Dave Matthews

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeart Radio. Hi David, Look, everybody's here. It's like the whole here's the story of a man named QUESTI. Yes, it's all of us here. But it's very nice to see you, lady, to see you too, sir. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of Quest Love Supreme. I'm your host Quest Love. Hey guys, when can we call it the award winning Quest Love Supreme five years ago? Oh? Really, that's I like that. That's right now, Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to the illustrious, award winning Quest Love Supreme. There you go, right, Sorry, I'm excited to be part of this. Actually, if you're if you're really good, we might make you part of the team. So that's that's the joy of Yes, we might just steal you away. Um. Right now we are with our Team Supreme members, Sugar Steve, how is life? It's like quarantine, but you get to leave the house and do whatever the heck you want and work on all the ship you ever wanted to work on. And the first single from your record dropping this Friday from Plumb On JMI is coming out Brown Doves on Friday, quest love. And you should have seen sewan Gie's face when he learned that I have a jazz record coming out. So yeah, he knows about it. Anyway, I'm paid Bill. Yeah, man, how is life post Tony great? I didn't win shit? It was Tony's were wonderful. It's whiskey Wednesday. Who won? Who won? What? All of them? I guess? And Juliette didn't win. Y'all didn't get it. Juliet did not win a Tony. But that's okay because we're the doors are still open. Y'all still the ship though, thank you who wanted up winning. I'm just curious. Kimberly a Kimbo want a lot of Tony's mostly for Best Musical, et cetera, et cetera. It was a weird things very called kimberly at kimbla kimberly a Kimbo. What's the part? What's the play called? Bill? That's what I think he's asking. Oh, it's that's what's called. It's called erly a Kimbo. I wish I could tell you something about it. I've not seen it, so I don't know. So I'm just gonna drink whiskey. On Wednesdays. There you go, Kimberly and Kimba Laiyah. How are you? I know we're in the same city and I failed to tell you I've been here for a week. You know. I want to give you the shay friend I do. Ladies and gentlemen, A very good friend of mine, very a very very good friend of mine is coming to visit us. On the show, I will say that our guests his namesake. He is the founding member and of one of the most powerful. Well, the way that laugh came, I hope you are the founding member of the band. That's your namesake, so anyway, one of the most powerful, one of the most creative, one of the most exciting, one of the most loved popular bands and all of the world. I will say that this band has I mean a mixture of following and mainstream, because the numbers are there. You know they have. They have mainstream following as well. We all know the hits we knew. Cressing to me and it's marching too much crushed. I also just realized that this group they've released nine studio albums. But however, they are the first band to have seven albums debut at number one, and he's giving us the honor right now celebrating him with him their their newest album, which is entitled Walk Around the Moon. What can I say, man, one of the nicest guys on earth, if you ever have the pleasure of opening for this guy, he will actually introduce you and stand on stage and watch you perform in front of the crowd of fifteen. But what more can I say? It was extremely generous. I mean generous, but also precisely true. I have a hilarious story. So when we first started opening for Dave, one of our very first shows was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and there were I guess as far as the ticket situation was concerned, I believe each member because it was Philadelphia and our families were coming, Like I think each family member got like each band member got eight tickets. And the thing was I didn't have anyone coming to see so I had eight tickets. But our bus, our tour bus, was kind of part where the general public could see us, Like we weren't in the tunnel with Dave's forty two trillion tour buses, so we were kind of on the We were where like his crowd could see us. And there were so many people there that were like desperate for tickets, like anything, any tickets I would take my kids to see Dave Baptists. So I was like, well, I got eight tickets, I'll just give them to him. So I'm in Philadelphia, in my own town. Now it's two thousand and three. So yes, we already want to Grammy. We're you know, we're not you know, you guys killing It was so exciting that you guys were we're playing with us. Well here's the thing though. Here's the thing though. So I'm figuring, like, wow, I'm watching this dad struggle to get him and his two kids, and I'm actually going to walk up to him and give him my four tickets that he needs, and what's gonna happen? But I know it's gonna be funny. It was such It was such a pie in the face moment because it was like, I don't know if he just wasn't used to acts that generous or anything, but he did not trust that my tickets were legit. And I was like, well, I'm the opening act. I'm in the roots the Roots, And he was like, huh, as I'm one of the opening acts. See that's my tour bus here. I'm giving you these four tickets. And it's like he took him, but it was almost like he was waiting for that proverbial amble to fall on his dead He still stood there. I was like, well, you're gonna go in the stadium, right, It's like yeah, yeah, yeah, But it was as if if I were going to walk away. He was still still stood there and been like, all right, someone had four tickets, so I can get inside the Dave Matthews like, it's as if he did not believe that, so he blocked his blessing. I hope he did not get in and realized that he really good seats. But I wish you could have just taken them back. It seems like a little bit of a rude in response, too. Well, it's Philadelphia, and Philadelphia is very non trusting, especially of kind gestures, and it's and but it's also you know, hometown, so you'd feel like, I thought, you know what, Dave, I'm just realizing that I've had some of the most interesting career pivots courtesy of you. Yeah, like what, No, It just hit me that I once fired an assistant at a Dave Matthews Show, because uh you remember, right? Yeah? Oh, she beat me and scrabble and like, so, I guess the rumor around Philadelphia is that I'm a sore loser at scrabble when I fired my assistant. But it was just she was disrespectful way that she gloated. So and what does Dave have to do with that? I immediately hired her. Wait a minute, yo, Steve, Steve, do you know how we got Dave Matthews? Remember we stole from Dave Matthews, Like we can, we can go on forever. How you doing, man? What's going on? We're on the road, except I'm home. My son just had his birthday. He turned sixteen. So that's sort of where my head is in a way because it's a kind of exciting thing from Wait, you're conducting a podcast interview in the middle of your Sun sixteenth birthday? No the day after? So no, no, I would have I think we we we schedule this again and again, but for both of us. But I wouldn't have put it on his birthday because he I mean, I know that he would have cared because he wasn't. He didn't. I was available for him, but he wasn't as available for me because he's sixteen and then so now you're in dead territory. No, that was a little bit expressive. I mean, he there's times we that's I'm not selling him short, but but he's busy, right, so so um, there's times when uh, he's not available thirsteen thirteen to twenty two. I get it. I was that person too there so and I know that I was busy. I didn't want to abandon my mother. Um, but there was a lot of stuff that I had to experiment with and she understood and now I think I understand. So but I well, you know, we're we're touring. It's the season, and so that's what I'm doing, and I'm happily here and happy to very happy to finally talk to you. I just have to say, I'm a man. You know, you know that I'm an insane fan so of yours and the roots, but also likewise, so when when I heard when I heard that you were thinking that I would be an interesting guest, I calmly said affirmative, thank you, and I appreciate that that the love is mutual. Wait, can I ask, does touring at this level for you ever get tiring, because at least for me, I will say there's probably two X that I've learned the most from in terms of touring, and that is the Beastie Boys when we really first started touring, and then you were pivotal and when we really got established, and just the small things that we didn't know that could happen on a tour, like you were the first band that we saw that had like communication microphones on stage so you could talk to each other. And I was like, wait, I don't have to yell anymore, like go to the next part. I have to address this because this is serious stuff. This is serious. I was on the side of the stage. We were up. It was a rainy day. I can't remember, but we were both there. We just talked backstage just quickly as we were going. But I have to say this, I'd never been on any ears with you guys, I mean, and heard you guys talking to each other like that, right, hear you shouting the changing arrangement. It was it my head. I was just crazy. Well, first of all, I will never take that much responsibility for anything spontaneously. That's terrifying to me because you don't do it was you. No, well, I mean, but I mean we do say let's change this, let's do this, what about it? We go and we let things happen. But you're actually turning there all over. You did something even better than that. You were cracking jokes, and I was like, wait a minute, we can actually crack jokes. And you know, there there there was a turnaround or a shift where for us it was like the same grind, the same you know, just ricka morale or whatever. And after we got done touring with you, I was like, yo, I want I want to do the same thing. Dave Matthews does the whole communication thing and then suddenly our ability to look with each other and one microphone while still doing like the show. The audience is getting the show that they're getting, but it's also like, yo, third row, third row, far left, he just fell down, he spilt he spilled wine all over. Oh ah, y'all see that, Like that is a very sad it is. I do think that this. I have to say this. I think that being able to talk to each other is it opens up. When we figured out that that was possible, it did suddenly create this sense of um, we've we were worried a little bit some of the time that there was gonna be times when you know, people would zap in and they could pull that someone's gonna get on our wavelength and they're gonna hear so many people, and then I'd be like, oh, no, God, would it would come out you know right right right, you know, like Hue Glass. Yes, So I mean like that happened to Regae Glass really and that's that. And I hear about those things. I mean, I I I'll you know, often I'll say something to the audience and even if it's earnest and I mean it sincerely and it's something about whatever, something that's happened, I'll turn around and look at the band and then say something that is totally Oh it's just just so everyone break just so you know, so it's something you have you turn around and say something that I don't until you know, We've been on this podcast for a long time, right right completely at home. I'm not gonna I'm not gonna go. But it does feel like, um