Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews Band is an American rock group from Charlottesville, Virginia, active from 1991 to the present. The core line-up forms around South African-born singer and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, violinist Boyd Tinsley, drummer Carter Beauford, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist LeRoi Moore, and keyboardist Peter Griesar, who leaves the group in 1993. The band also works with a wider touring line-up, including Tim Reynolds, Arthur Strong, and later players such as Butch Taylor, Rashawn Ross, and Jeff Coffin.

Origins and early following

The band develops in Charlottesville in the early 1990s, building a dedicated following through frequent touring and regular shows at Virginia clubs such as Trax and Floodzone. Its early profile is also shaped by an active taping community and an independent release, Remember Two Things. Matthews first performs in Charlottesville at Miller's, where he works as a bartender, and the group begins from a demo tape he records with other members.

Albums and recording history

After signing to RCA Records, the band releases Under the Table and Dreaming in 1994, produced by Steve Lillywhite. The album establishes the group's blend of pop rock and improvisational playing and is nominated for a Grammy Award; it is also dedicated to Matthews' sister Anne, who dies in 1994. Crash follows in 1996 and becomes the band's best-selling album, with songs including "Crash Into Me", "Two Step", "Tripping Billies", and the Grammy-winning "So Much to Say". Lillywhite later returns for Away From The World in 2012, after earlier work on unreleased recordings from 2000 that become known as the Lillywhite Sessions.

Line-up changes and live members

Peter Griesar leaves in 1993 before Remember Two Things appears. Butch Taylor plays live with the group in 1998, then on the stadium runs of the 1999 and 2000 summer tours, and becomes a regular stage presence from May 2001 before later leaving. Rashawn Ross appears at normal shows from late 2005 and is listed as a touring member, alongside Tim Reynolds and Jeff Coffin by 2009. LeRoi Moore dies in 2008 after an ATV accident in Virginia, and Jeff Coffin takes over his role in the live setting.

Style and collaborations

The band's music is described as rock with improvisational leanings, and its listed genres include alternative rock, jam band, jazz rock, pop rock, and rock. Its lineup and live work feature a strong emphasis on extended performance, and its records and concerts draw on the contributions of a range of recurring collaborators and touring musicians.

Community work

Dave Matthews Band is also associated with benefit and community work, including a 2003 concert in New York City's Central Park that supports public schools and another concert in aid of victims of Hurricane Katrina.