the Dave Matthews Band.' It
just became that, and it sort of was too late to change when we started
thinking that this could focus unfairly on me. People sort of made that
association, but it's really not like that."[10]
Beauford seemed to agree with Matthews' analysis of the band name when
he said to Modern Drummer magazine that, "As a matter of fact, that's one
of the things about this band that everybody likes: There isn't a leader. Each
one of us can express ourselves musically without being choked by a leader.
Everybody can offer what they feel is gonna enhance the music. So, yeah, that's
the main thing that all the guys — especially me — feel make this band happen.
It's the freedom that we have to speak with our instruments."[17]
By the summer of 1991, they were playing at Eastern Standard with
Charles Newman as their manager for a brief time.[17] They also continued to
play at fraternity functions; the last such show was at UVa at the SPE
House/DTD's annual Lot Party in Spring 1992. Thereafter the band began playing
a regular Tuesday night show at the popular Charlottesville club Trax. Tapings
of shows at Trax are some of the most widely shared among DMB fans. After
Newman, Coran Capshaw, owner of the Flood Zone where the band often played,
took the helm of the Dave Matthews Band.[10]
For a variety reasons, like sensing that the band was on the verge of
making it big and not wanting to have his life ruled by the grueling schedule
that touring musicians often face, difficulties communicating with Matthews,
and maintaining the mortgage on his new home, Peter Griesar decided to leave
the band after a show at Trax nightclub on March 23, 1993, a night known as
"Big League Chew".[18][19]
On November 9, 1993, DMB released its first album, Remember Two Things,
on its Bama Rags label,[20][21] later re-released by RCA in 1997.[22] Live
songs on the album were recorded at The Flood Zone in Richmond, Virginia on
August 10, 1993, and The Muse Music Club on Nantucket Island on August 16–18,
1993.[citation needed] The album debuted on college charts as the highest
independent entry, and went on to be certified platinum by the RIAA in 2002
[23] — a significant accomplishment for an independent album. Meanwhile, the
band kept touring and its fan base continued to grow. By allowing fans to tape
shows for their personal use, DMB created a highly interactive community that
continues to this day. Only recently has the band had to take legal action
against some bootleggers who sell recordings of their concerts at a profit —
something the DMB trading community also abhors.[24]
Mid-to-late nineties[edit]
The band released their first live EP, entitled Recently, in 1994. The
album's five tracks were taken from shows performed at The Birchmere, in
Alexandria, Virginia, and from Trax, in Charlottesville. Recently was
re-released by RCA Records in 1997.
On September 20, 1994, DMB released their second album, Under the Table
and Dreaming, featuring their first commercial hits "What Would You
Say" (featuring John Popper on harmonica), "Satellite", and
"Ants Marching". The album was dedicated "In memory of
Anne" for Matthews' older sister Anne, who was killed by her husband in
1994 in a murder-suicide.
Under the Table and Dreaming and its follow-up album, Crash brought the
band national attention, culminating in a Grammy Award for Best Rock
Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "So Much to Say" as well
as four other nominations between the years 1996 and 1997. The band also
achieved hits with "Crash into Me", "Too Much", and
"Tripping Billies".[25]
By 1997, DMB reached unparalleled levels of popularity across the
United States and, to some degree, the world. On October 28, 1997, the band
released their first full length live album, Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95. The
album, which was recorded at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado,
featured popular songs from the band's first three albums and included longtime
collaborator Tim Reynolds on electric guitar.
In late 1997, the band returned to the studio with producer Steve
Lillywhite and an array of guest collaborators, including Reynolds, banjoist
Béla Fleck, vocalist Alanis Morissette, future touring band member Butch
Taylor, Chapman Stick player Greg Howard,and the Kronos Quartet. They composed
and recorded Before These Crowded Streets, their third album with RCA, which
was released on April 28, 1998. The album represented a great change in
direction for the band as they did not rely on upbeat hit singles to carry the
album. "Stay (Wasting Time)", an uplifting gospel number, and
"Crush", a love ballad, became very popular tracks along with the
lead single, "Don't Drink the Water". Dave Matthews has commented
that the inspiration for this song came from the treatment of Native Americans
by the United States government.[citation needed]
On January 19, 1999, Matthews and Reynolds released the live album,
Live at Luther College, from a February 6, 1996, acoustic concert played by
Matthews and Reynolds at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. The album features
songs mostly from DMB's first two albums, while also featuring the previously
unreleased pieces "Deed Is Done" and "Little Thing". Also
included on the album is Reynolds' acoustic virtuoso piece "Stream."