there's it does has a weird thing of uh connects to the music in a way that I think may have happened in time, would have been easier for it to happen in smaller venues when when we are starting out or in a different band, you know, you're sitting around all playing there, then you can say you can shout things or play the bridge, or let's do this, or what about those titties or whatever it is, which which our conversation earlier. Sorry you heard yes, yea so so, but once once we were it was loud and you couldn't and we couldn't really communicate that. That whole spontaneity that that happens, it goes sort of goes away in the conversation is only in the music. And so I do think that was I know what you mean. But then that it flipped around and then I screw you up in wherever and then watched you doing this conducting thing. I was like, wow, that's now that I know rightly, I live for nothing more than those serious moments, those those benefits, those really earnest, quiet moments. I live for those moments because yes, in the communication microphone, I'm gonna say the most my goal is to make them break and crack up while being forced to keep a serious face like that's mean. I love doing that. That's my favorite thing, especially us, especially if there's a boring guest on the Tonight show. That's when I'll really come alive and and provoke them. I'll have sound effects like snoring sounds. And oh that's of course you would take it to the next level because well, first of all, now I'm instantaneously paranoid. But that because not that I've not that you know, it's been a while since. So if you when you when you talk to Jimmy, say, you know, just just invite me on letting me a couch guest, even if it's to make a fool of me, I don't care. You got an album out, so that should be like too sweet. Oh, actually it's right, Yeah, I am. Let's sang. Yeah, I was gonna say, let's make sure that we have a TV show to do. But yeah, that's the that's affected that's affected this project a lot then, right, because you we're talking about you were crazy about like it did sound sort of like the pandemic with when you got without I mean you can go outside, yeah, but you can go outside. Um, it's like the pandemic if you lived in the woods. Yeah yeah, Well, I mean what does that basically mean? That you'll just have to double up in radio promotions or just do creative things like stuff on YouTube or like what is it? What does it mean to have a new album and not be able to promote it on the media television unless you do the View? Well I will I oh really, View? They're still working? What what did they do? If you're still working? The View is still working. Yeah, they tell you before every show, whip you'll be like, just so, y'all know, we don't have writers, So don't becoming at us about what we're asking because this is all us. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're spontaneous. Yeah. Um, I didn't realize that well that it shows sometimes. Um I haven't watched the View very often, and so any judgment that I passed is unfair. That's fine, I got it, but I but I do. Yeah. We were supposed to do some shows and they were canceled. But at this at the same time, I sometimes think this, people are still coming to the shows and and so, and you know, adding more music into it. We're not only playing the record and so so it's you know, just I don't pay enough attention to anything. That's what that's that's that's a good answer too. And the Dave Matthews band do they need the same machine at everybody? At this point, You're right, like people know when the music is coming out. Your people know, and it does. It probably doesn't make a huge effect that you don't have to do a TV like that. Yeah, we're lucky and then we'll I am a bunch of TV and when nobody cares you know something though, Speaking of which, Um, I'm working on a project of which your musical performances from like ninety three to about ninety six are included in this project. And I wanted to know, especially for um, your your your song structures, how limiting is it to do television if you only have a four minute and thirty second window, Because you know, from my experiences of being at Dave Matthew shows like you guys cook for six to eight minutes on songs with you know, like the solos are the best part of both. I think that that's true. That's the best part. It is. My favorite part is when everything gets uh gets cracked open and then um and then we can you know, be spontaneous and when the when the even vote, uly, when things when melodies change, but uh, I don't know. It's it is a it's a weird. It's a weird. Uh, television is very stressful. You do and a half three minutes, I don't know. You know, I was worried than mix is gonna sound as bad as it might, and then I'm worried, uh that I'm gonna suck, and then I'm worried it's too How can you do anything in two and a half minutes? It It is so anytime there's an opportunity to mock myself, which is you know, I often I like that. That's what I'm I'm glad that um foulon when I come on that show, then I can go you remember a little fun Yeah, when I came on that show and did the trap thing, Yes, and you guys were singing, Yes, I do remember that. So I got it. But I have to tell you I worked so hard on that CARDI b tune to make sure that even though I was just goofing off on the guitar, I wanted to get every single, every single of because I didn't want to I didn't want people to think what song is. I wanted very specifically, we knew someone to know what it was because it is. I'm very loose about sticking to the script. That instance, I felt like the script was the only thing that would make it work, so I had to at least be Otherwise it would have been I could have if being the normal me, I could have just I could have phoned it in and and people have been like, I have no idea what he's doing, We have no idea what music he's singing, right, I had to be much more strict than I am with my normal music, which is um, which is you know, I mean, I don't I don't even know if I get my lyrics right. So wait when you did when you did that that that piece of WITHCARTI is that you're sixteen year old, as is your oldest kid. He's my baby, he's your baby. So this is good. So what did your kids say about you doing that and the bad He laughed, He thought it was pretty funny. He actually did. He even was nice enough to say, you know, it sounded it didn't sound right, but you know, he said, it sounded pretty good. Dad. Are your children are they musicians? My son plays um the piano, and he plays the guitar, but and he enjoys it. But he doesn't like to do it as far as I know. One time, all the kids there's a party and all the kids were playing there. There were their piano. Some kids were better than other kids, right stay, I said. I said to him, I wish I wish you got up and played the piano. And he looked at me and he said, Dad, I will never ever dude what I was like. But it was just it was kind of interesting. But it was I understand where he's coming from. It is I understand what he's saying. He's saying, there's this there's a different world, and I'm not I'm not I'm not jumping in it right now. So you don't expect that even don't even oh, I'm going to play football. I was. I was forced in the family business, like I would just naturally think that you know, any progeny or whatever, like you just automatically I figured, at least by ten or twelve, like he's going to sit in and sit on a high chair and start playing with you and eventually, I mean, in your mind, would you like that or is that? Like no, just me Carter and and and and like Stefine, like this is our thing and our thing only or I don't know if i'd want my son to come and uh, I mean, I would love it if he wanted to, but it's not something that I think about. I'd love him to find he has his own musicals, he likes is a pretty wide perspective of the kind of music he enjoys, and he always surprised me. But that's what I want him to find music the way I did. I guess I came from a family there were no musicians, but my mom, you know, listened to a lot of classical music. My parents did, and then also some folk music, and and then I found my way. My brothers turned me on the music. I think I found a Beatles record or something, and and and so I kind of felt that's kind of the way I found music. And so there's been music around my kids and in our house all the Snap. He answered it, asking wait wait. I was like, Snap, wait a minute, we're doing a podcast. Wait a minute. Wait about you and Dave, we're just talking and catching up. Wait, why, oh my god, twenty eight minutes yo? He wait? Can we each have one word of the question? What? Go ahead? Okay? What was your first music? Go? Wait? Any minute? Time out. The first question we asked, this is the level of comfort I have a Dave Matthews. I legit forgot I was doing a podcast. I was totally I let a half hour go by it. I didn't even start the process. No, I was like, maybe he joined his remake out start from the beginning. I'm here, so, uh, you know, if we have to start again, I'm happy again. But but I will I will say this. But the question was what was your first musical memory. I would like to say my first live music that I remember, Like, I think it was my first memory because I think I was sitting between my mom's knees. I was a little kid, you know, sort of, and on the back of a flatbed truck. Pete Seeger was playing the band, singing really and uh, I remember thinking that guy's awesome and he was so weird. He was such a weird, but he was so he had he was so friendly, and so that's my first Like I feel like the country was this day because you've lived in a lot of places. Where were you when we sum up upstate? Not upstate New York, but you know, north in New York City. So he was in quoting quite a bit and uh in that area and UH wasn't turn turn turn or I can't remember what song. I don't think he was. I can't remember what songs he was playing. I just remember thinking this, and people were you know, it was relaxed and everything. But then I think, my when I was five years old, I remember liking the Jackson five. So I'm not entirely sure whether that was because why I fell in love with him was because they had a five, I've right, But then I really did love um them, and then I've i've fell in love with the Beatles, and I became I would say, a bore until my brother opened my brain when I was about ten, and my brother was turned me onto other kinds of music, and and then I and then I it was the seventies, so I could listen to the radio and you could hear even in the seventies, you could have the radio on and it could be like at least well PLJ or whatever it was. You know, it was like, uh, it could be it would be like John Denver and then Marvin Gay and then and then uh, you know, Donna Summers and then you know, I remember my mom would always go to the radio when Donna Summers came on and she'd be going, I love to love you baby, my mom like, I don't like this song right right, and then she wait for it to be over. But I married my mom always running to the radio and turning off the That was the only song I could remember her response. I think it was just it was too much. It was there was too much love making in that song for my mom. Back when we scheduled this interview weeks ago, I watched about three interviews of yours, and they're pretty much they're pretty much the same format. Like they talk about, you know, your beginnings of South Africa and move into the States and then putting the band