Dave Matthews Band History

Dave Matthews Band remains a fan favorite with stellar live shows and hit songs like “So Much to Say” & “Crash into Me.”

Dave Matthews Band History and Event Information

Dave Matthews Band: Say Hello

Dave Matthews Band (DMB) was formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, by singer-songwriter Dave Matthews in 1991. Dave Matthews, a native of Johannesburg, South Africa, emigrated to the U.S. with his family during Apartheid. Upon settling in Charlottesville, Dave Matthews took up bartending at a local bar called Miller’s. Dave Matthews was able to befriend many local jazz musicians such as future DMB members Carter Beauford and LeRoi Moore. Due to Moore’s connection to John D'earth, conductor of the University of Virginia Orchestra, Dave Matthews was able to enlist then-16-year-old bassist Stefan Lessard.

Dave Matthews Band: Seek Up

As the band redefined its sound, a fellow bartender at Miller’s, Peter Griesar, joined the band as a keyboardist. Violinist Boyd Tinsley was the last member to join in 1992. Tinsley had previously performed on the song “Tripping Billies,” which was a part of Dave Matthew Band’s 1991 demo. After the demo was released, the band made weekly appearances at venues around Charlottesville. In 1993, Peter Griesar left the band and, without him, Dave Matthews Band released its first album Remember Two Things on its own. The album debuted high on college charts and eventually became certified platinum almost 10 years later. At this time, Dave Matthews Band continued to tour in order to build up its fan base.

Dave Matthews Band: Breakthrough

In 1994, Dave Matthews Band released its first major label album Under the Table and Dreaming on RCA. The album spawned several hit singles including “What Would You Say” and “Satellite.” Within 18 months, Under the Table and Dreaming sold over four million copies. In 1996, the album Crash peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard charts and sold well over a million records. DMB earned a Grammy nod for the song “So Much to Say.” Other successful singles from Crash were “Crash into Me” and “Tripping Billies.” Dave Matthews Band was able to gain a large following off Under the Table and Dreaming and Crash. DMB also found huge success with college audiences.

Dave Matthews Band: Sue Bootleggers

Dave Matthews Band’s fans are famous for its community of tapers and traders. It began back when DMB was a local act in Charlottesville. As Dave Matthews Band grew in popularity, professional bootleggers began selling live tapes of DMB shows. In 1996, Dave Matthews took a stand against these pirated versions of the band’s live shows and took these bootleggers to court. In 1997, many major foreign bootlegging companies were targeted by the U.S. and crackdowns ensued. Also in 1997, Dave Matthews Band released Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95 to fight illegal bootlegging. The album debuted at No. 3 and sold a million copies within five months.

Dave Matthews Band: Chart Success

In 1998, Dave Matthews Band released its third album Before These Crowded Streets. The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200, displacing the Titanic soundtrack. Before these Crowded Streets sold nearly half a million copies within its first week and produced the singles “Don’t Drink the Water” and “Crush.” In 2001, DMB came back with its second consecutive No. 1 album Everyday. Everyday is considered more pop-oriented and commercial than past DMB albums. The album sold over three million copies and featured the songs “I Did It” and “The Space Between.”

Dave Matthews Band: Busted

Prior to recording Everyday, the band had done a session with longtime producer Steve Lillywhite in 2000. The band ultimately scrapped it and moved on. However, due to popular file sharing sites like Napster, fans were able to download the abandoned material dubbed “The Lillywhite Sessions.” Due to the demands of fans, the material was eventually released as 2002’s Busted Stuff. The album peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart. Busted Stuff produced the singles “Where Are You Going” and “Grace is Gone.”

Dave Matthews Band: Live

Dave Matthews Band released its fourth live album Live in Chicago 12.19.98 in 2001. The album features songs from all of its previous albums and the cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower.” DMB released its fifth live album Live at Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado, in 2002. The double album features songs from Everyday and Busted Stuff. The concert was also released on DVD. In 2003, Dave Matthews Band performed a benefit show for New York City Public Schools. It was released as a live album called The Central Park Concert. The album featured guitarist Warren Haynes and keyboardist Butch Taylor.

Dave Matthews Band: Stand Up

In 2005, Dave Matthews Band released the album Stand Up. The album debuted at No. 1 and featured the singles “American Baby” and “Dreamgirl.” Dave Matthews Band played four dates at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, donating all proceeds, which amounted to roughly $1 million, to victims of Hurricane Katrina. The concerts were released as a box set called The Complete Weekend on the Rocks. The band donated $1.5 million to rebuild the New Orleans Habitat Musicians' Village. Dave Matthews Band has gone on to perform several benefit shows including one for the Piedmont Park Conservancy Association and a Concert for Virginia Tech in 2007.

Dave Matthews Band: The Future

Dave Matthews Band has many more benefits and live shows scheduled for 2008. DMB will appear at Rothbury Music Festival in Rothbury, Michigan with acts John Mayer, Widespread Panic and 311. The band will also perform at a lung cancer research benefit at Madison Square Garden in New York City in September. Even though Dave Matthews Band is hard at work on its follow-up to 2005’s Stand Up, the band will take the summer off to tour.

Dave Matthews Band: Greatest Hits