The universal appeal of Dave Matthews Band

The group, coming to Tampa on Tuesday, has won fans of all ages, both parents and kids.

By CATHERINE MCCARTHY
© St. Petersburg Times
published December 9, 2002

In the music industry, some bands burst on the scene with a smash hit, only to be featured five years later in a VH1 special in an unflattering light.

Others enjoy modest success, gradually building a fan base and enjoying good sales of albums and concert tickets.

And every once in a while, an artist's popularity snowballs until he or she has a grass roots fan base that most musicians can only salivate over.

So it is for the Dave Matthews Band, whose popularity has mushroomed over the past 11 years.

And Tuesday night, the St. Pete Times Forum will be packed with fans who have counted the months, weeks and days for this moment. At last, the band is back.

Even those who aren't fans of the group are not immune from the buzz surrounding the band. The appeal of this rock/pop/blues band, formed in Charlottesville, Va., in 1991, has transcended generations of music lovers.

Matthews, a singer/songwriter in Charlottesville, decided to record some of his songs but wanted to create a deeper, more complex sound. He enlisted drummer Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore, prominent jazz musicians on the local scene. Stefan Lessard became the bassist at the age of 16. Peter Griesar played the keyboard for a couple of years before leaving the band. Classically trained violinist Boyd Tinsley completed the lineup.

After the band's first public show, at Charlottesville's 1991 Earth Day Festival, came countless shows at regional clubs. In two years, DMB's fan base seemed to grow exponentially, and tours covered more ground. The band allowed its fans to tape its shows for personal use (it continues to do that today), creating an intensely interactive fan base that continues to thrive.

In 1993, the band independently released its first album, Remember Two Things, which debuted as the highest independent album on the college charts. In 1994, the band's RCA debut, Under the Table and Dreaming, was released. Four studio releases and five live albums later (all of which debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard charts), the band hasn't lost any steam.

Fans agree that the band's music has universal appeal. "Generally you'd think that only one type of person would like Dave Matthews Band. You know, the preppy kids have their rap, and the punks like their punk," says Keely Sappington, 17, a senior at Seminole High. "But everyone does.

"I have a crush on the bass player."

For some, the appeal comes from what sets the band's music apart.

"His songs aren't as catchy as some you might hear, but in a way it makes them better," says Chris Gunderson, 15, a sophomore at Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda.

"He sings about a lot of things that are metaphorical, and I guess if you can get past that, then you can relate a lot of it to real life. He's unique."

The band's music is an eclectic blend of sounds that attracts fans of many ages. Parents and kids can agree on something to listen to together.

"Now we can finally listen to a CD in the car that we all like," says Jessica Lavelle, 16, of Wellington.

Some parents became hooked after seeing the band live.

Dan Kasprzyk had heard only a few of the band's songs on the radio. Then, a couple of years ago, his oldest daughter, Kyra, 18, a senior at Seminole High, asked if they could see the band on tour. Her father agreed, and he became a fan.

The appeal of the Dave Matthews Band is that it plays a "different kind of music, rather than the four guitars and a face man," he says.

"Having all the different types of instruments adds another element other bands don't have," Kyra says.

Her dad says that listening to his daughter's music helps him to "keep in touch. I happen to like most of Kyra's music."

Jeff Gill, 17, a senior at Seminole High, asked his father last year if they could get tickets to see DMB when the band came to Tampa in July as part of its "Everyday" tour. His father, Jeff Laurence, agreed and came down from his home in North Carolina to take Jeff, his sister and a friend to the show.

"It was a very cool, funky vibe," Gill says. "It was awesome because it was nice, decent music" instead of what usually is heard on the radio.

"You may come home some days all angry and stressed out if you've had a really crazy day, but you just pop in a Dave CD, and all is well."

- Catherine McCarthy, 17, is in 12th grade at Seminole High School.

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