together. They talk about so I'm actually gonna go back to where we were just five minutes ago. I'm gonna talk to you like a friend, not as a music expert. Thank you. So wait, no, no, no, I'm gonna ask you random things. So I totally I put my script away, all right, So this is what I want to know, and this is I'm asking you just your everyday life questions. Okay for for our listeners, I feel like you know a lot about a person based on Starbucks order. What is your main order at Starbucks. Uh an Americana with cream. All right? What's that in English? Steve? Because you know that you got to translate from espresso espresso with water and it Steve is our resident Starbucks uh at it? I have. I have a coffee shop in Seattle that you know, everyone has the best coffee shop in the world, but this actually is the best coffee shop. And it's called Lighthouse, and um, well, there's a there's some there's a lot of great coffee shops here, as they are as much as there are everywhere. But this, this particularly one, I call it that, and it's a small, little one, and so I hope that it doesn't piss them off that I just uh told everyone about. But I get more cappuccinos and lattes and Kaiado is not the one that you get at Starbucks, but the original sort of simple foam and espresso when I go there, because everything they make, even if I just get it a shot of espresso, everything they make there is deligious. But if I go to Starbucks, I know it's gonna be the if I get a four shot Americano, it's going to taste exactly the same. In des Moines as it will taste in Tokyo or Yorktown Heights, New York. It's not going to be any different because the wait, what part of what part of the world do you live? Do you? What part of the world are you living in? Now? Are you? Or I live in Seattle? So I'm between. I sort of live between Virginia and Seattle. But my children, because my wife studied medicine here, my children were born in Seattle. I bored. He just he just he just got up and left. Well, he always when people talk about their children and where they're from. I just had to take a break. I had to take a break. I know, I know what you mean. It's where. It's where I just did and I did it all and I'm and I keep doing it. Where do you live Seattle? Anyway? So we ended up being here and we like it in Seattle a lot. And we also those are opposite towns, by the way. That's that's some interesting duality of worlds that you got going on, Charlottesville and then Seattle. That's right, and it is true, but it's it's also funny because there's assumptions we make about both which are true, which are but which are also but are also very um, not true at all, right, right, you're very option very They're not monolists, they're not monolithts. No, and um, maybe Charlottesville is. I guess it's a wonderful place. But every place could be a little more aware of its self than it is. I imagine. I bet your kids are hell around, were well round it for those reasons though. That's what I was thinking too, Like they get they know all the things I think that I think I have nice. I think I've kind children, that's the main children. Yeah, you absolutely, and I've and and I also think that my children are well round enough that they uh, they act polite and well put together when they when they when they see you quest but they are very excited. I have one great story made me really proud of my kids. So my favorite musicians is Danny Barnes. He's a banjo player out of Austin. He lives up in this Many. Yeah, I'll fuck it. I had enough. I had enough of that. My pole barn fell into my peaches bucket. I'm looking at him up right now. You know it's it's so it seems so funky. Ah fuck it. Last time we were together a one hundred years ago at Sesame Street. You brought up Danny Barnes. I feel like he's a common, He's a common. I love him, but I love you love because, um, well he was on Sesame Street, Bill David. Danny Barnes was not on sesme Streets. That would be amazing, Dave, Dave Matthews, this person he was on set. Okay, great, I thought him up. I was. I was very happy to be on Sesame Street. But anyway, my thing, someone someone, some kid asked my kids if they knew Bob Marley, and I think they were They were asking them if they had ever heard of Bob Marley. But um, my kids were spoiled. And I remember my daughter said, um they were little, and my daughter said, I don't know Bob Marley, but um, we know we know Danny Barnes. There you go, parent winctive. That's good. Um, all right, My next everyday question is what television show are you currently binging? So I'm I'm I am mad that Uh I do like that? Uh the last of Us thing? Um okay yeah yeah, but and the last two episodes were my favorite because they were just so many. I'm just finish its ruthless. I just I'm excited, so I'm sad that I got to the end. Anyway, they were ruthless. A lot of people were like, I don't like the last two. I was like, I love them too. But also I wanted to tell you I think people should watch this funny. I think it's Australian show. I don't know if they haven't made anymore, but it's called Mister in Between. Does anybody it sounds familiar? Way? Wait? Wait, what's what's what service? What is this on one? I think it's Mister in Between? I really I liked the show. Oh no, I just meant Hulu Okay, mister, I don't know that I could be on the Dave, you know, but sometimes you just fall onto you fall into things. I know that there's gonna be a show that I'm watching that I have that I've forgotten. Okay um, and then there's uh uh, I just finished that re res Dogs. It's cool Reservation Reservation Dogs the Indigenous Kids. Yes, yes, that's good. It's a really good show. It's a lot of dope Indigenous shows on light on streaming right now, like they didn't include the community. Is really cool. So all of the non musical jobs that you've had. This is my favorite episode of Quest of Supreme Ever's because I just want to I want to know them as a human being instead of improps. I did. I was a bartender, which is I think, um uh, not unusual for musicians, but I but I worked my way up to bartending. I started off as the salad guy, and they used to call me the nacho guy because I made more nachos than salads. And then I waited tables. I hated. That's the worst. That's the hardest job in the world, waiting tables. I think it's the hardest job. Do you have the ability to carry that tree like way above your head? I was. I was good good. I'm good at carrying trays. But I'm also really good when i'm overwhelmed, because I'm easily overwhelmed. I'm really good at pretending that someone's not in my section until they leave. Wait, so you got passive aggressively? Yeah excuse me? Uh can can we haven't been served yet. I'm sorry you're not in my section. I'm just going to but I'll let your waiter know. I didn't do it, but I did do it, and I will and I and I tell you that one of the weird I was working on the patio and there's a lot of rats in this particular underneath this mall, but I there was They used to propose rats with restaurants. Okay. I walked onto the patio where I where I was waiting, and I looked and there was this There was a group of women and they were a little bit fancy. We're not too fancy because they were at our restaurant, but they were a little bit fancy, and there was a rat at their feet. So I didn't want to say, excuse me, there's a rat at your feet, because that would cause mayhem. I love the way anyway, So I waited for the rat to walk away from under their table, and it took so long. They would move their feet like the rat would be standing on their shoe, and then it would they moved their feet and then the rat would just walk over. I mean, it was so bananas. It was in Charlottesville. It was the most comfortable rat in the world. It walked out onto an open area and then the ladies spotted it when it was in an open area outside the restaurant and one of the ladies said. And then and then they all were like and then um, and then the dude came out of it's long closed. Now this dude came out of a Walmart and he had a and I was at this story. Now I was like, oh, I've been I must save, I must stop the run. Now you care, Now you care? Now I can acknowledge to the rats that if it was, I was just I was so happy it made it away about your anyway, it wasn't in my section. And then and this dude came out of the Walmart with a broom handle and a box and then just right in front of everyone, just beat this rat to death. All the people were like, all right, oh no, oh what a rat. And this dude just walked out just as if nothing was. I just was like and people were like, and I was kind of stunned too. And then he just smacked it into the box and just walked away back dropped the box next to the Walmart and just walked in. Not Walmart. What am I talking about? Woolworths, I said, Woolworths. Woolworths didn't come out of a giant mega store. He came out of the old the little old Woolworths. I ruined the story by so you didn't know, Dave Matthews. You literally, yo, guys, this might have to be my new format. I love. That's one job. What's the other four? Oh? Shit? So I worked in a record store and and it was in South Africa and it was when um, oh my god, I can't believe Anita Baker's like smash album came out and she was time outout, time out, time out, time out. Wait, why don't we get triggered? Yeah, I was sorry, Dame's not a game. It's not a game. Go ahead, I'm sorry. Inside Joe Let's just heard her name and got scared, like what the fuck? This was a long time ago. Anyway, I apologize if if if I haven't been reading the paper. But anyway, she was just saying that album was just that was non stop and everyone was it was yeah, and the thing it was, it was it was in the it was in the city in Joannesburg, and it's and it's it was an interesting time because it's when like Hillbrow in Johannesburg and Yo Villain Johannesburg and downtown Johannesburg where They were starting to call them gray areas because although apartheid was still like holding on with its claws, it was it was everyone. Everyone knew it was this. It was when the clerk was about to turn. He was gonna the president of South Africa was about to what they you know what what much of the country, uh, the white part of the country considered the great betrayal because he was hardline apartheid guy. And then suddenly he just did. But I think he got the reports from people and and and it was essentially you know, let go or right it's or you know there's going to be able to pay and get out, get out. Yeah. So anyway, it was right around that time, so there were these gray areas where people like where it was essentially you know, already integrated, and you know, the police were still horrifying and it was all that was still going out. But it was like these certain areas like they're sort of the hip. They'd be college students and um Orthodox Jews and then anyone else. I want to live there. It's just And what one Polish guy once said to me when I was in his cab in New York going to Brooklyn. He says, you know why the Jews don't leave here. The Jews don't leave here because the Jews don't take ship from everybody. And I was so interesting this. I don't know, I did a weird not good. No, that was I thought that was kind of good. But I feel like that polish was nailed. That was I felt like b minus, I was minus exactly what But anyway, it was a fucking accent. Oh um. But anyway, it wasn't me. I didn't say it so then, but I just thought that was so. I just thought it was interesting because then I ended up living