Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews Band (DMB) is an American rock band that was formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, 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 Coffinof 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— making them the second band behind Metallica to do so. Their most recent album, Away from the World, was released in 2012, and also debuted at number one on the Billboard chart. As of 2010, the Dave Matthews Band has sold over 30 million records worldwide.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.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. In April 2005, the band paid $200,000 to settle the civil lawsuit that followed.

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. On July 1, 2008 while in Charlottesville, Dave Matthews announced Moore's accident.[citation needed] Béla Fleck and the Flecktones saxophonist Jeff Coffin filled in for Moore for the remainder of the tour.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.

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.

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

Despite Moore's death, the band continued to play the rest of the tour, cancelling only two shows. They concluded the tour with a benefit concert for lung cancer research (Stand Up For A Cure) 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.

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. 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. After twenty consecutive years of touring the band announced that it would take the summer of 2011 off.

Dave Matthews Band has won one GRAMMY Award, and was awarded the NAACP Chairman's Award. According to Julian Bond, "they sell out the largest arenas on Earth, but frequently give their music away."


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)

Live albums

Remember Two Things (1993: Bama Rags Recordings release; 1997: RCA Records re-release)
Recently - EP (1994: Bama Rags Recordings release; 1997: RCA Records re-release)
Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95 (1997)
Listener Supported (1999)
Live at Luther College (Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds) (1999)
Live in Chicago 12.19.98 at the United Center (2001)
Live at Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado (2002)
The Central Park Concert (2003)
The Gorge (2004)
Weekend on the Rocks (2005)
Live at Radio City (Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds) (2007)
Live at Piedmont Park (2007)
Live at Mile High Music Festival (2008)
Europe 2009 (2009)
Live in Las Vegas (Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds) (2010)
Live in New York City (2010)
Live at Wrigley Field (2011)
Live in Atlantic City (2011)

Members
Dave Matthews
Carter Beauford
Stefan Lessard
Boyd Tinsley
Jeff Coffin
Rashawn Ross
Tim Reynolds


Past members
LeRoi Moore
Peter Griesar
Butch Taylor