The Dave Matthews Band: after 18 years, still continues to rise

The Dave Matthews Band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in early 1991 when vocalist/guitarist Dave Matthews decided to tape a few songs he had written himself. Dave added drummer Carter Beauford, saxophonist LeRoi Moore , bass player Stefan Lessard, keyboard player Peter Griesar (who left the band after a few years), and violinist Boyd Tinsley (DMB fan page).

DMB’s first official gig was at a private rooftop party in their hometown on May 11, 1991. At the 1991 Earth Day Festival, the band played for the first time a public show. Soon after, DMB’s new sound flooded the area, and rave of the band caught like wildfire. Clubs started to fill up, and tours expanded to new areas. The Dave Matthews fan base grew at an astonishing rate.

On November 9, 1993, DMB released its first album, Remember Two Things. Remember Two Things was recorded live a few months before on Nantucket Island at The Muse Music Club. “The album debuted on College charts as the highest independent entry, and went on to be certified gold by the RIAA -- a significant accomplishment for an independent album” (DMB fan page). As the release of their first album began to circulate amongst their ever-growing fan base, the band kept touring, allowing fans to tape shows for their personal use. By doing this, “DMB created a highly interactive community that continues in spirit today” (DMB fan page).

In early 1994, Dave Matthews Band recorded their second album under RCA label, Under The Table and Dreaming. Just before the release of the album on September 27, 1994, DMB headed out on their first national tour. The band sold out loads of venues, and their fan base grew even more.

On April 30, 1996, Crash, the band’s second album for RCA, was released. DMB continued touring throughout 1997, headlining sold-out amphitheaters across the United States. DMB’s rise to fame came quickly as they started to become recognized on the same level of pop stardom. However, the band stuck close to their original sound, keeping their grass roots mentality, mixed with a little bit of rock and alternative.

Following the release of these albums, came a double-disc live Dave Matthews Band album, Live at Red Rocks 8-15-95, debuting at number three on the Billboard 200 chart. On April 28, 1998, Dave Matthews Band’s third studio album, Before These Crowded Streets, was released. Next Live at Luther College was recorded and released in early January of ’99. It was an acoustic performance by Dave and revisiting guest guitarist, Tim Reynolds. As with Live at Red Rocks, the success of this second live album was based on word-of-mouth reviews.

Since 1991, The Dave Matthews Band has performed well over 1000 shows, including 51 shows alone in the summer of 2008 (Banagale). Even after 18 years, DMB continues to have one of the highest concert-attending fan bases, selling out many venues and amphitheaters. DMB’s music has been a hit throughout many different generations. Not only do they appeal to their listeners from the 90s, but also college kids today. Their latest recorded album, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King is set to be released on June 2, 2009, which I’m sure will lead to another amazing tour season of sold out concerts. Here’s a behind-the-scenes clip of Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King:

References:

Banagale, Rob. "Weekly Davespeak". May 24, 2009 .

http://www.weeklydavespeak.com/

Fan Page:

http://www.davematthewsband.com/#/history