World's woes bedevil Matthews

October 5th, 2003

EDNA GUNDERSEN, Gannett News Service

Dave Matthews goes solo.

Seated in a dim corner of a hotel bar, Dave Matthews orders 18-year-old Glenfiddich -- on the rocks.

"I like to ruin it," he tells the bartender.

Matthews, whose new solo debut attests to personal and professional growth, cut back on drinking before it could ruin him, he says.

"I still drink, as you can see, but moderately," he says. "I don't want to drink like I did for a while. It wasn't necessarily to escape or hide; it was just a sad habit with the consequence of making me foolish. As you get to the bottom of a bottle of whisky, the likelihood of screwing up is greatly increased."

Matthews, 36, nurses his Scotch for the next hour as he relays the musical ideas, family bonds and political views that shaped the 14 deeply romantic yet dread-tinged tunes on "Some Devil."

The album "is a little dark, maybe because the world without question is a darker place," Matthews says. "That weighed heavily on me. If I made an album today, it would be really bleak. Maybe I'm getting older. Earlier, I was singing whoopee-we're-all-gonna-die songs, and happily they were mistaken as extremely joyful whether I was being cynical or not. Now the darkness is upfront and less tongue-in-cheek."

Matthews isn't overt or literal in conveying opinions on current affairs, often disguised in relationship scenarios.

"I try to tell a story without fabricating emotion," he says. "Death and love are the only things I can sing about without feeling like a preacher. The death of a family member or even the death of innocence is in some ways better described as the death of a lover.

2003, articlesdbtpOctober 5, 2003

Dave Matthews: Dear Superstar

October 1st, 2003

By David Keeps - Blender, October 2003

Is he a good hugger? Can he recommend a decent bottle of red, and how often does he “shoe the mule” — or masturbate, for that matter? The 36-year-old South Africa native was good enough to answer all your questions — even the ones about spanking!

If you think Dave Matthews’s concerts are generous in length, just try interviewing him. After an hour spent sitting on the balcony of his room in the superswank Peninsula Hotel in Los Angeles, Matthews has made it through only half of his Dear Superstar debut. Currently out on the road bringing home the bacon for his twin daughters and wife, Matthews has to finish the interview from his tour bus between gigs a week later.

“I’m on a cellphone, watching trucks go by,” says the 36-year-old native of Johannesburg, South Africa, who, when not touring, now calls Seattle home.

Not content to make hit albums, play sold-out stadiums and rake in millions of dollars — “I keep trying to get rid of it, but it keeps finding its way back to me” — Matthews is taking the bold step this month of releasing a dark solo effort, Some Devil, his first CD without his fabled band. It’s an apt title for a record by Matthews, a self-effacing, surprisingly sharp-witted guy who refers to himself during our afternoon together as a “sad bastard” and a “painful little prick.”

Matthews does not limit his barbs to himself, either. “What a fucking moronic question,” he cheerfully responds to one reader’s query. Hey, he said it, not us…

2003, articles, interviews, magazinesdbtpOctober 1, 2003

Music Review: 'Some Devil' by Dave Matthews

September 30th, 2003

By: DOUG RUTSCH

It’s so easy to make fun of Dave Matthews. His songs are unavoidably catchy, his voice is weird yet still rhythmic, and of course, every single thing he creates sounds exactly the same. But say what you will about the Dave Matthews Band — even those who profess their dislike of his college-rock stylings have a couple songs they secretly enjoy.

But violinist Boyd Tinsley released his own solo album, and now it’s Dave’s turn for a little me time — proof that even the band members want a little variety from the group’s unchanging sound.

The results, however, are mixed.

2003, album review, articlesdbtpSeptember 30, 2003

Dave Matthews flies solo

September 23rd, 2003

Observer Scene

Dave Matthews' much anticipated solo release Some Devil contains 14 original tracks, with Matthews' vocals and lyrics taking center stage on each. Though he collaborated with many guest artists during the production of the album, including Trey Anastasio of Phish, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and guitarist Tim Reynolds, Matthews' songs definitely possess a softer and more intimate feel than any performed by the Dave Matthews Band. Whereas most popular Dave Matthews Band songs would be characterized as rousing, energetic and jam-centered (think "Tripping Billies," "Lie in Our Graves" or "Two Step"), Some Devil possesses a more subdued and blues-influenced sound. Many of the tracks are soft and meandering, and most would never be categorized in the jam band genre.

