DMB Road Crew Notes

*collected and shared by debbie bodnar and terissa schor*

if you have any missing crew notes to share,
please e-mail me debbie@dmbrr.com - thanks!

2002

After a few months at home with family, we're beginning to turn our thoughts towards another tour. We've got a couple shows planned in the weeks to come to help us gear up for the big tour which kicks off in Washington D.C. on April 4. We finally updated photos from the 2001 tour in our "Gallery" section, sorry for the delay. Look forward to seeing y'all soon.

Sunday, January 20
10:19 am EST

We're back on the road!

Thursday, April 4
10:30 pm EST

Hey Y'all...After just a few shows, we've found our groove. We're back on the tour busses making our way accross the country. Check back over the next few days for a new look to the road site.

Monday, April 8
11:20 pm EDT

We've been out for a week now and have definitely found our groove. The band has been writing some killer set lists, mixing up the old and the new. The energy generated by the audiences this past week has been stellar. Thanks for all the support. We'll see y'all in Providence on Friday.

Wednesday, April 10
11:50 pm EDT

The band has been writting some really great set lists lately. Tonight they pulled out a few songs that we havn't yet heard this tour including One Sweet World, Two Step and Ants.

Headed for Buffalo now. See y'all at the gig on Saturday.

Friday, April 12
11:53 pm EDT

After not having played a show in almost a week we're back at it. We're trying to keep that frog in Dave's throat at bay. Tonight's show in Toronto was strong and energetic. The Flecktones have come across the border to join us for our Canadian dates. We're sure to see a few of them sitting in with DMB over the next couple days. We're packing the trucks and heading to Ottawa. See y'all there on Saturday night.

Friday, April 19
11:37 pm EDT

It's such a pleasure to be in the presence of greatness. All's-good when the Flecktones comes to town. After opening the show with a set of their own, BÈla and the guys joined DMB on stage during #41. For 32 minutes they jammed out one of the best renditions of that song that we've ever heard. On our way to MontrÈal for the third of three in a row...

Saturday, April 20
11:49 pm EDT

Bon jour from MontrÈal. It's always a blast to gig in this town. The crowd tonight was as good as ever.

The band keeps pulling out some amazing set lists, seamlessly mixing old and new tunes. Highlights from tonight's show included Granny, You Never Know, Lover Lay Down, What You Are, #40 and Two Step which featured the Flecktones and their righteous grooves. On our way to Detroit for a show on Tuesday. See y'all in Motor City.

Sunday, April 21
11:58 pm EDT

Back in the States again. The show tonight was killer. We heard Jimi Thing for the first time this tour and Carter and Butch took Two Step to another galaxy. Hope you got to check it out. See ya tomorrow in Cleveland.

Wednesday, April 24
12:02 am EDT

We played our first of two shows tonight in Rosemont, IL. The place was on fire with a super energetic crowd. DMB followed suit with a solid performance pulling out yet another great set. See ya back here tomorrow night.

We've been working hard at putting together this new road site. We hope you find it enjoyable.

Check back often to see the latest pictures and set lists that are updated in real time as each song is played.

Enjoy! -- The DMB Crew

Friday, April 26
11:56 PM CDT

This place is LOUD! Just finished show #2 at the Allstate Arena. We're headed up North for a couple days. See y'all at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Monday.

Saturday, April 27
11:39 PM CDT

Just got done playing the Target Center in Minneapolis. It's still a little cool up here but the gig was smokin'. It was nice to hear Diggin' A Ditch tonight and an extraordinarily soulful rendition of Long Black Veil which Dave played solo to open the encore. We're driving to Ames tonight for a gig tomorrow. See y'all there.

Monday, April 29
11:36 PM CDT

DMB played a solid show tonight here in Ames, IA. Boyd stepped out with a few crushing solos during Jimi Thing and Tripping Billies. Dave came out for the encore and played Waste, a song by Trey Anastasio of Phish. It's always great to hear that one. We've got a 20 hour drive to San Antonio, TX ahead of us tonight. See y'all there on Thursday.