years later, uh, in an area or with a friend in an area that was it was like had been very much like sort of a Jewish area in in Johannesburg that had now become this sort of gray area, but it was still very Jewish, but it was also college kids and it was also it was really interesting time. And that's when I worked at UM, this record store. I wish I could Hillbrow Records is what it was called. And UM and then what else? Shit, that was a long it's a long story. And I drew some pictures of I did some illustrations for for magazine's like uh, brochures for like insurance companies. For a little while, that was that's just like a small like a local like coming, you know, get your you're an illustrator, like a like like like coming, get a thermometer, put in your butthole? Uh at this, write a cartoon of it? Or yeah, you draw a little picture. No, I wish it was that interesting. It was much more like you know. Wait, can I ask does your publicist approve of this interview? I feel like they're here, they're they're right there, they they they just random dude giving you too thumbs up? That's amazing. Can I ask a random acting question real quick? Because I'm sorry, but you're one your favorite characters of mine was from Blended And I'm just so curious if you're like an improv dude or yeah, I'm just that's my first question about acting. But I'm just curious if you're improv dud because it seems like you'd be amazing at it. Well, um, I haven't done too each of it, but I would. I'm I'm but I'm willing to learn. Really, So what's your acting? So as far as your training, what do you what do you consider you just when I was when I was bartending a bunch of a bunch of English grads who worked in bars in Charlottesville, UM and other people that started. There's two there was one called off stage Theater and one uh there and there was another one that was that wasn't in random places that I've forgotten it now and they'll get mad at me when they if any of them hear this. But and then so we I used to do when I was twenty in my early twenties, I used to do little acting things there and you know, try to figure out what the hell I was doing with myself. I wanted to do something. Yeah. I think the last thing I did with uh off stage theater was uh, the band was already together. I think a couple of guys came to something I did in in the bars, Leroy and Carter. I think they came so one of them. And then now I you know, you know, if Sandler calls me, I'll do his movie. Yeah about this, say, y'all got a nice relationship. Yeah, what's your most fun Adam Sandler experience of all the movies that job done together? So so one time and he'll he might not verify this because but but it's mildly X rated. But he called me up and he said, um, he said, hey, buddy, I got this one thing. I got this thing for you. He says, you go, you gotta read this. And it was actually for the part that I think Woody Harrelson ended up playing, so he obviously Adam got a better option. But um, it was when wood he played the trans woman or something in Yeah, but wood he was wood He was great. He was anyway, so he was I think he was calling me about that. I'm not one hundred percent sure, but but he said, if I got I got, there's pop with you. And I said, I said, uh, um, I'll do anything for you said, I said, you could dress. I said, you could do anything. You're amazing. You could put a dress on and i'd probably, you know, want to make love to you. And he goes, whoa, and he goes and he goes, whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy, you could you could, you could never you could never ever make love to me, like I'm sorry, but he goes, you could even maybe you could titty fuck my ass, but you can never go inside you. And I was like, that's my that's my greatest memory. Memory of Adam is a sand tells you with a jacket, jail or whatever, and I was like, no, never go inside me. Also, that impression is point on. It is point on. That is spot on sand Man. Okay, I'm sorry to be heady about this, but so everything that happened between you and Nicole Hittman was scripted. Yeah, I mean for the most I mean for the most of the stumbling was it was all pretty pretty scripted. She's pretty shocked, and Keith was. Keith was around quite a bit too. Her Um, okay, car players making it weird awkward. That's the funny she's ever been. That's the shes but she you know what what's interesting is is um how much she adores Adam Sandler, because she said when she was first coming up, she said, uh, she was on Saturday Night Live and she was terrified and Adam was, um, just the nicest man. And that's kind of a it's kind of a thing that's interesting about He's like, like, you know, he's as he works as hard as anybody, but that guy is absolutely one of the nicest people in the world. He is he is he absolutely is. David. I've been asked I've been what is asking this my entire life. We talked about We've talked about this before. So you talked to the Beatles, the simplicity of melody, the simplicity of music writing. And yet when I listen to your songs, there's the time. Signatures are complex, the thoughts are complex, the harmonics are complex. It feels like like one thought and then a different practice. Yeah, I've I have, I have learned nothing, but like, but like we've worked together for a long time, and like it's like it's you're I think in your head and in my head, and I guess in song unders said, you want, you want to present the most simple thing, the most beautiful, simple, perfect thing. But yet for whatever reason, you get caught up in the musicality of it all right, and then and then you try to fall still right and then but but for whatever reason, you're very successful at finding that in the end of finding the most beautiful thing regardless, right, And so that has always been my like number one Dave Matthews thing your entire career as a fan, as a person who knows you that just like I don't know how you do that, I really don't. And it's like, it's really fantastic. That's I don't know how better to say. That works, well, that's that's, that's, that's very kind. I do I have to say that I do. I want to say, stop there and don't fuck it up, don't take change it to five, don't put it in for no reason, and it switch it to for what do you do? Why do I have to be so confusing? But then I but then sometimes I can't stop myself and then I just end up going in circles until it's too complicated, so I either throw it away or something. But I also have to say something that's something. They've been specific times in my life when I've said when I've come up with something that's that's weird, a weird time, a signature, or it's unusual, but I feel like it, and it's I think a lot of it is sort of listening to some sort of Central African and West African grooves and how it sounds like it's here, but then it's actually over here, and and and and and I don't know if I understand it, but but I still get inspired by it. And then I'll come up with something and I think to myself, I think this will sound really good if Carter plays it, you know, because Carter will come in and make something it's really unusual sound like it makes sense, and I think it's a remarkable gift. So sometimes I even go on tangents just to play for Carter who who. If anyone that's listening doesn't know as the drummer that I've been lucky enough to work with for, trust me, they we all know Carter of you. I know you guys know, but the mirror, like, how do you feel about a drummer like Carter, because essentially your philosophies are completely and utterly post opposite. So you want to know something because also like and I respect you both in so different ways, but it's a completely different thing, and that's fascinating to me. Here's here's the funny thing. So the project I'm working on right now, right is it was me looking at these guys like a period between ninety four to nineties six, and it just hit me when I saw them like this is like when the second album Verse came out and I saw them. So basically, what Bill is explaining is that I have a very bare bones, straight pocket and it wasn't until I saw you, but it wasn't until I saw the earliest performance of an unmentioned secret project I'm working on that it finally hit me. I was like, yo, now I saw this with at the Drive In. I saw this with and then when I saw this also when they morphed into Mars Volta, and now I'm seeing it with Dave Matthews. I now know where the true creative home, where what I call gospel chop jumping belongs. Carter is the perfect musical specimen of a drummer for this particular ensemble situation where if it's like a hand in glove. The problem I have is, all right, if you were to take Carter, he is gospel shops. You're saying it's transcendent cospel shops, Like it's He's on a whole other level. Right, he's ones. But that's the thing. But the only reason why that level of drumming would be jarring for me is if say a tribe called Quest asked for the same sort of drummer. You know what I'm saying, Yeah, then it would be different. But I now, like when I when I saw it, then I went on an instant rabbit hole and only watched pre ninety nine Dave Matthews to see them at their very beginners, and I'm like, oh shit, you guys are actually the blueprint for where black music is today as far as rhythmically instructurally. And I don't think you guys know that. And I don't think that we know that. No, I don't think you know that. And it's just like only in Mars Volta and in the Dave Matthews band is that level of insane drumming like music to my ears where it's just perfect makes all the sense. Don't get me wrong. I mean right right, I again, I'll just sit here and I'll just lie in that that sounds good to me. Wait did I not make that clear? But it was just it was kind of mental. Yes, I have a way to go around the scenic route to get to the point. Yes, But okay, So what is your preferred method of song writing? So do you do it alone or do you guys get together? Or there's been times when like the I think sometimes the best of what we do is when we're all together in the room and and you know, I'll have I'll find an idea and and and we'll like one of my favorite songs that I think we've ever ever put out called it's called Virginian in the Rain, and actually it only came out a couple of albums ago. It's just this swimming kind of feel and it's crazy, and it's so comfortable and everyone sounds exactly like everyone sounds and it but it's kind of a magical thing. And the way that the timing kind of has this upside down thing. And when we were first doing it, I think we all kind of almost had different ones, you know, it's like this, but the writing on that was all of us, you know, in the same space. And then there's times when when I'll come in with a sort of almost finished song and and then also I have a I don't it's not maybe traditional, but I have a and I think it's probably more common now, but there's a song like on the new record to walk around the Moon. And obviously it was harder for all of us to get into a room together in the pandemic because we are all everyone's losing their minds, and so that was sort of a restrictive situation. But you know, in traditional terms, I had finished the song walk around the Moon, and then Carter came in. He was the first person to come in because the producer Rob said, we should get Carter to play on this. We hadn't planned to making a record, and um, but when Carter first he listened to that and he did his funny sort of writing down the arrangement and then