Two of the tracks on Some Devil may be familiar to fans of the Dave Matthews Band. "Gravedigger," the first single from the album (a different acoustic version is also included), has been performed by the Dave Matthews Band during their regular touring schedule, but has never been officially released on any of the band's albums. "An' Another Thing," perhaps one of the most unusual tracks on Some Devil, possesses a striking resemblance to the song "Little Thing" from the Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds' release Live at Luther College, but with the addition of strings and percussion. Matthews' haunting vocals on this track seem spontaneously concocted and manage to captivatingly convey his emotion through mere sounds rather than actual words.

2003, articlesdbtpSeptember 23, 2003

Dave Matthews at Central Park

September 1st, 2003

In an entertainment event sponsored by America Online (AOL) to benefit public schools, Dave Matthews played Wednesday before a New York Central Park packed 70,000 strong.

AOL, in conjunction with the Dave Matthews Fan Club and Ticketmaster, distributed the majority of the (free) tickets to students and fan club members. The event, initially intended to be a small gathering of Dave Matthews fans in Central Park, was opened up to the public at the urging of AOL, who, over the past year, have given more than one-million dollars in support of public education.

Matthews, due to release a solo album entitled "Some Devil" on Tuesday, steered clear of these debut songs during his two-hour-plus performance. Dave's band, who've been behind him and his sometimes lengthy instrumental encores, was not hired to back Matthews' production of the album. Nonetheless, the sheer enthusiasm and intensity of Wednesday's performance conveyed no ill-will between the Band and Dave.

2003, articles, concert reviewsdbtpSeptember 1, 2003

Wet Fern: Dry eyes rare at Matthews debut

May 8th, 2003

BY HAWES SPENCER EDITOR@READTHEHOOK.COM

Last Saturday, just a block from New York's Ground Zero, the world's most eagerly awaited phoenix, a troubled film enjoyed a rebirth of its own. Where the Red Fern Grows, the motion picture debut of Dave Matthews, drew a solid ovation and moistened several hundred eyes at its May 3 premiere.

"I cried the whole way through," said Megan Lewis of Westchester County, following the screening at the Tribeca Film Festival. Although acquainted with one of the film's producers, the 40-something audience member says she didn't realize how well the 36-year-old rock star could act.

"I was a little bit skeptical, but he pulled it off," said Lewis. "Dave Matthews did a great job-- so subtle, so understated."

2003, articles, moviesdbtpMay 8, 2003

Dave Matthews Infiltration Uncovered

May 1st, 2003

^{by Gianni RandomSchtuff}

^{Tragic facts about rock star Dave Matthews:}

^{1. Named "Male Acoustic Guitarist of the Year" for two years in a row.}

^{2. More people saw DMB last year than any other band.}

* * * * *

Opinion: I'm not surprised that a talentless artist such as Dave Matthews sells millions of records because, in fact, most of the people that sell millions of records pretty much suck. My problem is this: Dave Matthews fans are spreading.

It seems as if shallow girls and frat boys with shiny jeeps and baseball caps are no longer the only DMB fans. This fucker has now somehow infiltrated and convinced good people that like good music, of this: That he is good.

Case in Point #1: You're hangin' out, talking to this cute girl, and the conversation is flowin'.

2003, articlesdbtpMay 1, 2003

Dave Matthews Rocks the College

March 28th, 2003

Bill Giduz

Dave Matthews rocked the arena at Davidson College this week, for a sold-out crowd that filled the Baker Sports Complex Tuesday night. It was a mild evening as cars and vans funneled in from the interstate, filling the parking lots and overflowing into the neighborhoods that surround campus.

“Rent in January, John Mayer last fall, Dave Matthews this spring—who knew a year ago that I could be doing this stuff on my college campus?” said Cat Youell, a freshman from Altamonte Springs, Florida.

Dave and guitarist Tim Reynolds played for three-and-a-half hours during the acoustic concert, for an audience of Davidson students, faculty, staff, townspeople, and Dave fans from up and down the Eastern seaboard. “Let’s fill this arena with a little peace,” Dave said, and rested his voice between numbers with a funny, rambling tale about being thrown from a horse.

2003, articles, concert reviewsdbtpMarch 28, 2003

Dave Matthews Band Takes Action Against Climate Change

January 7th, 2003

^{Charlottesville, VA}

_{Rock Band is First to Create Climate Cool™ Tour as part of One Sweet Whirled Campaign}

In an unprecedented move in the entertainment industry, the Dave Matthews Band (DMB) is announcing today that as part of the One Sweet Whirled campaign, the band has certified its 2002 national tour “Climate Cool™.” The band is offsetting the carbon dioxide emissions produced during last year’s tour in an effort to minimize the tour’s impact on climate change.

2003, articlesdbtpJanuary 7, 2003

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