During the summer, the band took part in the Woodstock '99 concert and
then released their third live album, Listener Supported, in the fall. The
album, a live recording, used a show performed at the Continental Airlines
Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey on September 11, 1999 for a PBS television
special. The album was also released as the band's first DVD. The year also
provided two more Grammy nominations.[citation needed]
Early 2000s[edit]
Dave Matthews, Boyd Tinsley, and Butch Taylor in Melbourne during their first tour of Australia
During 2000, DMB set up their own recording studio at a large
countryside home outside Charlottesville. With longtime producer Lillywhite at
the helm, the band began work on a fourth studio album. Heavily influenced by
personal conflicts, notably the death of Matthews' uncle from alcoholism, the
songs recorded with Lillywhite rank as some of the darkest he has ever
written.[weasel words] In the end, the studio sessions due to objection from
the band's label, ending their seven-year relationship with
Lillywhite.[citation needed]
In October 2000, an energized Matthews began writing with Glen Ballard,
most famous for his work with Alanis Morissette. The rest of DMB (along with
special guest Carlos Santana) soon joined Matthews in a Los Angeles studio and
quickly recorded Everyday. While the album gave the band a fresh start,
Ballard's pop-music approach to production was very different from the creative
process Steve Lillywhite used to produce previous studio albums. Carter
Beauford has said that the album was a product of Matthews and Ballard and that
it did not showcase the rest of the band.[citation needed] The February 27,
2001, release of Everyday was a huge commercial success. The singles "I
Did It", "Everyday", and "The Space Between", brought
the band an even larger level of popularity. However, some long-time members of
the fanbase were disappointed with the release.[by whom?]
Certain songs such as "What You Are" and "When The World
Ends" kept a darker edge to them, and have been more well received by
older DMB fans.[citation needed] "Everyday" was also familiar to
older DMB fans, as the main guitar lick is derived from that of the song
"#36."[26]
In March 2001, the Lillywhite conflict came full circle when the 2000
studio sessions with the producer were leaked over the Internet. The tracks
spread quickly over established Internet channels such as Napster. Collectively
known as The Lillywhite Sessions, these tracks were lauded by both the fan base
and the popular press. After critical comparison of the two simultaneous
albums, fans that were less than pleased with Everyday's slicker sound were
frustrated with the band's decision to scrap the work in exchange for
Everyday.[citation needed]
The Lillywhite Sessions would, however, eventually be officially
released. In response to overwhelming fan support, coupled with a popular and
widely publicized online campaign known as the Release Lillywhite Recordings
Campaign, DMB returned to the studio in 2002 to record Busted Stuff. Produced
by Stephen Harris, the recording engineer who worked under Lillywhite on
previous albums, the resulting CD provided new treatments of much of the
Lillywhite Sessions' material, along with newly written songs "You Never
Know" and the single "Where Are You Going" which was
subsequently used in the movie Mr. Deeds. Busted Stuff hit the shelves on July
16, 2002, receiving moderate critical and commercial success, while being
generally well received by the band's fans.[citation needed][who?]
During these two years the band released two live albums. The first,
Live in Chicago 12.19.98, features Tim Reynolds on guitar as well as many other
special guests such as bassist Victor Wooten and saxophonist Maceo Parker.[27]
The second, Live at Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado, highlights songs from both
Everyday and Busted Stuff and was released as both a CD and a DVD.[28]
Solo albums (2003)[edit]
In the Spring of 2003, Matthews and Reynolds embarked on another
successful solo acoustic tour. The shows are very different from the normal DMB
shows in that the venues were usually more intimate, and the song selection is
very different.
In 2003 Matthews and Tinsley released their first solo albums. Tinsley
released True Reflections on June 17, 2003.[citation needed]
On September 23, 2003, Dave Matthews released his first solo album,
Some Devil. The album's lead single, "Gravedigger" won Matthews
another Grammy Award. The album was followed by the Dave Matthews & Friends
tour.