Tuesday, April 30
11:43 PM CDT

A bit of a different set was heard by those at the show tonight. DMB mixed it up with a few of not-so-often heard tunes including Busted Stuff. We're back here at the Woodlands tomorrow night. Hope to see y'all.

Saturday, May 4
11:30 PM CDT

We're making our way through Texas. The shows in Houston were fun as ever. It's been great hearing Dave play Long Black Veil solo again. He's been taking it to new places each time. Headed to Dallas tonight for a show at the American Airlines Arena on Tuesday.

Sunday, May 5
11:23 PM CDT

DMB put on a stellar show tonight in Dallas. We heard Dave play a spontaneous version of Everyday solo for the first time since any of us can remember. He never ceases to surprise us. Check y'all in Albuquerque on Thursday.

Tuesday, May 7
11:54 PM CDT

We've had a good couple days out here. Tonight's show in Denver was strong and the crowd showed it by yelling their heads off all night. We were all psyched to have Warren Haynes from Gov't Mule sitting in with DMB. They covered the classic Cortez The Killer by Neil Young. Another long drive ahead of us tonight. We'll see y'all on Sunday in Phoenix.

Friday, May 10
11:31 PM MDT

It's a blast being on the road. We're all having a great time so far this year. The shows have remained consistently energetic. Tonight we heard Dave play For The Beauty Of Wynona solo on the acoustic for the first time. We're starting our run up the West Coast with a show tomorrow in Chula Vista, CA. See y'all at the gig.

Sunday, May 12
11:33 PM MST

We're packing up the gear after our show in Chula Vista. Tomorrow morning we load in early at NBC studios. Check out the Tonight Show on Tuesday night where DMB will be performing the new single, Where Are You Going.

Monday, May 13
11:56 PM PDT

L.A. was ON tonight! Angelique Kidjo stopped by and sat in on Satellite. We have a short drive to Irvine tonight for a show tomorrow. See y'all there.

Wednesday, May 15
11:59 PM PDT

We had a nice day in San Francisco today which set us up for a good show tonight. The only tunes that DMB repeated from the show last night were the two played during the encore. We've just got a few shows left on this leg of the tour. We'll see everyone in Sacramento on Tuesday.

Sunday, May 19
11:27 PM PDT

What started out as a rainy day, eventually turned into a crisp, cool evening...perfect weather for a show. DMB opened a powerful set with Warehouse which instantly drew the crowd in and set the tone for a rockin' show. We're looking forward to the coming shows in the Northwest before we head back to New York for the make-up shows. We'll see y'all in Portland on Thursday.

Tuesday, May 21
11:58 PM PDT

We played a gig up in Portland tonight. It's been a while since we've been here but this place always treats us right. DMB played a strong set including an intense version of What You Are. Fonz opened Watchtower with snippets of The Star Spangled Banner and a lick from a Nirvana tune. Eric Krasno from Soulive sat in and played an inspiring solo. We're headed back over the border for a show in Vancouver tomorrow night. See y'all there, eh?

Thursday, May 23
11:27 PM PDT

We had a blast in Vancouver tonight. Eric and Sam from Soulive sat in on a couple songs. We highly recommend that y'all go and check them out at a gig near you. We've got a few days now to make our way towards NYC for a couple of shows next week. See you at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

Saturday, May 25
12:09 AM PDT

NYC Rocks! Madison Square Garden was hoppin' tonight with DMB at the reins. We can't say enough about the crowd in attendance at the show. They were loud as heck and kept the energy flowing. Dave tried out a new song that he's been working on called Grave Digger and it came off really well. We're approaching the end of the first leg but we're heading into the break having performed some of our strongest shows to date. We'll see you back here tomorrow night!

Wednesday, May 29
12:42 AM EDT

WooHoo! We're staying in NYC for an extra day to do a TV show then we're headed home for a month-long break. Thanks to everyone who came out to the shows these past few months, we had a great tour! Catch y'all in July.

