A DMB Compilation of Sorts
This lens will not be the most definitive source of Dave Matthews Band (DMB) info out there. You won't find a list of albums, or a bunch of photos, or a history of the band here. The band itself & other dedicated fans have put these things together in ways that are much more complete than I could ever hope to duplicate. Besides, there's just too much DMB stuff out there to collect in one spot & the band has a habit of putting out new live albums so often that I wouldn't be able to keep up. What you will find, especially if you're new to DMB, is a compilation of useful links on a lens that will allow you to keep your bookmarks uncluttered. It's also a good starting point for newbies.
The photo of Dave's feet is from Weekly Davespeak (see link in fan sites below). Representatives of the website were allowed to shoot a series of photos from DMB's Las Vegas show on March 23, 2007. A huge thank you to Weekly Davespeak for allowing these photos to be used under a Creative Commons license.
The Official Dave Matthews Band Website
- Dave Matthews Band Offical Website
- DMB does a great job with their official website. It's colorful & newsy & easy to find stuff there. It has a complete discography and you can download music or order CDs through the site. You'll find photos of the band, tour info, and news, along with general merchandise (T-shirts, ball caps & those ubiquitous stickers). The site has info on DMB's philanthropic organization, Bama Works. You can join the band's offical fan club, the Warehouse, and, fan club member, or not, you can sign up for an e-newsletter that is attractive and comes out regularly. (It tends to be a little heavy on merchandising sometimes, but the regularity reminds you to check back with the website.) If you click on the funky, shattered images of the band members in the upper left corner of the site, you'll get the band's biographies, although LeRoi's is too short.
DMB on MySpace
- DMB on MySpace
- Yes, DMB has a MySpace page, complete with music samples, pictures, and a gajillion friends. Okay, maybe not a gajillion friends, but a lot - but not as many as I thought they might have. This page is pretty much a repeat of what you'll get through their website or if you sign up for the mailing list. Btw, the sign up for the email list on the MySpace page is for the very same mailing list through their official website. No need to sign up again, unless you like to see Dave Matthews Band pop up in your inbox.
Musictoday
- Musictoday
- Musictoday is the promotional company of Dave Matthews Band. They put out the e-newsletter and work on the concert end of things.
Red Light Management
- Red Light Management
- Red Light Management was founded in 1991 by Coran Capshaw, the manager of DMB. The company manages a full roster of artists and is the place you need to go if you want permission to use DMB's music or other assorted products (either directly, or for derivative works - like fan fiction). Contact Red Light Management thusly:
Red Light Management - Headquarters
PO Box 1467
Charlottesville, VA 22902
phone: 434-245-4900
fax: 434-245-4933
info@redlightmanagement.com
DMB Music through Amazon
Busted Stuff
Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 12/25/2009) 
The Best of What's Around, Vol. 1
Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 12/25/2009)
Crash
Amazon Price: $13.99 (as of 12/25/2009)
Everyday
Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 12/25/2009)
Live at The Gorge
Amazon Price: $24.98 (as of 12/25/2009)
The Band Mates
Even though the band is named for Dave Matthews, which was a rush-job accidental name that stuck, Dave is not considered the head honcho. Band mates are considered of equal importance & are always listed alphabetically in the literature the band produces. The band consists of Carter Beauford (drums), Stefan Lessard (bass), Dave Matthews (guitar & vocals), LeRoi Moore (woodwinds & brass), and Boyd Tinsley (violin).
The band is also known for its liberal use of guest musicians, a few of the most common being Rashawn Ross, Butch Taylor, Trey Anastasio (of Phish), and Tim Reynolds.
The band is also known for its liberal use of guest musicians, a few of the most common being Rashawn Ross, Butch Taylor, Trey Anastasio (of Phish), and Tim Reynolds.
Carter Beauford - drums
- Carter Beauford
- Here's the Wikipedia biography for Carter, who seems to be a multi-armed Hindu god when it comes to drumming. Recently, Carter put out a call for suggestions for a drumming video he was creating.
- Carter Beauford on Drummerworld
- Great close-up photos of Carter, plus a brief bio.
Stefan Lessard - bass guitar
- Stefan Lessard
- Here's the Wikipedia link for Stefan Lessard's biography. Lessard is affectionately called Fonz. His bass thumps right through a body during concerts.
- Fonz's MySpace Page
- Here's Stefan Lessard's MySpace page. He's got a lot of friends.
Dave Matthews - guitar & vocals
- Dave Matthews
- Being the band's namesake, Dave is also the most written about of band members. This is his Wikipedia biography. He has a solo album, Some Devil. The song "Gravedigger" from this album won a Grammy.