The next day, September 24, DMB played a free concert on the Great Lawn
in New York City's Central Park.
2004–2005[edit]
The Gorge, a combination 2-CD/1-DVD set with highlights from their
3-night 2002 tour closer at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington was
released on June 29, 2004.
Later in the year it was announced that highlights from the Band's
extensive live archives would be available for purchase via the official
website.[citation needed] The first such release, Live Trax Vol. 1, was
released on November 2, 2004 and was their performance at the Centrum Center in
Worcester, Massachusetts on December 8, 1998.[citation needed]
On September 12, 2004, DMB played their second benefit show in less
than a year, with a free show at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.[citation
needed] This concert drew one of their largest crowds and produced a popular
bootleg.[citation needed] The band was joined by guitarist Carlos Santana on
many songs, and the tracks led to the second release in the Live Trax Series,
Live Trax Vol. 2 released on December 17, 2004.[citation needed] The album gave
fans previews of newly penned songs "Joy Ride", "Hello
Again", and "Sugar Will"; all at the time presumed to be
destined for release on a new studio album in 2005.[by whom?] However, only
"Hello Again" was actually included on the subsequent album release,
Stand Up.[citation needed]
In August 2004, DMB was at the center of a controversy when about 800
pounds of liquid human waste was dumped from band member Boyd Tinsley's tour
bus through the grate in the Kinzie Street Bridge in Chicago onto passengers
aboard a sightseeing boat on the Chicago River below.[29] The bus driver,
Stefan Wohl, pled guilty, and the band has donated $50,000 to the Friends of
the Chicago River and $50,000 to the Chicago Park District.[30] In April 2005,
the band paid $200,000 to settle the civil lawsuit that followed.[31]
In Fall 2004, DMB returned to their studio in Charlottesville, Virginia
with a new producer.[citation needed] The band decided they wanted to take some
chances and pursue a funkier side to their music.[32] To help achieve this
A&R Bruce Flohr tracked down producer/songwriter Mark Batson.[32] According
to Flohr in an interview with HitQuarters, "When the band and him got
together it was instant creative karma. Things took off like a bat out of
hell."[32]
The resultant album, Stand Up, was released on May 10, 2005, debuting
at #1 on the Billboard charts with sales of 465,000.[citation needed] Stand Up
spawned the singles "American Baby", "Dreamgirl", and
"Everybody Wake Up".[citation needed] The band also released a video
for "Dreamgirl", featuring Julia Roberts, a long-time fan of the
band.[33] Another song from the album - "Steady As We Go" - was
featured in an episode of Everwood and was cited by former campaign aide Andrew
Young to be a favorite song of John Edwards and Rielle Hunter during their
much-publicized affair.[34] The album was heavily panned by the older fans of
the group, due to its extremely different feel from previous albums.
During March 2005, Dave Matthews Band arrived on Australian shores for
the first time, playing shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Byron Bay
East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival. Also in March, on the 9th, their
tour bus driver, Stefan Wohl, plead guilty to charges of dumping the bus's
waste tank into the Chicago river, onto a tour boat containing 109 passengers,
on August 8, 2004.[35][36]
The band supported the album with a summer-long tour culminating in a
four-night stand at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
2006–2007[edit]
Dave Matthews made several appearances in the UK during the Spring of
2006, notably performing a solo show at the King's College Student Union
(Tutu's) on February 28, followed by a small solo tour to promote the release
of Stand Up in the UK.[citation needed]
On April 25, 2006, Dave Matthews Band announced a $1.5 million