he went out and what he played over it was so bananas and so beautiful, so straightforward, but so bananas. It's like it like wrote it like here was the song was written here. And then what he did like changed the song, but it didn't. It just made it way more what it was. And I think in a traditional sense someone would say, uh, you know, I'd say, like, oh, I wrote that song, and you know, maybe there have been times when I had, but I had to say Carter wrote the song with me, because just you know, just the way he came in, and so there's that that time. So some songs come out of jams. Ninety nine percent of the time I write the lyrics afterwards, which is why maybe so often they're gobbledegoopum trying to trying to figure out a where I had to screw a lyric onto something that's jumping all over the place. So whether I write a musical thing or form or a song by myself, or the band gets together and we jam something or or it's a mixture of each thing. The writing of the lyrics sort of comes at the end. So that is so the process, that part of it doesn't change. I love when we're all free and I you know, there's times when I'll you know, Sayda Carter play something like play this, you know, or but there's also times where where I don't say anything, you know, and and I would expect the same from him too. You know, I do feel like a very fortunate that that we've managed to have like keep this uh process. I've managed to keep this process a little bit of an exchange rather than getting into a place where you know, I'm I'm telling everyone what to do, because I think so much more power in at least in this band. We've all been together so much that you know, there's more noise to be had from other people that make make things surprising for you? Is is there? What what is your idea of musical happiness? Like do you prefer small, small, intimate jamming situations with your band or actually, when's the last time you guys played in you know, like toads up, Yeah, like toads up in the Yale like um. But we you know, often when we play outside of the country, outside of the US, you know, we play in smaller places. It depends, you know, we do. There's you know, parts of Europe where we do better. But we're we're more in a weird way, we're more of a like a cult band in the rest of the world than we are definitely than we are in the States. I mean, so you know some Germany, where are you playing? Like how many people are playing too? In frank for Germany? Like two thousand or five? You know, maybe maybe if I don't know, five to two five somewhere we bounce around like Portugal. They like us there, so we do a little more, all right, we do a little more. We get a little more action in Portugal and Spain we do all right. The UK is a little bigger. But then you know, once we get but then it's a different it's very The vibe is it's so much fun to play to, you know, a different audience, an audience that we don't get to play in front of very much, you know, because we had this funny thing in the States that that you know, we kind of came up. You know, even though we have this we we've been lucky at times more than others to sell out big places. We still kind of came up this way from our shows and sort of word of mouth, and so that we haven't had that opportunity as much in other places, and so our audience is sort of similar, but a little more. We're excited about listening to us in other parts of the world than um than it states. How can you plan a tour in which every territory varies in size? And I know that at your your peak, your maximum, you guys are a fully operational like you know U thirteen fourteen eighteen wheeler truck. Maybe I would assume a seven to ten tour bus or private plane operation like but then you're saying that, like if you go to Glasgow, Scotland or something, then you might have to small scale it. So how how do you route and plan that out where some places you're you can play ninety thousand, I guess we do them separate. So you know, we're gonna go to Europe in the spring, and so then we'll think of it like what can we do? And you you know, new designs our stages and uh and does our lights and has for a long time, but you know, since like the first year that we were together. But so like then he'll design a stage for if we're in Europe and we'll be much and you know, and then our we'll take our core crew. We won't need the biggest So it's just like a you know, logistical change and a lot of it's it's not and and thank god it has nothing to do with me, because that would be a ship show. I love playing in the smaller, different venues. We were down in Mexico, you know, Mexico City, a few places at the beginning of the tour, and it's so much fun to play in places we don't go all the time. And you know, it's one thing to play in Cancoon, where it'll probably all be Americans, but if you go to Mexico City or Monterey or Guadalajara or whatever, then it's the audience is all Mexican people and and it and it's just it's so much fun to play for a really different audience. And when we were down there, we had like a week or so, maybe a little more than that, somewhere around there when we were just all rehearsing together and that was that was fun. Actually, I think a lot um hopefully some new music will come out of that. I think it's very fortunate, especially now. I mean there's ups and downs, right, but the way the band is right now, I feel like UM is as much fun playing with these guys as I've ever had. So, you know, I was going to ask about that, like the band has morphed so much in the past I don't know ten years, like how do you where do you find the happiness and where do you find the right thing? Yeah? And adjusting I'm gonna add that to your question, Bill, Like and adjusting to life after Roy's transition, Yeah, like how do you? Roy was like, uh, Roy and Carter. Roy's like the first person that I It's like, you, you don't have better friends than him. He was difficult for him, but you don't you know, and and you basically he's just there's no one like him. He was so unique and Jeff Coffin put it beautifully, one one who plays sex with us now. But but Jeff said, Um, what Roy had and didn't realize much of the time was he had his own voice and that's like what every horn player dreams about. And and it's true, like Roy just had this, Like I get to hear a recording, like just hear one note and it just and I it just like Roy just um the memory of him. But I think, you know, so we go, we really miss him. But you know, you and you go, you go up and down. But right now, the way the band is, you know, there's lots of gratitude and um, you know, because you know, we still we're still paying for our own toothpaste and so um um, so that's good and we're living uh, living well. And it seems like the audiences are still enjoying it. So you know, this is this is it feels like right now, the last five years or so, it's been a really good, a really good period for us. I really feel grateful about it. I also love playing, you know, by myself. I also love playing with just me and Tim. I don't know, any opportunity to the change is good too, you know, to scale down. Okay, I'm thinking of life with Steve and Jonas back when we were in the house together. Oh god, memories they yeah, peanut butter in the fridge or outside the fridge outside the fridge, outside the fridge, agreed after it's open, Yeah, yeah, always always. Y'all probably do that same thing with catch up and mustard. Y'all lead that outside the frigerating. You leave peanut butter inside the fridge, why are you maybe opened it? Yeah, anything that's opened should go in the fridge. Y'all don't read the label. I don't read if you're gonna leave on the shelf for a couple months. Yeah, but but I you know, we go through our peanut butter. It's just it's a and we get the you know, we get the crunch of all natural. But I think it's the same with the other ones. It turns into it's it's impossible. It's like spread and the fat the fridge. So you have to take it out and leave it there anywhere. If we're really going to ask questions, this random I got, I got a few questions in my own, so here we go. My first random question is, um, there's a famous piano player slash a ranger that did a lot of work on my favorite chazz label called CTI. His name is David Matthews. He's been heavily sampled as well, so Chris might know who he is, and I was just wondering if, because of the name, did you ever meet him or crossover with him, or have publishing issues with him in any way because or have you ever heard of David Matthew? And we've had some but but it's been more amusing than anything I think there was. I think once he we ran into each other in uh and I do know him, but uh, I think he may have come he had to call the irs and say this is definitely not mine, not mine. Oh wow, his estimated it's got blown up by day. Yeah. I think it may have been like no, no, no, no, that's the other guy that sounds sounds a little like Kermit the Frog. Um. And he doesn't do any arrangements. Okay, we had an amusing exchange, UM in an airport. Okay, did it a bucket of arranging too? Right? Yeah? Yeah, I think he's most known for his his arranging. UM. So I have a second random question. Do you remember being at Electric Ladies Studios in the late nineties, must have been ninety seven, ninety eight, some ninety nine maybe UM and UM smoking a joint with DeAngelo, Yes, with two other random guys I was one of the other random and I didn't know about this, no, but listen it. So then um so now I'm you know, I'm excited first of all to be visiting d' angelo in the studio, but now I'm fucking so fucking high. And then that's which is fine, that's fine, And he turns on he starts playing the most insane you'll agree with me, right, I mean, the music was so beautiful, was so insane. I mean I hadn't heard any of it, so maybe you've been, you know, going listening to it again, but it was like early it was, but it was but it was not what I heard. I mean maybe it took us four years to make that record. Yes, I'm telling you it was so banan the music he played. I left, like, you know, you know, when you experienced something when it's so beautiful that you know you're partly inspired, and then you're also just like what am I? What am I doing? Wow? What am I doing? I should I need to just go back to yourself, the rock where I where I you came from? And the fuck up? Yeah, Well, it makes you raise your game, is what it does when you hear music like that, Because like you sort of see possibilities. It was Yeah, that was I absolutely remember. It was so exciting. Oh the route, Yeah, I think the route. Oh that's a good one. The reason weren't you weren't there quit this was like after this was like vocals, vocal sessions that just went on for a year. So you wanted to know that. But tell me, how does Dave Matthews wind up at Electric? Well, that's that's my that's my actual question is what album were you working on? Because you were there for a session. Well, I believe I wonder because I've done a few different things. I think you were in your own I think you were down in the b room. Could we have been doing the same Tana Uh oh yeah, yeah, he might have, which I've which I have to tell you we planned that for a long time. I have to say my son, uh put put on the song that I sang on that Santana record, and and then I hadn't heard it a long time, and I have to stay I'm not sure what was wrong with me. I was I was a little soft on that song. Kind of irritates me when I hear it. I'm a little