- The Best Dave Matthews Photo Ever
- It's all about the hat on this Rolling Stone cover shot. Oh, and there's an article too. Dave later admits that it's all about the hat in the 1000th issue of Rolling Stone Magazine (May 18-June 1, 2006).
- Dave Not That Into Himself
- The Onion pokes fun at Dave, saying he's just not that into himself anymore. The photo they've included makes Dave look like a deer in the headlights. Good thing he's got that hat.
- Dave McNair Story
- Here's a story about Dave Matthews by writer Dave McNair, who knew Matthews before he got famous. The article gives some interesting insight on fame in general.
LeRoi Moore -woodwinds & brass
- LeRoi Moore
- LeRoi "Roi" Moore has a reputation for being the quietest member of DMB, speaking mostly through his instruments. He plays a variety of woodwinds and brass instruments, which more than makes up for his vocal reticence. The link is for his Wikipedia biography, which is almost as short as the one on the band's official website.
- LeRoi's Untimely Passing
- Sadly, LeRoi Moore died on August 19, 2008, following complications from an ATV accident he was in on June 30, 2008. He was only 46 years old. LeRoi was a fabulous musician and he will be sorely missed.
Boyd Tinsley - violin
- Boyd Tinsley
- Boyd Tinsley is the band's violinist and can practically make a heart bleed with his playing. He has a solo album called True Reflections. This is his Wikipedia biography.
- Boyd to be speaker
- Boyd is scheduled to be the speaker at the University of Virginia's graduation ceremonies in 2007.
- Review of Boyd's Album
- The Observer reviews Boyd's True Reflections album, saying he's not playing the violin enough.
- The Boyd Tinsley Fund
- Boyd's philanthropy through the Charlottesville High School Orchestra.
Some Notes on DMB's Music
Dave Matthews Band is especially known for its live performances & has earned a reputation as a college band. They still seem to see themselves as relevant to this particular audience having recently hosted a promotion solely for Facebook users, yet, as they age, surely their original fans are aging too.
If you've heard the band compared to the Grateful Dead, the comparison has been made & the band did end up with the Dead's sound system, but, imho, they sound nothing alike, so if you don't care for the Dead, don't let that stop you from trying DMB.
For some reason, a lot of hardcore fans come down hard on a few of the band's albums. They don't particularly like Everyday or Stand Up, both of which I enjoy. (There's nothing like hearing "I Did It" when you're feeling particularly defiant.) The drawback to Stand Up is that it's been recorded in a wonky format that won't work in my standard CD player. I can only listen to it on my computer (bummer). On the other hand, it does have a video side that shows the making of the album.
The one album you won't find on the band's website is the Lilywhite Sessions (LWS) produced by Steve Lilywhite. This album got leaked before release & eventually became Busted Stuff. A version of it is floating around, available for download, although I've never done so for copyright reasons. I wish the band would reclaim the LWS and release it themselves so we can legally have a listen. I've read that there are different versions of songs on the LWS than appear on Busted Stuff.
There's so much more that could be said about DMB's music, but I'll spare you the emotional drivel and just say that the true beauty of the band's music is that the songs sound so different from each other - distinctive in their own way. Not only that, but a DMB song in studio version transforms into another creature when played live.
If you've heard the band compared to the Grateful Dead, the comparison has been made & the band did end up with the Dead's sound system, but, imho, they sound nothing alike, so if you don't care for the Dead, don't let that stop you from trying DMB.
For some reason, a lot of hardcore fans come down hard on a few of the band's albums. They don't particularly like Everyday or Stand Up, both of which I enjoy. (There's nothing like hearing "I Did It" when you're feeling particularly defiant.) The drawback to Stand Up is that it's been recorded in a wonky format that won't work in my standard CD player. I can only listen to it on my computer (bummer). On the other hand, it does have a video side that shows the making of the album.
The one album you won't find on the band's website is the Lilywhite Sessions (LWS) produced by Steve Lilywhite. This album got leaked before release & eventually became Busted Stuff. A version of it is floating around, available for download, although I've never done so for copyright reasons. I wish the band would reclaim the LWS and release it themselves so we can legally have a listen. I've read that there are different versions of songs on the LWS than appear on Busted Stuff.
There's so much more that could be said about DMB's music, but I'll spare you the emotional drivel and just say that the true beauty of the band's music is that the songs sound so different from each other - distinctive in their own way. Not only that, but a DMB song in studio version transforms into another creature when played live.