challenge grant to help build the New Orleans Habitat Musicians'
Village.[citation needed] The band returned to the studio in March 2006 (with
the resultant album slated for release in winter[37]) before embarking on their
annual summer tour, which concluded with a two-night stand in the band's
hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia.[citation needed] This tour featured the
addition of trumpeter Rashawn Ross as a full-time touring member, which he has
remained since. Ross, who received recognition with DMB's fans while playing
with the jazz band Soulive, had guested during several shows the previous
year.[citation needed]
In August, Dave Matthews Band announced on their website that, in order
to fulfill a contractual obligation, they would be releasing a greatest hits
album.[citation needed] They held a survey on their website that encouraged
fans to select their ten favorite DMB songs.[citation needed] The album, titled
The Best of What's Around Vol. 1, named after the opening track of 1994's Under
The Table And Dreaming, was released on November 7, 2006. The album features
two discs, the first consisting of what the band considers their best studio
tracks, and the second of live tracks voted on by fans.[citation needed]
Additionally, those who pre-ordered the CD on the Dave Matthews Band website
received an "encore" CD with four additional live songs. The Encore
CD was later made available on their website to anyone for an additional $10.[citation
needed]
The band worked with Reverb, a non-profit environmental organization,
for their 2006 summer tour.[38] Their Labor Day concert at The Gorge
Amphitheatre drew a crowd of 64,468, the largest ever for that venue[39]
The Dave Matthews Band at Vodafone Arena, Melbourne, Australia at the start of their second tour of Australia
In early 2007, the Dave Matthews Band once again entered the studio
with producers Mark Batson and Steven Miller[40] to begin recording their
seventh studio album.[41] Mark Batson's relationship was severed at some point
during the recording process, and the album was not finished. In late February,
Dave Matthews embarked on a short tour of Europe with Tim Reynolds, which was
followed in April by three dates in the northeastern United States.[citation
needed]
On April 25, 2007, it was announced on the band's website that the Dave
Matthews and Tim Reynolds performance at Radio City Music Hall that had been
recorded earlier that week on the 22nd would be released on CD, Blu-ray Disc and
DVD, the duo's second release (following Live at Luther College).[citation
needed] It includes unreleased songs, such as "Eh Hee" and "Corn
Bread", and also two Tim Reynolds songs which he performed alone,
"Betrayal" and "You Are My Sanity".
According to Billboard magazine, the band's new studio album had been
scheduled to be released in July by RCA Records,[42] but in an interview with
the Brisbane Times on May 4, 2007, Stefan Lessard stated, "We’re on a bit
of a creative break as far as working in the studio – we’ve been in
pre-production for a long time, but we’ll get more serious later in the
year."[43]
On July 7, 2007, Dave Matthews Band performed on the American Live
Earth concert at Giants Stadium.[44]
On September 6, 2007, Dave Matthews Band performed a free concert for
the Virginia Tech student body and faculty. The show was entitled "A
Concert for Virginia Tech" and was done in memory of the shootings that
took place on April 16, 2007. John Mayer, Phil Vassar, and Nas joined them. There
were over 50,000 people in attendance.[45] Two days later, they performed a
benefit show at Atlanta's Piedmont Park with the Allman Brothers Band opening.
Though only 65,000 tickets were sold (50,000 originally, then a second block of
15,000) nearly 20,000 people sneaked into the show, making it the largest
one-day concert in Atlanta history. The show raised money for the Piedmont Park
Conservancy Association.[46] It was released as a CD/DVD called Live at
Piedmont Park.