soft. I'm a little like I don't know. I'm a little airy, a little bit. Hey. I mean it's even it's a Kermit the Frog, like we really tired, none of us, like, well we do ten years twenty years ago. Ever on Santana Robins, my son and I was, he's been getting into some Santana and he listened to that and he goes, he goes, it's it's I said, oh, I sound terrible, and he goes, and my son off. He confirmed it by going, it's not your best, dad, he's the best. He's the best as August. August is like takes your heart. Huh yeah, he said, it's not your best speaking of Santana. Okay, so where did you get the idea? So the thing is is that we're doing our first stadium show, and you know, the stadium holds like seventy thousand people, but I think an accumulation of it because we're the opening act. It's the Roots Santana and then Dave Matthew's band, and you know there there might be there might be five thousand people. Now, I just came from an arena show last week. I went, I went to witness what I call swift Ville or and and no no, No, it was something to behold, especially as an outsider. Yeah it was. It was something to behold. But the thing is is that a lot of people who I know, a lot of kids who went down to that you know, yeah, just friends of friends and said we're going to Pittsburgh. So the town was so packed. I had to get a hotel in Cleveland, Ohio. Like, anywhere she goes, he's gonna bring at least at least two billion dollars worth of business. So I want to I want to science study just on that alone. But my whole point was that, so you know, we're about to go out on stage and then you come and you're like, I'm gonna introduce you guys, And I'm like, wait a minute, this doesn't happen. That the opening, the headliner of the place isn't supposed to come out, you know, the bride's not supposed to see the groom on the wedding day. And you came out, and it was as if the audience knows that you do that, because instantly, like within ten seconds, that ship went to like fourteen thousand people, and you not only introduced us, but then you stood on stage and watched us because you knew that your fan base would come from their tailgate parties outside to watch you watch us. So where did you get that idea from? Because that's that's you didn't have to do that. But where did you get that idea from? Well, you know, it's probably pretty simple. So I um, I had a few, you know experiences when we were coming up. You know, we had a few experiences where where you know, the where the audience was coming for the man right, and and and so, and that was always it was. It was quite often it was humbling, and sometimes it was Sometimes things turned out well. I mean we had a great time. We opened up for the Dead one time in Vegas, and and and everyone had warned us that the dead audience is not into the opening act. Yeah. Man. And then the funniest thing is, um, they loved us, which maybe says something about us. They were all they were all dancing and the spinning around the hare in a blast. But but it wasn't always like that. And um, but I remember one specific time it was I think Carter and I went to I think we were actually playing between this uh Blues Traveler had two sets. They were playing two sets and we were playing between them. Oh wow, And there are these two dudes right in front of me in the audience, and so my monitors there, and then these two dudes and they were just at the top of their lungs. They were screaming like essentially like fuck you, you fucking suckuck and it was like they wouldn't have taken a break anyway. Um, they were so furious and they didn't start, they were rest and then I kept like, it's I could I could barely. I mean, that's all I could hear. And then I kept turning around to Carter because he's, you know, he's a he's a great drummer, but he's also quite often my therapist. And I'm like, these dudes are these guys are really fucking wearing me out? And Carter's like just playing the fucking song because they were wearing a few But I always remembered that, and I always remembered like, like I wanted to say, they invited us to come and play in between their fucking set, right and right right. So I guess that that was the motivation, was just that, like, I was really excited that you guys were opening the start of the show, like so I was, I want to make sure that they that they'll you know, like it's the whole show, right, So that's how I felt about it. It was it was selfish, all right. So second second check it. You just reminded me one of the most hilarious moments open for you. Okay, So we did Philadelphia with you first. Then we did aforementioned giant in New York where you know, I had to fire oh yeah, and then and then okay, so we get to Boston, right, and now we're kind of feeling ourselves like, okay, this is not attimid dating. We got this, you know, because even we were you know, we just started going to the next level. So this is all very new to us. So this is this is some Daddy Warbucks meets Annie sort of like experience for us where it's like, all right. So then we get to the first song, right, we get to the first song, and already this is the first day. This is the first day that we have a new implemented communication mics that we saw you guys have him, right, So I'm realizing that we can play do background vocals and and crack jokes and you know, so we're in our zone. And then the whole audience was like saying like and you know, by time he got the song three, I was like, Yo, we are killing shit. Yo. I was like, Yo, dude, fucking Dave Matthews might kick us off the tour for kicking his ass so much. We we are fucking killing and the right I said, Yo, we're fucking killing shit, y'all, let's keep it up. And the monitor guy was like, um, actually, guys, they're saying Yankee suck, Yankee suck. And I was like, wait, what what what are you talking about? He's like, uh, he has a Yankees cap born and we from Philly anyway. Ray, But that's the thing Tarik Tarik is not. He's not a sports guy. He was just matching his outfit and no, and like but this was also in two thousand and four, where oh yeah, two thousand and four, We're Boston asked right, so, oh my god, we felt that's pretty that's a pretty good that's a pretty good story that we felt he was killing it. And then and then and then suddenly the audience was like, yes, yes, throw throw it. No he did literally, and then Tariq was like, Yo, I'm sorry, y'all, I was just color coordinating my outfit, like I didn't mean any fence and he threw it and they just yo quick music questions as we owned this because Amir always talks about Dave Matthews band and and and the Dead and BC Boys kind of being his blueprint as far as the structure of what they did and shows and stuff. Dave. When you were creating your band, was there other bands that you looked at in that way, like from a business structure or from just touring anything that you were like, this is what we're aiming tours? I was, Um, I have to say that I was going pretty blindly um. And and it was really you know, I was really excited about uh playing in a band, you know, and I was really excited about Leroy and Carter and Stephan. I was just it was just like A there was there was something that was happening that was was was exciting, you know, like UH playing this one gig where it was like I think it was earth Day um. And it was one of our earliest gigs. And we were supposed to go on like second or first, and then the band that was supposed to go on after A said Hey, could you go we got another gig, and so could you go later? And we're like okay, And that happened over and over again until we were I think we were the last band to go on. And it was an evening show and it was on a mall, and and I remember when we got up to play, nobody knew who we were. We didn't even know who we were. And then you know, there's probably of the maybe there was a thousand people there at one point, but when we went up there there was a hundred people or something. And but boy when Carter, when we started, they all got up and they all started dancing. And so it was like this funny moment of like, where's there something we got something going on and that sort of brown charts film. And then you know, we started, you know, got a couple of odd gigs here and there, and they didn't always work out, but there was something that pulled us and I think, you know, it was meeting the right people who had had ideas about how we could get up in front of more people, and you know, it's starting to play in universities and and the words started started going around. I think the fact that we didn't have a lot of music, and we improvised and and we had to make shit up and and so the shows were varied and different, like I think that I remember there was a lot of colleges when we played that were people unity replacements and we'd be like no, like no, you guys suck. You know. We wait. Also, so you're telling me that your your college presence was based on filling in for other acts, because that's how we came up. And it wasn't it was eventually it wasn't that. I mean, it was like but I mean we went from like sometimes being accepted because somebody in a college liked us, to like sort of like colleges were we'd go to places we'd never played before and everyone would be singing our and we didn't have any music out and everyone would be singing along. It got really it. We got this little cult thing in the in the in the universities that was kind of crazy, you know. I remember we went up to we we had this nightmare where we drove over these snowy mountains. We were supposed to go around the mountains because it was the middle of winter in Maine, and but we didn't. Nobody They sent us the wrong instructions and we went over the top and it was a nightmare. We would slid down a mountain in a van with a trailer. And when we got there where we're pretty we were pretty hot, and we were and we were two hours late. They were like you're late, and you know, we're like fuck you. Then when we got on stage and we started playing, the crowd was really excited and they were a priority, you know, wasted, but they all started singing all the music so loud, all the songs to us, and so it was kind of like this, what the hell's happening? We haven't even been here, We never this mountain? Year was the sea change for you? Like? What year was the year in which? And how a'timidating? Was it to like wait a minute, what do you mean we could play stadiums now like I mean, I remember getting to the one of the guys who worked with us, one of our A and R guys, when we played before we had to put out an album or anything. But we were going to put out an album and we were playing like Irving Plaza or I think, and it was packed and the and the head of our record company said, how much money did we have to pay to get all these people here, and you know so much. It was so disconnected sort of the record industry. We were was just that they had nothing. He couldn't even he didn't even like he had barely heard of us, and so you know, it was it was a funny. We were almost like chasing in a funny way. We were working hard, but we were like chasing our chasing the audience in a funny way. We weren't right, but they were chasing us. I don't know what the right analogy would be. Yeah, it seems like it's a small amount of groups in this world that have existed that have a following in common like you. Like I was just talking to I have a high school girlfriend. As long as y'all have been out, her and another girlfriend have been following