Wednesday, May 29
11:47 PM EDT

We're back at it. Band and Crew have been gathering in West Palm Beach over the past couple days preparing to kick off the next leg of the summer tour. Those lucky few who got to fly in last night had the privilege of witnessing a sea of fireworks over West Palm as their planes landed. We'll be here for the next couple days. Hope to see y'all at the shows.

Friday, July 5
9:31 AM EDT

We forget how much fun it is to get together and play a show. We've been off for a month but played the gig tonight like we never left. See y'all back at the MARS tomorrow night.

Friday, July 5
10:57 PM EDT

We just got done playing our second of 2 shows in West Palm where we started our summer leg. The evening was excessively warm and sticky and the sweat poured off of every body in the house. That didn't stop DMB from putting on another good show. People often ask if there is a particular method that the band uses to write new songs. For the last two nights we got to witness the band trying out a new tune that Dave has been working on called Loving Wings. Not having heard the song before they played it, band members joined in one-by-one, spontaneously lending passages that would convert an idea into another song that we're all growing to love. This is why we do what we do.

See y'all in Atlanta on Tuesday.

Saturday, July 6
11:55 PM EDT

We had a BLAST in Atlanta tonight. DMB put on a really great show. David Ryan Harris came out and joined the band on Jimi Thing. It's always fun when he drops by. We're driving overnight to Nashville for a show tomorrow night. See y'all at the gig.

Monday, July 8
11:34 PM EDT

DMB put on another exhilarating show this evening in Antioch, TN. It was again an extremely humid night making for a bunch of sweaty musicians on stage. An old friend came out and joined the band on stage for a few songs. Mike Durham sat in with DMB occasionally during the early days. Those of you present at those regular shows on Wednesdays at the Floodzone would probably remember him. We're headed down the road to Raleigh for a show on Thursday. Later, y'all.

Tuesday, July 9
11:49 PM CDT

We awoke to a rainy morning and thought that it would stay that way, but the skies dried up and left us with a nice cool evening to put on a show. We heard a bit of a varied set tonight. The band played an awesome interlude between Seek Up and Rapunzel that featured Butch Taylor at his finest. It was also great to hear Pig, Granny and Watchtower. We've got 25 episodes of South Park on one video tape so I'm gonna go climb on the tour bus and start watchin'. We're headed down the road for a gig in Charlotte, NC tomorrow night. See y'all there.

Friday, July 12
12:04 AM EDT

We just got done with our second of three in a row. DMB put on a strong set here in Charlotte. They played a few more tunes that we haven't heard in a while including Lover Lay Down and #41. Some friends of ours are playing the side stage for the next couple days. They're called Man Mountain Jr. Check them out if you get the chance. Going to Virginia Beach tonight for a show tomorrow. Hope to see y'all there.

Friday, July 12
11:14 PM EDT

We're all a bit tired after our 3 shows in a row and looking forward to a day off tomorrow. On Monday we'll be in NYC to do the Letterman show. It promises to be a unique experience as we'll be playing on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theatre. As far as we know, Bon Jovi is the only other band that has done that. Then on Tuesday, along with the release of the new CD we'll be kicking off another 3 in a row in Camden, NJ. See y'all there.

Saturday, July 13
11:29 PM EDT

We've had a blast over the last couple days. Playing the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theatre was a unique and memorable event. We started setting up early in the morning to beat the heat and because the elevator only went up to 14th floor. The equipment then got hauled up a couple flights of stairs to make it up to the roof. They say that it took 2 miles of cable to make the show happen. We could see people watching us from their office windows all day as we set up the gear. DMB came on and played Where Are You Going first which aired on the Late Show last night, then took the opportunity to play a few more songs in order to get them on tape. Tonight we opened our run of shows in Camden with a strong performance. We heard a few songs that we haven't heard yet including Captain and Kit Kat Jam. Needless to say, we had a lot of fun on stage. Catch you back here tomorrow night.