In a news article posted on August 30 on the official site, it was
announced that a video for the song "Eh Hee" would be released for
free download on the iTunes Store starting September 4, and remaining free
throughout the week until it would be made available for purchase.[47] The
recording and video is a result of a solo effort by Dave Matthews, and does not
include the other band members.[citation needed]
2008 and the death of LeRoi Moore[edit]
On March 6, 2008, it was revealed that the band had been working with
Rob Cavallo on their next album, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King.[citation
needed] It was also mentioned that guitarist and longtime friend Tim Reynolds
would be recording with the band on the new studio album.[48] Reynolds would
also join the band for their subsequent summer tour.[citation needed]
On April 6, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds performed an acoustic
concert at Indiana University entitled "Rock for Change" in support
of Barack Obama's presidential campaign.[49] They also played a benefit show
for the Seeds of Compassion initiative on April 11 at KeyArena in Seattle, part
of the five-day celebration that week centered on the Dalai Lama.[50] This was
followed by two nights at the Fifth Annual Kokua Festival on April 19 and 20 at
the Waikiki Shell in Honolulu, Hawaii. These shows were part of a benefit for
the Kokua Hawai'i Foundation, created by Jack Johnson and his wife Kim to
benefit Hawaii's educational system.[51]
In July 2008, Dave Matthews Band headlined alongside Tom Petty and the
Heartbreakers at the Mile High Music Festival held in Denver, CO. The festival
ultimately became the largest in Colorado history. On December 17, 2008, DMB
released the live album Dave Matthews Band - Live At Mile High Music Festival
(2008). On May 27, three days before the band embarked on their annual summer
tour, it was announced that keyboardist Butch Taylor, who had toured with the
band since 2001, had decided to leave the band.[52]
The Dave Matthews Band played their last show with all five original
members on June 28 at the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia. Two days later
saxophonist LeRoi Moore was injured in an ATV accident on his farm near
Charlottesville, Virginia.[53] On July 1, 2008 while in Charlottesville, Dave
Matthews announced Moore's accident.[54] Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
saxophonist Jeff Coffin filled in for Moore for the remainder of the tour.[55]
Although he was expected to make a full recovery, Moore died suddenly of
complications from the accident on August 19. The following statement was
released on the band's website:
We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding
member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19,
2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden
complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near
Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home
to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.[56]
The band went ahead with a scheduled show at the Staples Center in Los
Angeles, where Matthews announced the death of the band's "dear
friend" to the crowd.[57]
As we sat this afternoon contemplating the loss of our brother, we
wondered how we could possibly do a show today. Dave put it into perspective
stating, "There's no place I'd rather be than here with you guys right
now." We cherish special memories of our lost friend. Tonight, Dave told a
story about LeRoi at a bar in Virginia where the cash register was near the
stage and LeRoi leaned on the register because "standing had become a
chore". Roi proceeded to play the most beautiful version of Somewhere Over
The Rainbow. Dave said, "that was the day I fell in love with him. And I'm
still in love with him." It's safe to say we all were in love with him.
"It's always easier to leave, than to be left."
The Dave Matthews Band Crew on August 19, 2008[58]
Despite Moore's death, the band continued to play the rest of the tour,
cancelling only two shows.[59] They concluded the tour with a benefit concert
for lung cancer research (Stand Up For A Cure)[60] at Madison Square Garden in
New York City on September 10, for which tickets were exclusive to members of
the band's fan club, Warehouse.
Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King (2009)[edit]
The band's next album, titled Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, was
released on June 2, 2009, coinciding with a supporting summer tour, slated to
run through early October.[61] The band named their most recent album in honor
of Moore.[62] Moore is said to be the "King" in the album title.[63]
Tim Reynolds, Rashawn Ross and Jeff Coffin performed with the band on both the
spring and the summer tours of 2009 and 2010.[64]
The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200, achieving platinum
status. To date, three singles have been released, "Funny The Way It
Is", "Why I Am", and "You and Me".
The album was nominated for two 2010 Grammy Awards: Best Rock Album and
Album of the Year. During the awards telecast, the band played "You and
Me" with accompaniment by live singers, percussionists, a string section,
and an eight-piece horn section made up of teenagers from the Grammy Jazz
Ensemble.
2011: 20th Anniversary and The Dave Matthews Band Caravan[edit]
Main article: Dave Matthews Band Caravan
2011 marked the 20th Anniversary of the Band, and in March 2010 DMB
announced that they would not tour in 2011, for the first time in 20 years. On
January 19, 2011, the band announced on their website: "2011 is our 20th
anniversary as a band and we want to celebrate by playing music together. While
we are still taking the year off from touring, we have decided to plan four
multi-day, multi-artist music events that will take place this summer. We will
be sending out save the date emails and announcing more information soon but we
wanted to share the news with our fans first." On February 22, the dates
of the first show was announced as being at Bader Field in Atlantic City, New
Jersey with David Gray, Ray LaMontagne, The Flaming Lips, O.A.R. and many others.[65]
The second show was announced on April 7 and will be in Chicago with David
Gray, Ray LaMontagne, O.A.R. and others with The Flaming Lips performing The
Dark Side of the Moon.[66]
The third and fourth shows were announced April 21. The third show was
on August 26–28 at Governor's Island in New York City with Dispatch, The Roots
and Gogol Bordello and others. The fourth show was over Labor Day, September
2–4 at The Gorge in George, Washington with Dispatch, The Roots and John Butler
Trio with many more and others to be announced.[66]
2012: Away From The World[edit]
On February 7, 2012, Dave Matthews Band was announced as a headliner
for the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama. This is the first
officially announced tour date for the band in 2012. Other headliners at this
event will be Jack White and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
On February 14, DMB announced the dates for a summer tour.[67] The next
day it was announced that they were recording a new studio album with producer
Steve Lillywhite who worked with them on Under the Table and Dreaming, Crash
and Before These Crowded Streets.[68]
The band released its eighth studio album, Away from the World, on
September 11, 2012.[69] The album saw the return of producer Steve Lillywhite,
who had not worked with the band since their collaboration on the never
released "The Lillywhite Sessions" in 2000. The album went to #1 on
the Billboard 200, their sixth release to do so. The achievement tied the band
with the Eagles for the most #1 albums by an American band in chart
history.[70]
Following the successful release of "Away from the World,"
the band kicked off their 2012 Winter Tour with a two-night show in East
Rutherford, NJ on November 30 and December 1, 2012.