you guys, and they've done like up to the coast. They started at the top and they've gone down. These are black girls, which is also kind of really dope too, because they say they see each other at Dave Matthew show. That's like, that's a whole nother contingency of like black people who were like really literally physical follow you. Yeah, it's really really four of my staff members are like true Dave Heads and Shasta Candas Bobo and sing of Parents. They wanted me to say their names in this episode. Singer Bran in the thirty years of touring and whatever, what's the best thing you've seen from the stage that you say on the microphone back to Carter the best laughed from the band? What's the best thing? All I can think about is uh is is Teddies? I knew it was naked, you know, and it was you know, there's definitely definitely jazz Fest seems like jazz Fest. There's Yeah, you think I will say something that's funny that if you just if you just look a little further, like because usually it's on someone's shoulders. Yes, so I think it's funny when um, the person that's carrying the person that has the titties doesn't know that ties are out, and I may not know, but when they sometimes when they find out, there's the sort of like this suddenly there's people and then everyone's excited that. But so that there's there's a there's a different there's different nuanced it's an it's it can be a nuanced situation where there's different emotional there's different input, there's different excitement and different perspectives, not just um based on alcohol content too anything, not even any boobs nowadays, as you know, they're different boobs all bobs. I have a I have a non titty question, if that's all right, um so, with regards to what we were discussing with with touring and and you mentioned the Grateful Dead, and you mentioned you you played, you opened up for them once, um so at the time. And I'm not sure if if we're around the same age or whatever, but I was in ninety three. Let's say you mentioned I was twenty three, and we had in college, we had seen a lot of Grateful Dead shows, um prior to Jerry passing away, and either they were either winding down or he had already passed and you were on an upward trajectory or just come out in a way. And in at least in my little group, it was like, well what now. And then it was kind of like, well, Dave Matthews band, Now you were there. You were going to be the next thing, well not necessarily but like the next the next band that people could literally follow around physically and travel around and tour with them, and tailgate and have that whole kind of deadhead type of situation. So did you sense any of that or was that just between me and my friends where we heard felt that you were the next coming of let's say that type of touring. Yeah, I think we definitely felt like some I definitely remember feeling like some some of that was happening. But then you know, that was also think about like Fish were you know, Peers and and and they definitely held that place. And then when I think about the bands we kind of came up in this in that time, I suppose somewhat a culture of seventies rock and a lot of that being the dead was like if you think of there was like Colonel Bruce, and there were all these sort of interesting bands that were also sort of a crossover with jazz and stuff. So there was there seemed like there was a sort of a a ground swell of bands that were kind of doing that, and um, and we were super lucky obviously, and um so I felt that I remember we were in um, We're in like within a couple of days of Jerry dying, we were in San Francisco, and I remember walking around, you know, uh, and and people were literally in the people were walking around the streets literally saying, what do we do right now? It's this? It was. It was kind of amazing to see these people who's who had like there there whatever how wherever they were in their adult lives, had really been wrapped around around that culture. And I don't think anyone will ever replace that or takeover, but and we may. I've certainly gotten some of that or been, you know, in some ways similar to what they represent, and at times maybe more effective in in our spontaneity than others. But I don't think I don't think that ever. You know, they were so unique that I kind of felt, even though it wasn't part of as big a part of my of my musical upbringing, when I was in San Francico and walking around and people were going like what are we gonna do? Like, I was like, Wow, this this is like an this is like a different world of of musical cult, musical devotion that I've never you know that. I mean, the Beatles had Theirs, but they never had anything like that. They never had like people going right, am I gonna do? I remember being heartbroken when John Lennon died, but it wasn't going to change my bus schedule, you know when. But when the Beatles broke up, there were people running around saying, what are we gonna do? But wait, let me let me ask, Like for you, though, is jam band a four letter word to you? Because I don't, I don't. You know, you guys are way more advanced than I'll say, at least eighty percent of that circuit. I mean, there's some kids now, like Snarky Puppy that's kicking ass, but they're kicking ass and then you know they're not but they're not right, they're not. But it's interesting though, because that's that's scripted. I think it's where we didn't decide. You don't decide where you go where you get put, you know in some ways. And so I don't feel like that. I never uh felt like we belonged to that. I always thought that was a somewhat it was just a term, a convenient you know sort of you know, and that we got an audience and we get to play for them in it, and I you know, in a weird way, jam band. I don't know who came up with it, but it's you know, obviously jamming. As people do that, um, but but it seemed to be somewhat dismissive, you know, you know, it's like yeah, some sason jam bam, it's usually in a disparaging way, like a critic. Well, the thing was, we tried to avoid it because I saw some of the bands catching flak for it. But then you know, for us, I feel like, especially in the state of black music, the band is dying, the group is dying music, a level of musicianship is dying. So we're now we have this like vigorous like purpose to literally carry the history of like a hundred years of black music on our backs in our show. So we gotta do breakbeats, and we gotta do hip hop, and we gotta do jazz, and we got like, so I think our thing is a little different. And also in this place where I just I've learned not to manage people's expectations anymore. So you know there if you noticed, like I, well, I don't know if you know. It's not being at Root shows. But I purposely stopped doing drum solos like maybe in two thousand and seven because I didn't want to get pegged as a jam band. So I was like, oh, I'll stop doing drum solos. But I mean, now I don't care. But it's just like I think, you know, well, his jam band might be my Neil Soul, like I remember, like, I'm not Neil Soul. That's something that a carport board made up. So that's why I wanted to know if jam band was a four letter word. So I get what where you're coming from with that too, because but mainly as as a dismissive thing. Because the funny part is that, you know, when I first heard Carter, he was playing in a band called Secrets, and it's like this most insane fusion band and a bunch of different you know, Tim had played with them, and I think Roy may have sat in with them a few times. They I mean, they were crazy, insane band. Everybody was better than the other guy, you know, and I used to watch them and then Roy, I mean, he played anything, but i'd see him. He'd be playing jazz and um and beautiful. Just you know, the first one of the first times I ever saw Roy, I just could I couldn't even believe that that this this gem lived in this town I'd moved to to be closer to my mom. You know, I was like, oh my god, this guy's insane, and and um and and and Stefan was like this he came suggested to us. So the backgrounds of where everyone came from was not from like it wasn't because everyone was listening to the Dead, so we didn't have that connection to that that idea, right, Okay, And I had one I had one Dead album. It was acoustic record, and every time I started describing it that Dead fans go, oh, you had that record, so um but uh, and I loved it. But I you know, but it was it was a yeah, probably it was a it was a live record, it was a student it was the acoustic Yeah, it was from a radio city music hall. Steve, you're a Deadhead. I'm Deadhead adjacent. All my friend and my friends in in college were Deadheads, so they dragged me to a bunch of shows. And you know, but as you guys are talking, I mean, there's there's there's obviously crossover between a band like The Grateful Dead and Dave Matthews band, even though there's no direct influences necessarily, and then there's there's crossover in the audience between the Roots and the Dave Matthews band. I've been at festivals. Absolutely the roots fit in great with quote unquote jam bands, the same same set. You know. Well, I think if anything, we've learned a safe if so you know, we we've safe sifted to any band that we open for. So it's just like live. I love it. Yeah, thank you. You ever meet Jerry that one time you opened up for him? Did you meet him? I did not. We had this, we have this habit and we did it with a lot of the bands that we opened up for. Is we would just stay out of the way. And I don't know what it is, just like we're going to open up, like if we're gonna open up for the Stones, just go to your dressing when we sat the fuck and and then and then The weird thing is that a lot of the time then you do meet them. So you know, I get to meet Bob or you get to but I didn't meet Jerry that time. Um. You see, you've never done a Dead End Company or Phil Lesh and Friends or none of that. I haven't, you know, I have not. That's one final question. Yes, Dave, your your band has covered a lot of tunes. Uh. Peter Gabriel Bob Dylan, what's a song you Yeah, that's sledgehammer, goddamn sledgehammer slamming. It always has been whatever Jesus Christ, Dave like, what's what's what? What's the song you wish you wrote? What's the one song you wish that sledgehammer? But but it's so outside, you know. I mean, that's a that's a that's a that's an insane that's a perfect song. You know, it's like the whole I don't know that's it's perfect. It's it's impossible. There's a lot of songs I wish I wrote, and and but I you know, what's your favorite Beatles song? Um, that's that's an impossible thing to say. But uh, well you answer the Starbucks question. Uh, you know, what's your favorite drink? You can answer this, but like so quickly too, he do, like, well, I know if I pull over in Starbucks exactly what I can have? It's gonna say I know what it's you know, but I mean my mood will change. Uh. Hey, ball dog is pretty that's um, there you go, that's not at work. There you go, nicey Ball. Before I close, I want I want to test out my rapid fire random ten, which I think I'm gonna lean more into that for future episodes. All right, Dave, Um, I'm really slow at this. No, no, no, no, just rapid fire. Say what's on your mind? All right? What is your secret talent that we don't know? I think I'm a pretty good Maybe maybe I could have been an artist in a different life, straight horror. Yeah, yeah, it might have been a painter, maybe if I wait, do you do