Dave Matthews Band will appear on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on Monday, September 14th. Also scheduled to appear on the show that evening is Actress Charlize Theron and Actor Ted Danson.
UPDATE: Watch DMB's performance of "Why I Am" on Conan
"Why I Am" the second single off "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" hit the radio airwaves on August 14th, 2009. MySpace debuted the music video for "Why I Am" on the same day. The video is taken from a live performance on June 26th at 02 Academy - Brixton in London, England.
"Why I Am" is a clear fit for the second single. The song, and the album as a whole dedicated to LeRoi Moore.
Watch the "Why I Am" Music Video
On July 6th, 2009, during the midst of a month long European tour, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds made a stop at Warner Music Group in Hamburg, Germany for an intimate private show. The show was intended for the press only, however there were a very small number of tickets given out as well.
The show was a total of 7 songs, 3 of which were from DMB's new studio album, "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King". Songs performed were, "Funny The Way It Is", "Lying in the Hands of God" and "You and Me". This marking the first time that the new "Big Whiskey" tunes were played Dave & Tim style.
UPDATE: 07/07/09
This issue of Relix is now available. If you can't find a copy you can order a copy directly from Relix. Click Here to order.
Relix also released a podcast of DMB music for your listening pleasure. The whole podcast track list consists of:
Dave Matthews Band will be featured on the cover of the July 2009 issue of Relix Magazine. This is the second magazine cover that DMB has been on this year as promotion continues for their new studio album, "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" which has been selling very well in it's first week.
Part of what gives the Dave Matthews Band their unique flair is their belief in abundance vs. scarcity. From day one, they have openly encouraged taping at their shows, knowing that these recordings will only further their following. Ticket prices have remained considerably lower than those of similarly popular artists, and the fee for membership in their fan club is a mere $35 per year, which allows enthusiasts advanced purchasing of tickets prior to public sale, among other perks. Unlike many musicians, they have never condemned internet downloading of their work. Instead of greedily protecting their output, they have essentially given listeners a golden key to their treasures. Clearly, the members are not suffering financially from these decisions. Rather, their generosity has served to fuel the flame, exposing the masses to their genius. I love to see successful ventures built on this foundation. It reminds us that the path to the top doesn't have to be littered with the misfortune of others.
Earlier this week, the first video release from “Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King” debuted. The 4 minute and 30 second clip, directed by DMB lighting designer Fenton Williams and Jeff Crane, sets “Funny the Way It Is” to a series of strange and animated movements by Dave himself. Parts of the production are reminiscent of the “Eh Hee” video where Dave sat in a chair, enduring all manner of liquids and towels being rubbed onto his face while he experienced a variety of emotions and seemingly uncontrollable ticks. In this newest output, Dave is again undergoing messy spills on his head and even being blindfolded with a mask. While I would bet that Dave would explain these tactics as humor inducing, it also occurs to me that this kind of treatment goes along with his self-deprecating nature. Never taking himself too seriously, Dave is always one to point out his own silliness. In the recent interview with Matt Pinfield, while discussing the phrase, “I like my coffee with toast and jelly, but I'd rather be licking from your back to your belly,” Dave admits that in writing sexual lyrics he tries to keep things a little “ridiculous” and “self-deprecating” in order to lighten the mood.
Spinner.com posted the premiere of Dave Matthews Band new music video for "Funny The Way It Is". DMB had been working on portions of a video a few weeks ago in New York City (not likely to be this one, but for another song).
The video directed by Fenton Williams and Jeff Crane portrays a very similar style to that of the "Eh Hee" video that Dave Matthews made in 2007.
Watch the Video: Funny The Way It Is
While thousands of fans were braving the rain around Rockefeller Center last Friday, in anticipation of the Dave Matthews Band's first ever morning television performance, Dave was sitting down with Matt Pinfield and Leslie Fram of The NY Rock Experience. Dave talked with the radio hosts for over 40 minutes before graciously apologizing that he had to run, as if he was on the way to get his dry cleaning rather than entertain on national television! The interview spanned the making of “Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King,” including the creative process of the band, the terrible loss of LeRoi Moore, and several insights into individual songs. Listening to this for yourself is a must, but in the meantime here are some highlights from the broadcast.
Dave starts off declaring “Big Whiskey” as “one of the best records we've ever made.” He openly admits that the “weird, unique and...accessible” energy that the group transmitted up until and around the time of “Before These Crowded Streets” was missing in the last two albums, noting that this one is “sort of like the fourth record.” Dave joyfully recounts the way that the men fell back in love with making music and with each other under the focused but spontaneous guidance of producer Rob Cavallo. Starting in their Charlottesville studio, and continuing in Seattle and New Orleans, the musicians found themselves working in ways, and conditions, that were reminiscent of their earliest days.