Tuesday, July 16
11:31 PM EDT

HOT!!! It was a bit warm on stage for the show tonight. We had fun though. We heard Digging A Ditch for the first time in a while. It wasn't on the set list. They were all ready to play Lover Lay Down when Dave said "Wait...How about Ditch?". The band agreed and off they went. Check out the crew page, we added some more mugs today. See y'all back here again tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 17
10:51 PM EDT

We're packing the trucks after a few days in Camden, NJ. We always enjoy coming back to the Philly area and appreciate the warm response. Looking forward to a day off tomorrow before our gig in Darien Lake on Saturday. See y'all there.

Thursday, July 18
11:29 PM EDT

We had a blast today. After soundcheck a bunch of us walked to the amusement park across the street from the gig to ride some coasters. It cooled down considerably for the show this evening. It's been a while since we've done a gig where we haven't walked off the stage dripping wet with sweat. Driving overnight to Hershey for a show tomorrow. Catch ya there.

Saturday, July 20
11:18 PM EDT

Fun was had by all on stage tonight here at Hershey Park Stadium. It's the only stadium style venue we'll be playing all year. We walked off the busses this morning to the smell of chocolate in the air...it can't get any better than that. Getting ready for a day off tomorrow before our show in Mansfield on Tuesday. See y'all there.

Sunday, July 21
11:23 PM EDT

We had a strong show in Mansfield, MA tonight. It was the first time we had played here at the Tweeter Center (Great Woods) since 1997. The small(ish) stage made us feel at home and made for a more intimate setting than usual. Around 5:00 this afternoon we were hit by a thunderstorm that looked like it might spoil the evening but it dwindled to a mere drizzle before long. During The Space Between, the crowd let out a roar when Dave sang the line "...like, Will it rain today?". We all got a kick out of that one. DMB have been polishing Kit Kat Jam and Captain, turning them into a couple of shiny new live tunes to add to the repertoire. Tonight they pulled Proudest Monkey from the shelf and dusted it off. That was a pleasant surprise (it wasn't on the set-list). We're headed for Hartford, CT to do a couple shows on Thursday and Friday. See y'all there.

Tuesdsay, July 23
11:55 PM EDT

We dig coming back here to Hartford. We've played on this stage 14 times in the last 7 years. It was cool to hear Dave sing Cry Freedom solo to open the encore. We all got lost in the moment. See you back here tomorrow night.

Friday, July 26
1:35 AM EDT

We had another really strong gig in Hartford tonight. If you weren't here, we hope you got to check it out on the web cast. DMB broke into Proudest Monkey again right before Satellite (ahh, just like the old days). Headed back to S.P.A.C. for shows on Sunday and Monday. See y'all there.

Saturday, July 27
12:37 AM EDT

Tonight's show Rocked! We had a blast again during our first night at S.P.A.C. Carter and Fonzie blew us all away during Crush. We've had a bunch of requests for Dancing Nancies recently. Dave teased us with a few bars again tonight. We're sure to hear the whole tune before long. Have a good night, we'll see y'all back here tomorrow.

Sunday, July 28
11:26 PM EDT

We had a good show at S.P.A.C. tonight. Dave took the 'Nancies tease a step further when he played the entire song solo at the start of the encore. Butch took a solo during #41 and included some licks that might sound familiar to Flecktones fans. Looking forward to a gig close to home on Wednesday.

Monday, July 29
11:54 PM EDT 

We played to a great crowd in Bristow, VA tonight. It's as close as we get to a home-town gig this year. DMB put on a fantastic show with a well rounded set list which included the whole band in on Dancing Nancies. They then went straight into Warehouse like they used to do back in the day. We're headed to Pittsburgh for a couple of shows this weekend. Catch y'all there.

Monday, July 31
11:31 PM EDT

The house was full of energy for our first show in Burgettstown, PA. We heard Say Goodbye for the first time in a while and another surprise Proudest Monkey. Hopefully it will cool down a bit for our show here tomorrow night. See y'all later.

Friday, August 2
11:53 PM EDT

Tonight's show in Burgettstown was a blast. DMB locked into a solid groove early in the show and rode it out for the 2 hour and 40 minute show. Doyle Bramhall and Smokestack opened the show tonight and Boyd sat in during their set singing lead vocals on one of their tunes. We've added a bunch a photos from recent shows to the Gallery section and there are plenty more to come. See y'all in Columbus on Monday.