paint in your spare time? Yeah? I do. I'm all right, I'm a collector of artwork, so I'll be coming for you. Okay. Anyway, text call or facetiming, text and FaceTime depends what. No one calls anyone, that's a shitty question. No one calls anyone who calls people people over forty call. Trust. Yeah, my wife calls me and I always look at it expecting her face to turn up. But then then I always FaceTime her and then she has me in the cup holder or wherever. Because some people think it's rude to FaceTime cold. He pulls a text or something. First, Oh, yeah, I hate that, I hate Yeah. I text. I generally text. It's pizza night, you're ordering, what do you order? Oh? This is pressure fresh vege or a lot of meat. Wow? So wait, yeah, yeah, that's it fresh bedge or lots of meat either way. I mean you gotta ask him if you're in Philadelphia? Is it a cheese steak? Or is it a chicken cheese steak? Who don't? I don't want to. I gotta tell you. I don't want to cross. I always want you have to tell me where do? This is how I answered that question. Where should I get? Oh? No, no, no. From now on, I'm sending every comrade of mine period j L just set up like j Yes, I'll give them jail Jupiter's YouTube page and he will lead them to the best steaks. All right? How many? How many? I got five more left and then I'll let you go. Dave? How many unread texts are in your phone that that I have not read someone else has sent me? I? Um, well, I suppose that's the only ones there be? Right? What? Right now? There are three hunty five in my phone? None? Be sure? I'm gonna text Dave Matthews and blow this shit up. No. I don't always respond, but I always check. All right, so you at least check, but you but you're not an email person like a million million about you know day you be careful of the read receipts, the red receipts. Okay, be careful of that says you're not answering them. You know, people can see when you're looking at the text mess. You can't hide it. You can hide it now. I don't care. Oh the little thing that does this. No, it literally said we get a message. It says he read it. He just ain't right exactly, I know. But there's an there's a there's a switch button on your iPhone that can take that off. I immediately did that because everyone's like, I know you read it, because it's as you read it, and so I was like, nope, I'm not. I don't trust that shit. Sometimes sometimes I uh, if it's like a holiday or it's my birthday, I'll just um taste like thanks, love you and yeah, oh god, yes, thank you, thank you. Thanks. I mean it's but but it's like that sometimes they you just have to take it. You have happy Father's thanks, thanks, back at you, quality one, back at you all right? Four more? What's your ice cream flavor? I love ice cream. There's a great place, Molly Moon's here in Seattle that I love, but there's I love all. I love ice cream. But I gotta tell you there was this my most emotional response. There's uh, and it's you know, I wish it was organic, but it's ice it's ice cream. I wish it was healthy, but it's ice cream. Is uh black raspberry chocolate ice cream from um it's a it's a specific grocery raspberry chocolate chips from Ben. No, no, no, no, that's cherry not but it's it's black. I think it's black chocolate. It's just it's not there's no lumps or chunks. Oh that's too in a connoisseur of the ice cream. So that's that's that's different. It's from it's from a girl. It's it's like it's made by but I can't remember the chain. But I was really into it, and then I was like, I can't. Just that's the only time I've had a really, didn't you have your own flavor? No of the ben and Jerry's never naked like fish. It didn't make er. I think we had to. Jerry Garcia is the King Jr. That's Jerry Garcia is good. I did the fish food is good to this food is a game change, and that's I gotta try it. I don't know what's next. Yeah, what's next? I'm sorry? Yeah, we're making your questions long. Okay. Uh, what time do you wake up? And what are the first three things you do when you wake up? That's habitual every day, Mary, You're very good at this. Okay. So when I'm at home, I like to wake up early and take my boy to school. Um all that's gonna end soon because he's coed. But I like the process of getting up with him. But when I'm on the road, I don't have to do that. So and then I like, if I get up before my wife, then I don't do this. But if I do get up after her, I like to make the bed and always the first thing I do is, uh, is make myself coffee. I like to make my wife coffee. But I don't always know how she likes it because we're always changing. But I I just like that's the first thing. I don't want to I don't want to do anything else. That's what I want to do. That's what I do first. Um, on the road, I uh, coffee and then exercise. But at home, coffee and then think wish I should be going to exercise. That's what I think. Like I've been busy, but but it's been three If I've been home for a few days and every day I say tomorrow, I'm going to exercise, and then I don't. Yeah, I got a trick for that. All you gotta do is put your workout clothes on in the beginning of a day when you wake up, and it'll make almost do I look at my workout clothes. I look at them, and then I go, yeah, but I'm going to put those other ones on, and I'll put the work on later. Sometimes I put on my and my workout clothes involved, just so you know, also involved, like the compression knee things, which is good, and so I put the compression need things on. Sometimes I'll put the compression need things on and my whole workout outfit, which is pretty amazing. And then I don't work out sometimes because you're tired from putting on all that compression ship that it'll tire you out. Ya Okay, if the universe grants you a five year extension to prolong your favorite age, who you did you this shit? Like? What is happening you? No? No, I'm just I threw the script away and I'm just having a conver universe allows you to live five years age and your favorite age, what age would it be? And why I I this is what's coming to my mind, and so I have to say it. But I I was gonna say fifty six, which is what I am. And I but I'm because I'm feeling pretty good. Um. But though an age that struck me was fifty. I didn't think when I turned fifty that i'd be um, that I would notice something. But I noticed something that I wish I noticed when I was thirty, which is I I didn't stop giving a fuck. Um, but I stopped giving a fuck about shit that I shouldn't give too much of a fuck about teach me because I'm managing people's expectations. Yeah, I stopped. It's like, if you know, did I do something wrong? I didn't do. I'm trying. I want to be I want to be present, I want to be helpful. I want want to be that. But um, but I but you know, I I stopped caring. Playing music started be easier because I was I felt like, um, people would rather see me stick my tongue out and have a good time. Then when I'm playing on stage, then they would want to see me wondering whether I am doing my job well. M okay, all right. Second to last, is it existential? Is the grass greener on the other side? I like that. Wasn't there a book in the seventies that was that was called the Grass is Always Greener over the Septic Tank? Yes, Timothy Leary, Oh, Timothy Leary, Really no, No, I mean I made it up. I made it up. Not at all, not at all, Like there's a rat at dinner. I don't know what's happening. But we did actually have a septic problem when I was a kid in New York and uh out in the front lawn. We didn't realize, but then the septic tank. But we had to have it, you know, drink whatever you do, had that one put it in or they had to have a drain. I don't know what happened anyway. Anyway, Then tomatoes started growing on the lawn, and so my mom was like, free tomatoes, and my brother's like, I'm not eating those tomatoes. They're poop tomatoes. They're pooped tomatoes. Yeah, they would. They went through us and then they u and they grew in the yard. Wait, that's such a thing. Yeah. I think if you poop tomatoes steeds um and you know you turn the soil no, and then you turn the soil no. Day with us. There's a story my brother said, I'm not eating those tomatoes because I don't I don't like eating those poop tomatoes. That's disgusting. Thinkmatoes is gone. This might be my favorite interview. Like there's weird things that happened, like fit Like is it a fig? The fig is the fig that in order for a fig to be no, in order to big, to be to turn into a fruit, to be furtive, it has a wasp has to have maybe have been to another the opposite sex and then get stuck in the flower and then the wasp gets absorbed into the fig. So when you eat, but there's been a wasp that was absorbed, it's no longer there. There's not like a wing in there. But I'm just there's gross things out there. It is in Bali, they use coffee made from shit, right, So national, all right, what's your last one? Go ahead? Yeah, Dave Matthews, how many push ups can you do? Go? I think I could do uh thirty. No really, yeah, that's that's impressive. That's impressive. Really, I'm not going to do them right now. No, no, no, no, I mean I thought you was going. But the other question, Dave yea or nay? Micro dos? Yes, Dave the ya I knew he was with us of course and sometimes macro dos macrodome. Dave? Did you just not do a great interview on Howard Stern. We talked about how you wrote the title track to your last album on Mushrooms. Certainly was fantastic some of it because it was it was, I mean that was I mean it was for my good fortune. There there there are there are around sometimes and um mushrooms and uh and that pandemic hm unless it's the mushroom seem like a good time, I mean, why not? What the fuck? Oh my god, Doug. Uh, this is definitely like doing a show with with an old friend. Because I hardly asked. All of your publicist and your label ain't mad that we didn't talk more about song structure and sorry, yes, yes, sorry, we don't need we don't you know, Thank you, man, I appreciate I really enjoyed talking. This is what I want to talk about. What we talked about exactly. Well, that was beautiful. Hopefully we'll have you back on some more. Really enjoy and I'm as nice as it hang out with you all. And um, I'll tell you, I mean quest it's uh, I'm always happy to see you. Thank you, sir, all right, And I love you your music, and I think you're unbelievable and I and I love the work you're doing. And I you know that I love his musical how much that film meant to me and you know, or that series. Man, it's just like I can't tell you thank you so much, squeezy, but I just made me so happy. Like it's like I love looking for the truth that's in our history and and um and I just and and you did it so eloquently and uh share everyone I think is just magic. And so thanks for having me stop smiling like yeah because she she smiling because she knows that you're doing good. No, I love I love the compliment. He wasn't all dave, you know, he wasn't always able to take the flowers. So he's doing really good. He's still cutting you off slightly, but he's this is really good. It's this progress. I gotta go because I have another interview to do. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you, hug you. I'm really awesome. They can't be half on the half of unpaid Bill and Sugar, Steve and my yea, the Great Dave Matthews. We will see you next time. Supreme, y'all, Thank you, Qus Love Supreme is a production of high Heart Radio well more podcasts from my heart Radio. 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