2013: Ninth album[edit]
In January 2013, the band announced three performance dates for spring
shows in the south, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
On February 15, DMB's website leaked the summer tour dates. They were
quickly removed. DMB's 2013 summer tour kicked off at the Cynthia Woods
Mitchell Pavilion in Woodlands, TX on May 17. The group also stopped in
Hershey, PA, Bethel, NY, and ended in Mountain View, CA.[71] In September 2013,
the group announced they would be touring in South Africa, the birthplace of
Dave Matthews, for the first time.[72] On that tour, DMB will also be going
back to South America performing in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.[73]
In April 2014, DMB is scheduled to perform in Australia at the West
Coast Blues N Roots Festival and the Byron Bay Bluesfest.[73]
In November 2013, Matthews announced that a new album was in the works.
The record will be produced by Rob Cavallo.
In January 2014, the 2014 Summer Tour was announced but with a twist,
as it was branded as "A Very Special Evening With Dave Matthews Band",
where the band will play two sets at each show, one being acoustic and
featuring different onstage lineups, and the traditional DMB electric set, with
no opening acts. This also marked the first time that DMB did not make their
annual 2-night run at Alpine Valley Music Theatre since 2001, a disappointment
to many fans.
Band members[edit]
Current members
Dave Matthews – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
(1991–present)
Carter Beauford – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1991–present)
Stefan Lessard – bass guitar (1991–present)
Jeff Coffin – saxophone, winds (2008–present)
Boyd Tinsley – violin, backing vocals (1992–present)[74]
Tim Reynolds – electric guitar (1998–1999, 2008–present)
Rashawn Ross – trumpet, backing vocals (2005–present)
Former members
LeRoi Moore – saxophone, winds (1991–2008)[75]
Peter Griesar – keyboards (1991–1993)
Butch Taylor – keyboards (1998–2008)[76]
The Lovely Ladies – backing vocals (1999–2002)
Timeline[edit]
Taping and bootlegs[edit]
Dave Matthews Band allows audience members to record most live shows
and permits non-profit trading and streaming of the audience recordings.[77]
The band cites college students trading these tapes in the early 1990s as a key
reason for their current fame.[citation needed] Up until February 23, 1995 the
band allowed tapers to plug directly into the live desk at shows but after some
profiteering on these often high quality tapings, the taping policy was changed
to only include microphones.[77] The band and its management also worked with
the US federal government in 1996 to launch a crackdown on for-profit
bootleggers, which resulted in large-scale arrests of those responsible for
illegally manufacturing and selling copies of DMB material.[citation needed] To
further combat bootleggers,[citation needed] the band released their first live
album, Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95, to satisfy the demand for live recordings.
