Dave Matthews Band Fan Site

Dave Matthews isn’t afraid to go biblical in his songwriting, and it being the holidays, I thought it’d be a nice time to take a deeper look at the DMB track “Christmas Song”. Although the track is not exactly your typical holiday song, I love listening to “Christmas Song” around December 25th. The song begins with the miracle of Jesus’s birth -”The Wiseman came, three made their way/To shower him with love/While he lay in the hay”, traces the savior’s formative years - “Not very much of his childhood was known/Kept his mother Mary worried/Always out on his own”, his arrest “By the authorities less informed than he”, his death “When Jesus Christ was nailed to the tree/said ‘o Daddio, I can see now how it will all be”, and the lingering questions we are left with “Father up above, why in all this anger do you fill/Me up with love, love, love”. The song has a very elemental feel to it and really cuts to the heart of the what the Christian holiday of Christmas is based around. One of the best tracks off of Remember Two Things.

DMB may not be on the road for awhile following their final show this year November 20th in Virginia, but fans can look forward to a new live album from the band. Live in New York City is due out November 9th on RCA Records. The new record will incredibly be the band’s 17th live album (the last being Dave & Tim’s Live in Las Vegas). The recording captures the second show at Citi Field on July 17th, 2010. I’m looking forward to hearing the record’s live versions of “Two Step”, “Gravedigger”, “Some Devil”, and “Satellite”. In other news, you can reportedly win a chance to hang out with the Dave Matthews Band by way of a VIP auction that will benefit Habitat For Humanity.  Green Day and Goo Goo Dolls recently offered up similar experiences to raise money for charity.

In partnership with Farm Aid board members, Dave Matthews will play the 25th Farm Aid concert on October 2nd in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The concert will be held at Miller Park, and will also feature Farm Aid founder Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young. Last year in St. Louis, Dave played a set with long time accompanying guitarist Tim Reynolds. One would expect that Dave would bring Tim along with him for Farm Aid this year. DMB first played Farm Aid back in 1995, and Dave has maintained his commitment to helping America’s farmers. For 25 years, Farm Aid has helping farming families survive. Fans were thinking it might be some time until they see Dave play live once again after DMB’s Wrigley Field shows in September. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Matthews shows up on stage here or there outside of Farm Aid.

The fans on the north side of the Chicago will not only get to see the Dave Matthews Band at Wrigley Field for two shows, but will be able to enjoy the musical stylings of one Jason Mraz. Mraz and Matthews have a long history together that dates back to before Mraz released his first album, Waiting for My Rocket To Come. Outside of Dave Matthews show, Mraz and his longtime percussionist Toca Riveria set up a make-shift stage and performed for DMB fans. Dave actually came out to join the pair on stage a friendship was struck up. Dave was so impressed with Mraz’s songwriting and vocal ability that he invited him to be his opening act for a number of his tour dates. Mraz’s single “The Remedy” eventually blew up and Mraz gained fame from around the world. The scat heavy vocalist real hit it big when he released “I’m Yours” in 2008. “I’m Yours” has become a quintessential summer song, and I’m sure Jason will get a nice sing-a-long going at Wrigley. The 33-year-old songwriter’s fourth album is expected to be out later this year.

The Dave Matthews Band has cooked up the perfect way to wrap this year’s tour before taking a hiatus from touring. DMB will play two shows inside “The Friendly Confines” of Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL. Wrigley Field is one of the world’s most famous and oldest ballparks, and fans lucky enough to get tickets for the show will be in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Police, Elton John and Billy Joel, and Rascal Flatts have played Wrigley Field to great success, prompting the ballpark’s owners  to scheduling more concerts. DMB have long been a huge favorite of Chicago with huge fan bases going to see the band at a slew of different Chicagoland area venues in the past. These pair of shows will be a fitting way for Dave and Co to begin their break from touring after 20 straight years on the road. Tickets go on sale on July 17th.

Dave & the boys left Camden, N.J. feeling good after a two show stop at the Susquehanna Bank Center. Porsha Grant of ABC 6 in Philadelphia highlighted DMB’s performance of “You and Me” as one of the night’s best. After the crowd of Philadelphians sang along to Big Whiskey track just like it was one the band’s old hits. Just more evidence that the new album has really struck a crowd with the fans. Thursday night’s show ended with “Stay (Wasting Time)”. I like how songs of Dave’s Some Devil album have been worked into the band’s set lists like “Gravedigger” and “So Damn Lucky” and The band will be in East Troy, Wisconsin for the Fourth of July weekend performing at Alpine Valley Music Theater for two nights.

DMB made their third appearance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, TN this past Sunday night. The band embraced the “jam” mentality of the festival beginning their set with two expanded versions of “Don’t Drink the Water” and “You Might Die Trying”. Boyd Tinsley and Tim Reynolds were given a lot more freedom on their solos as DMB ran through favorites like “Tripping Billies” and “Two Step”. Banjo and guitarist Danny Barnes joined the band for “Spaceman”. Dave rocked out a beautiful version of Neil Young’s “The Needle and the Damage Done” and brought it home with their traditional set closer “All Along the Watchtower”. Tomorrow the band will be in Cincinnati to play the Riverbend Music Center before playing a show outside St. Louis on Tuesday night and two nights at the Verison Wireless Music Center outside of Indianapolis.

Dave Matthews has long been a proponent for fighting against the harmful mining of Appalachian mountains and will be raising money for the cause on May 19th in Nashville by playing a live concert with the wonderful Emmylou Harris. Dave even mentions the crisis on Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King’s track “When the World Ends”. If anyone has been to Appalachia, you’ve seen how beautiful the green, rolling hills are and it would be a tragic loss to country if they are continually harmed by mining companies. The mountain mining can also have negative effects on the healthiness of surrounding water supplies and destroying surround forests. Matthews and Harris have had a long friendship stemming from their celebrated 2000 CMT Crossroads performance. Hopefully, the pair will play a number of duets as Dave and Emmylou truly have remarkable chemistry together on stage.

In support of their 2009 release Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King, The Dave Matthews Band will be touring the world this year making stops in both Europe and North America. DMB will be making their way through Europe during the winter playing cities such as Rome, London, Dublin, and Amsterdam. The guys will return to the states on May 28th in Hartford, CT to kick off their summer tour. After earning a Grammy-nomination for Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King it will be interesting to hear how the band plays some of the new tracks live. Look forward to hearing songs from the new CD like “Why I Am”, “Shake Me Like a Monkey”, and “Funny the Way It Is”. Dave Matthews Band tickets pre-sale begins today January 28th and officially go on sale February 26th.

In response to the terrible earthquake that took place in Haiti on the 12th of January, Dave Matthews will perform live on television as a part of the “Hope For Haiti Now” telethon. The two-hour show was put together by actor George Clooney and will be featuring performances by Haitian pop star Wyclef John, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Bono, Coldplay, and others. The show will be seen on multiple television networks in America, online on YouTube, and across numerous other formats around the world. The telethon will feature appearences by celebrities such as Matt Damon, Denzel Washington, Robert Pattinson, Will Smith, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Clint Eastwood to name a few.

After September 11 Dave was also apart of a telethon when he played “Everyday” on the “America: A Tribute to Heroes” show. Funds raised from the “Hope For Haiti Now” telethon will go to a number of charities working to help those who lives were affected by the disaster. Tune in at 8:00 pm ET to see Dave honor Haiti and make a donation to help those in need.