January 1st, 2001
The Dave Matthews Band's first live public performance was at a small concert on Earth Day, 1991, in Charlottesville, Virginia. They played outdoors. The audience couldn't stop dancing. And they had a lot of fun together. Little did they know then that ten years later, those same three elements would become a way of life for them. The big difference now, of course, is that they play in stadiums, such as they did in January at Brazil's massive outdoor "Rock in Rio" concert; their audiences now number in the hundreds of thousands; and not only do they still have a lot of fun, but they make a great living from it, too. While Matthews, drummer Carter Beauford, bassist Stefan Lessard, saxophonist LeRoi Moore and violinist Boyd Tinsley are considered one of the hottest live acts in the world, their record sales and chart success are equally impressive. Their first RCA album, Under the Table and Dreaming, is certified four-times Platinum; their second album, Crash, debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart, and their last studio album, Before These Crowded Streets, debuted at #1, ousting the Titanic soundtrack's extended run.
By mixing folk, rock and jazz and playing it to feverish effect, nurturing a loyal grass roots following through their web site www.davematthewsband.com and committing themselves, through their own Bama Works Foundation, to charitable works at home and abroad, DMB have gone from being a quintessential college band to being an international sensation. Upon the release of his band's fourth RCA album, Everyday, Matthews talked to Playback about his new producer, Glen Ballard, his songwriting development and why he decided to create his own independent label, which launched the U.S. success of singer/songwriter David Gray.