In recent years it has been common to see several sources per show,
sometimes as many as five or more.[78]
Warehouse[edit]
Main article: Warehouse Fan Association
In an effort to promote fan interaction, the official fan association
for DMB, Warehouse, was opened December 4, 1998.[citation needed] Warehouse
gives fans early access to concert tickets, exclusive CDs and merchandise to
its members. Warehouse Fan Association (also known as "The
Warehouse") pioneered the internet-based ticket sales used by many artists
today. DMB Manager Coran Capshaw founded and ran Musictoday, a company which
runs Warehouse and other online fan clubs.[citation needed] In August, 2006, it
was acquired by major concert promoter Live Nation, a spinoff of Clear
Channel.[citation needed]
Discography[edit]
Main article: Dave Matthews Band discography
Studio albums
Under the Table and Dreaming (1994)
Crash (1996)
Before These Crowded Streets (1998)
Everyday (2001)
Busted Stuff (2002)
Stand Up (2005)
Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King (2009)
Away from the World (2012)
Awards and nominations[edit]
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Dave Matthews
Band
Philanthropic efforts[edit]
According to the band's website, as of May, 2010, the band's own
charity, the BAMA Works Fund, has contributed over $8.5 million to a wide
variety of need organizations. It was founded in 1999 to address the needs of
disadvantaged youth, disabled persons, the environment, and arts and humanities
in the city of Charlottesville, Virginia area, and surrounding area of
Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange
Counties.[79] In addition, BAMA Works Fund has been active in other projects,
and often the Dave Matthews Band, both as a whole and individually, have
planned charity events and donated their time and resources outside of
Charlottesville. Some examples include building a "Village Recovery Fund"
after the tsunami that ravaged Sri Lanka, promoting a challenge grant for the
Habitat for Humanity Musician’s Village in New Orleans,[80] multiple
appearances to benefit both Farm Aid and the annual Neil Young-sponsored Bridge
School Benefits, fundraisers for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and followed
this with donations after the 2010 disaster that leveled many villages in
Haiti.[79] The band played benefit concerts to help fund the school system in
New York City, and countless other concerns. As a result, the band was awarded
the NAACP Chairman's Award. In Matthews' acceptance speech, he spoke for the
band as a whole, commenting that of all the achievements they had enjoyed, that
the award by the NAACP and Julian Bond in particular was by far the highest
honor they had bestowed upon them.[81][82]
The band donated the $1 million raised during a charity concert to
homeless and children’s charities in San Francisco, California. The band has
played other charity concerts benefiting Bay Area parks, music education and
AIDS research.
Studio albums
Under the Table and Dreaming Crash Before These Crowded Streets
Everyday Busted Stuff Stand Up Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King Away from
the World
Live releases
Remember Two Things Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95 Listener Supported Live
in Chicago 12.19.98 at the United Center Live at Folsom Field, Boulder,
Colorado The Central Park Concert The Gorge Weekend on the Rocks Live at
Piedmont Park Live at Mile High Music Festival Europe 2009 Live in New York
City Live at Wrigley Field Live Trax series
Compilation albums
The Best of What's Around Vol. 1 Live Trax
Video albums
Listener Supported The Videos 1994–2001 Live at Folsom Field, Boulder,
Colorado The Central Park Concert The Gorge Weekend on the Rocks Live at Piedmont
Park Europe 2009 – Across the Pond
Singles
"What Would You Say" "Jimi Thing" "Typical
Situation" "Ants Marching" "Satellite" "Too
Much" "So Much to Say" "Two Step" "Crash into
Me" "Tripping Billies" "Don't Drink the Water"
"Stay (Wasting Time)" "Crush" "Rapunzel" "I
Did It" "The Space Between" "Everyday" "Where Are
You Going" "Grace Is Gone" "Grey Street"
"American Baby" "Dreamgirl" "Everybody Wake Up (Our
Finest Hour Arrives)" "Smooth Rider" "Funny the Way It
Is" "Why I Am" "You and Me" "Mercy" "If
Only"
Featured singles
"Work It Out"
Other songs
"#34" "Warehouse" "#41" "Lie in Our
Graves" "Proudest Monkey" "Say Goodbye"
"Halloween" "The Last Stop" "Pantala Naga Pampa"
"Pig" "Spoon" "The Stone" "Loving
Wings" "Bartender" "Anyone Seen the Bridge?" "Granny"
"JTR"
Side projects
Tribe of Heaven Dave Matthews & Friends Dave Matthews and Tim
Reynolds Live at Luther College True Reflections Some Devil Live at Radio City
Live in Las Vegas
Additional personnel
Coran Capshaw Steve Lillywhite John Alagía