From the official site:

We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.

All our love goes out to his family, and LeRoi, you are truly missed.

Update from the band website: We would like to take a moment at this sad time to thank everyone for the outpouring of condolences and notes celebrating LeRoi’s life.  Thank you for the many inquiries we have received about making a gift in LeRoi’s name.    A fund has been created in honor of LeRoi Moore in support of charities that reflect both his spirit and passion.  Donations via check referencing the “Charlottesville Area Community Foundation for the LeRoi Moore Memorial Fund” may be mailed to:

Charlottesville Area Community Foundation
PO Box 1767
Charlottesville, VA 22902

Donations may also be made online by clicking here.

Please make sure to reference “LeRoi Moore Memorial Fund” in the comments section if making a gift online.

The following announcement was posted on the official site:

LeRoi Moore was injured today in an ATV accident on his farm outside Charlottesville, Virginia.  LeRoi was immediately transported to the University of Virginia Health System for treatment where he remains in serious condition.

We wish him a speedy recovery, and hope that all will be well. Jeff Coffin will come in for LeRoi until he recovers.

Update: LeRoi’s condition has changed from serious to fair. According to sources close to the fan site Ants Marching, LeRoi has suffered a punctured lung and broken ribs, and may be out for up to a year. If you’d like to send LeRoi a card, you can use the following link.

This tour has had covers galore, bringing joy to even the most hardcore of fans. Last night marked the 9th cover of the tour, when the band played Sledgehammer, a 1986 song by Peter Gabriel. In this post, there will be a list of the covers played by the band this year, some information about the song, and a link to even more information. Follow through to read.

(more…)

Dave Matthews, along with numerous other artists such as Bela Fleck, Jimmy Buffet, and Bob Seger, are in Little Feat’s new album, entitled “Join the Band.” Dave Matthews sings in the first song along with Sonny Landreth; the song is named “Fat Man in The Bathtub.” The album can be previewed over at 429 Records, and will be released on August 26th. The discography page has also been updated.

The Dave Matthews Band have finished their first two shows - a double header in Burgettstown, PA - to start their 2008 Summer Tour. Both shows highlighted the many changes in the band, most notably the absence of Butch Taylor. Many show-goers noted that the half of the stage that Butch occupied is noticeably empty. Nevertheless, with Tim Reynolds touring with the band, the musical gap was filled in songs such as Lie in Our Graves and Two Step.

What also came as a surprise to many show-goers was the song choices. ‘Some Devil’ songs were one of the most noticeable. The band played its first ever full-band Gravedigger, as well as playing So Damn Lucky. ‘Some Devil’ is Dave Matthews’ solo-album released in 2003, thus the rarity. Covers also played a huge part in the concerts, closing off both nights. The first night was closed with a cover of Thank You, a Sly and The Family Stone song often played by Dave and Friends, with the second night being closed with a cover of Pink Floyd’s Money, segueing into Barrett Strong’s Money That’s What I Want.

Technically wise, many acclaimed the people working on the lighting and background video. It was improved upon yet again, with the band acquiring a new wide-screen display that also shows the music video of the song they are playing on the side (if applicable). Also, they have a screen that covers the stage but comes up at the right time. The example is during N1, where as the band started to play Don’t Drink the Water, it slowly came up and revealed the band.

Even though 6 songs from N1 were repeated on N2, it seems that this tour is going to be a great one, though from what we’ve seen so far, every night will most likely have an unexpected twist. Here’s to a great summer. Hit the link for the full setlists…
(more…)

In an interview with The Morning Call, Boyd Tinsley let loose - yet again - more information regarding the much hyped 9th album. Tinsley once again states that the new album is closely related to those of past times:

”I’d say like, not as far as the songs are concerned in particular, but like the mood and the vibe of it feels like ‘Under The Table (And Dreaming)’ and ‘Crash’ … it feels like the beginning again, but the music is just a lot different. It’s just like the whole excitement of starting something new, starting something fresh, feels like those first couple of albums.”

Hit the link for the rest, and for link to the article…

(more…)

From the official DMB site:

Keyboardist Butch Taylor has decided to leave Dave Matthews Band. We are saddened by this sudden news but he has our full support. He’s given so much to us and our audience through the years and he will be missed.

Butch Taylor has been with the band for 10 years, and was with them everywhere they went; studio and road included. Fans always wondered why Butch was never recognized as an official member of the band, but many considered him just that. We at DMB Fan Site would like to wish Butch the best of luck in the future!

UPDATE: From sources over at antsmarching.org, it has been confirmed that Butch left on his own accord, and for “personal reasons”. Once again, best of luck!

Source: Official DMB Site

According to an interview by Billboard, the band has been working with the producer Robert Cavallo and old band-friend Tim Reynolds on the new studio album for the past couple months. In the interview, Boyd Tinsley emphasized that the album is very much a whole band work, and the output so far being songs that Tinsley compared to the band’s older works, such as those off of Under the Table and Dreaming and Before These Crowded Streets. He also noted that many songs are lyric-less and have a small chance of being played this summer. Excerpt from the article after the break.

Source: Billboard

(more…)

The Dave Matthews Band has officially started its carpool program for the summer in association with PuckupPal, where fans can carpool to and from each show for free. This is just another way DMB, under the Bama Works Foundation, is trying to decrease CO2 emmissions caused by their touring. The band has already been commemerated for its fight to fight off global warming. The site can be found here, where you can register for free.