Saturday, August 3
11:47 PM EDT

Band and crew gathered yesterday on our day off in Columbus, Ohio for our annual summer picnic and softball game. It was the Blues against the Purples for the exciting and heated afternoon game. Carter pitched a tremendous 4 innings giving up only a few runs. Dave played a stellar game and shined in the 5th by executing an impressive double-play. Butch Taylor went 5 for 5 at bat with 3 RBIs. Boyd entered the game late in the 9th inning and hit a long fly ball into center field. While Fonz dominated the outfield with his speed and precision, LeRoi filled the roll of the boisterous third base coach. MVPs from both teams are considering a run for glory. We're organizing an all-star team that might take on local radio stations for charity. We'll see everyone back here tomorrow night at Polaris.

Monday, August 5
11:58 PM EDT

Finally a break in the heat.  The weather cooled down today and made for the most comfortable show in weeks.  DMB played a smooth #41 and gracefully made the transition into a slammin' Say Goodbye.  We're packing the trucks and movin' on down the road to Cincinnati for a show at Riverbend on Thursday.  Peas in the valley y'all."

Tuesday, August 6

We just got done with our show at Riverbend in Cincinnati.  It was a quick stop at a nice place.  The view from back stage here is beautiful where the Ohio River backs right up to the venue.  Every time we play here more and more folks gather in their boats to listen to the show.  This year we even pointed a couple loudspeakers in their direction.  If you were out there, we hope that we helped get your groove on.  Tonight's show was one of the longest this year timing in at almost 3 hours.  Boyd has been sitting in nightly with the opening act, Doyle Bramhall II and Smokestack.  If y'all are coming out to the shows in Indy we suggest you make it out early enough to catch their performance.  See ya in Noblesville on Saturday.

Thursday, August 8

We had a really good show this evening in Noblesville, IN. You could tell that the band was having fun. We're all getting our bags packed to head home for a short break after the show here tomorrow night. We'll keep stuffing the site with show pictures over the break so check back for updates. See y'all back here tomorrow.

Saturday, August 10
11:39 PM EDT

Despite early threats of thunderstorms, the evening turned out to be one of the most pleasant so far this summer. The band put on a stellar set filled with energy. Fonz ripped into his solo intro to Watchtower with a flare that blew us all away. We're all pumped for our break and are looking forward to spending some time at home. We'll see y'all in a couple weeks in St. Louis.

Sunday, August 11
11:41 PM EST

Hey everybody, we're back from our break and fully energized for the last few weeks of the tour. The band put on an incredible set tonight filled with great moments throughout. See ya back here tomorrow night.

Monday, August 26
11:19 PM CDT

The band is playing some wonderful music these days. We had another really strong show tonight here in St. Louis. Everyone is looking forward to spending a few days in and around Chicago. Lots of friends there to catch up with. We'll see y'all in Tinley Park on Thursday.

Tuesday, August 27
11:27 PM CDT

We dig coming to Chicago and hangin' with the many friends that we have here in town. We played a fun show in Tinley Park tonight and are now packing up for a short ride to Alpine Valley. Come early this weekend to check out Corey Harris and 5 by 5 opening up the shows. See y'all in Wisconsin.

Thursday, August 29
11:41 PM CDT

We had another great show at Alpine Valley tonight. The crowd was full of life under the resonant wooden arched roof. We're looking forward to another Softball game on our day off in Kansas City tomorrow where we'll be taking on the staff of a local radio station. Check y'all later.

Sunday, September 1
11:54 PM CDT

Kansas City has treated us well. We had a blast at the charity softball game yesterday. It seemed as though the local radio DJs felt threatened by the prospect of a match against the DMB Allstars. They ended up signing some ringers who included several former Kansas City Royals players and pitcher Christie Ambrosi who along with her teammates won the Softball Gold Medal at the 2000 Olympics. They beat us good, but we gotta admit that it was a thrill to play against some pros. Several times throughout the afternoon Dave would sneak over to the opponents dug-out and try to steal Christie away to play for our team. His antics proved entertaining as ever. Although Dave's voice was bugging him a little, tonight's show was strong and energetic. We're headed across the country now for our last few gigs of the tour. See y'all at the Gorge on Friday.

