You’ve heard the name, you’ve probably even heard a few songs—maybe “Crash Into Me” or “Satellite”—and you’ve seen the face on show posters, billboards, or your television screen. But who is Dave Matthews and who is his titular Dave Matthews Band? Find out below.
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When did the band begin?
While bartending in Charlottesville, Virginia, at Miller’s Bar, a young Dave Matthews, not then known as much of an artist and certainly not as a musician, began to take note of the local talent. With a bit of confidence and only a few songs he’d been writing in secret, Matthews in 1990 approached local standout drummer Carter Beauford about collaborating.
When Beauford agreed to jam, Matthews asked a few others if they would be interested, too, including psychedelic saxophonist LeRoi Moore and whirling dervish guitarist Rim Reynolds. Matthews also sought out high school bass player Stefan Lessard and violinist Boyd Tinsley, who wasn’t a full-time band member until 1992.
The band had its first shows in 1991 and released their first record, Remember Two Things, a live album in 1993.
What were the band’s early hits?
The band released its debut studio LP, Under the Table and Dreaming, in 1994. The album was rich with songs the group had perfected on the road over the first third of the 1990s. DMB lived much of the year out of a tour van, traveling to music venues, festivals, frat houses, and more, spreading its tunes with its charismatic singer and unique lineup that featured a violinist, saxophonist, and teenage bassist.
Songs on that debut studio LP include “What Would You Say,” “Satellite” and “Ants Marching.” But DMB wasn’t just a one-hit album wonder. Their follow-up, the 1996 studio LP, Crash, included some even bigger hits including “Crash Into Me,” “Two Step” and “Too Much.”
In 1997, the group won its sole Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for the single, “So Much to Say.”
Who is Dave Matthews?
Born on January 9, 1967, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Dave Matthews has seen much of the world, from New York to Charlottesville to South Africa and beyond. He also experienced tragedy as a young person, losing his father to lung cancer when he was 10. Later, as the band was beginning to take off, Matthews lost his sister Anne, who was murdered by her husband in 1994.
Matthews officially started DMB in 1991 and since then it has become one of the biggest touring groups in the world, grossing some $1 billion since its inception. But Matthews has also released solo material, including his 2003 solo album, Some Devil, which garnered him a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for the single, “Gravedigger.”
What is the essential content?
Today, the band has a great deal of popular songs. Going to see DMB in concert, fans are privy to extended songs, long jams, and improvisations. So, any live show you can see becomes its own beautiful living, breathing experience.
But along with its first few album releases, fans can try to find the more obscure Recently EP, which features an early recording of the band’s song, “Halloween.” The group’s 1998 studio LP, Before These Crowded Streets, includes hits like “The Stone,” “Crush,” “Pig” and “Spoon.”
Other fun albums include the nearly all-electric Everyday and the bootleg album known as The Lillywhite Sessions, which was later re-recorded and released as Busted Stuff, though many fans prefer the bootleg.
What is the band’s latest release?
Most recently, the band released its 10th studio album, the 2023 offering Walk Around the Moon, its first album since Come Tomorrow in 2018. It was the band’s first album not to include Boyd Tinsley, who was ousted from the group due to allegations of past misconduct. DMB also lost Moore, who died in 2008 during an ATV accident.
Final thoughts?
In the 1990s, as Seattle-born grunge music was taking over the world, on the East Coast there were acoustic-driven jam bands bringing positivity to light in an otherwise sludgy rock world. Dave Matthews and the Dave Matthews Band were big reasons why those songs took hold and led to other artists like Dispatch, Howie Day, and O.A.R. Today, DMB is remembered for its massive live tours, big audiences, and its lovable lead singer.
(Photo by Lee Celano/Getty Images)
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