Lyrics
Dave tends to slur his words like a drunken banana when he sings. Thank goodness for written lyrics, which have given me fuller insight into the songs. Unfortunately, lyrics are not included with some of the band's CD booklets, notably for the albums "Everyday" and "Stand Up." You can find most, but not all of DMB's lyrics on their official website with their discography. For those not posted, or for alternate lyrics to songs, you can check out the following sites.
- LyricsFreak
- Alphabetically arranged, rankings & song lengths included.
- LyricsDomain
- Your basic alphabetical list.
- Lyrics on Demand
- Lyrics arranged by album. Includes the Lilywhite Sessions.
DMB Books on Amazon
Best of Dave Matthews Band for Easy Guitar
Amazon Price: $10.76 (as of 12/25/2009)
Dave Matthews Band: Music for the People, Revised and Updated
Amazon Price: $11.52 (as of 12/25/2009)
Dave Matthews Band - Anthology (Guitar)
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 12/25/2009)
Best of Dave Matthews Band for Easy Guitar - Volume 2
Amazon Price: $11.01 (as of 12/25/2009)
Dave Matthews Band FanFare
Amazon Price: (as of 12/25/2009)
DMB Fan Clubs
- The Warehouse
- The Warehouse is the offical fan club for the Dave Matthews Band. They have a song of the same name on their album "Under the Table and Dreaming."
The benefits of membership, as listed by the website are
"Opportunities to purchase tickets in advance of public on-sale
*Contests for merchandise, ticket giveaways, ticket upgrades,
travel packages to shows, opportunities to photograph live performances (no purchase necessary for the contests)
Members-only website with news, photos, audio and video clips,
message board, store and live chat room
Annual membership packages
Gallery of members' works
Ticket giveaways and purchase offerings for special engagements
including concerts, radio performances, TV tapings and intimate showcases."
A one-year membership currently costs $35 for U.S. residents & $40 for non-residents.
I've never joined the Warehouse because I don't see the worth of it. The band rarely plays in my state and if I won a contest, I couldn't afford to travel to wherever I would need to travel to. If the band would consider making a portion of the membership a donation toward their Bama Works philanthropy, I might consider joining on principle. - Nancies Fan Club
- The Nancies is a fan-based, fan-run club devoted to all things DMB. It has a nice FAQ area and sometimes goes into greater depth on band news than the band does. There's a moderated message board where fans can post questions, but don't ask a dumb one (i.e. one that can be answered somewhere else on the site), or the moderator will shut your thread down. DMB fans tend to use abbreviations for album and song names, so you have to get used to the shorthand when posting on the boards.
- Ants Marching Fan Club
- I have to admit, I'm not overly familiar with the Ants Marching fan club devoted to DMB having found Nancies first. The site appears to have much of what I've found on Nancies - news, forum, etc. I've caught hints of a rivalry between Nancies and Ants Marching in the message boards on Nancies, but the loyalty probably stems from whichever site you sign up for first.
- Weekly Davespeak
- Another site that DMB fans eventually discover while moodling around on the 'net. It's got in-depth coverage of what's going on in the world of DMB, plus forums and an email newsletter for fans. It's been around since at least 2004 and has an easy-to-navigate archive of articles.
Random Articles on Dave Matthews Band
Here's some miscellaneous stuff on DMB that I found interesting.
- DMB in Rolling Stone
- Here's the Dave Matthews Band page on Rolling Stone. The magazine has a nice archive of photos and articles on the band. Just do a search.
- DMB in Forbes
- Forbes Magazine shows DMB's ranking and earnings between June 2005 and June 2006.
- Magic Brownies
- Ben & Jerry's has created an ice cream flavor called Magic Brownies just for DMB. It's delicious - all razzberree-ee & chocolatey and vanilla-ee.
- DMB Golfing
- Dave Matthews Band appears in Golf Digest. Who'd a thunk?
- DMB on NativeEnergy
- DMB works to cool climate change.
- Dave in Food & Wine
- Dave, the farmer & vinter in Virginia, posing with cows.
- Dave on Treehugger
- Dave, the eco-celebrity.
- Dave in the San Francisco Chronicle
- Dave bemoans potential creative blocks.
Lookee Here! They've Made the Urban Dictionary
- DMB in Urban Dictionary
- Dave Matthews Band is listed in the Urban Dictionary, which is one cool place to look up words. You won't get your stock definitions here. Check it out and see whether you agree with how others define the band.
DMB Stuff on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
The Chatter on DMB
by catbird
Hi, I'm Mary Warner, a writer, artist, and historian. Come visit me at my blog, The Woo Woo Teacup Journal.
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