Tuesday, September 3
11:28 PM CDT

We're sorry that we missed y'all after the show last night. We've been busy at the Gorge over the past few days working on an elaborate video-shoot of the three shows here. We've said it before, but this really is an amazing place to play. We've had two great shows so far. LeRoi was obviously humbled tonight as the crowd sang a joyful Happy Birthday to him before the show even started. We heard some amazing music tonight. It's difficult to decide what to write about because each band member gave great performances throughout the show. DMB will be hitting the stage a little early again tomorrow night so if you're coming, don't hang out in the campgrounds too long. You'll want to come early anyway to catch the John Butler Trio opening the show. See y'all back here tomorrow for the last gig of the tour.

Saturday, September 7
11:58 PM PDT

What a night! DMB played their hearts out tonight for the last show of our summer tour. The set list surely pleased old and new fans alike and included old favorites along the lines of Jane, Seek Up and Proudest Monkey. Dave and LeRoi opened the encore with a soulful rendition of Long Black Veil. We were all floored soon after when Carter and Fonz joined Dave on Halloween - old school style. This summer went too fast! Nobody wanted the tour to end. Hopefully we'll see y'all sooner than later. We'll let you know about future tour plans as soon as we find out. Thanks for a great season!

-- The DMB Crew

Sunday, September 8
11:54 PM PDT

We're in Tampa setting up for a show tonight and making the final preparations for the short tour that we are about to embark upon. Looking forward to seeing y'all in the coming weeks.

-- The DMB Crew

Tuesday, December 10
9:34 AM EST

We've gotten off to an excellent start. DMB are in full form for the winter tour. We've played a couple of shows in the south and are now headed for some cooler Illinois weather. We'll see y'all at the United Center on Friday.

-- The DMB Crew

Wednesday, December 11
11:42 PM EST

We had a fun show tonight at U of I in Champaign, IL. The circular shaped arena made for a more intimate setting than usual. During the encore we heard a loungy version of Halloween which surprised everyone. Tonight after load-out we're heading east. See y'all in New York on Manday.

-- The DMB Crew

Saturday, December 14
11:19 PM CST

The band seemed to have a lot of fun on stage tonight in Albany, pulling out yet a few more tunes not yet heard this tour. We're gearing up for the Conan O'Brien show tomorrow night, hope you get to check it out.

-- The DMB Crew

Tuesday, December 17
11:41 PM EST

We just got done with our first of two shows at MSG. It seems like we've been here so many times this year that one might think we were the house band. DMB eased into the set tonight with Captain then kicked it up a notch with Jane and yet another notch with Too Much. For those of you not familiar with Madison Square Garden, the arena itself is a self-contained structure which is suspended within the building's outer walls and therefore bounces like a trampoline when the crowd gets their groove on in unison (this occurred several times tonight). It's a bizarre yet exhilarating feeling on stage. Another highlight tonight, which we haven't heard in years, was the injection of Louie, Louie lyrics into Warehouse (a nice surprise). Hope you can make it back here tomorrow night, the show promises to be a good one.

-- The DMB Crew

Saturday, December 21
12:18 AM EST

We'll be searching for words to describe tonight's show for years to come. DMB rocked MSG with a stellar set which was topped off when none other than James Brown came out and joined the band in closing the set with Get Up (Sex Machine). The place was stunned. Heck...Yeah. Enough said!

-- The DMB Crew

Sunday, December 22
12:20 AM EST

Playing back here at the MCI Center was the perfect way to close-out the year. We started our tour here back in April, close to home, family and friends. Thanks to all for being a part of the experience. According to Billboard Magazine, DMB played in front of 1.4 million people this year, "more than any other act on the planet". We truly appreciate the support! Happy Holidays to everyone and we'll see y'all next year. Peace.

-- The DMB Crew

Sunday, December 22
11:53 PM EST