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Community Rally #voteDMBeveryday for Rock HoF
Posted by Joe M in Band Brand at 8:59pm on Monday, Mar 18th, 2024The time has come once again to make the community voice heard. We have the chance to give the band the distinction of "Two-Time Winner" of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame fan vote for this year's inductees. And hopefully, also influence the larger vote for the band to get an additional distinction. (*cough* Class of 2024, Performers Inductee - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame).
DMB was last nominated in 2020, the first year they were eligible, having reached a tenure of 25 years of music. Despite winning the fan vote that year, they did not make the cut for induction. DMB is once again vying for a spot among the 5-7 performers who will join the ranks of the R&R HoF's 378 inductees to date.
While the fan vote isn't a needle mover on its own, it is at least an important symbolic one. (The fan vote accounts for one ballot out of ~1000 (reportedly) ballots of artists, historians, and members of the music industry.) Dave himself has appreciated and used the vocal/symbolic fan vote for consoling following the 2020 snub.
Dave spoke of the 2020 vote and outcome on the Howard Stern show. "First of all, I was voting furiously. I was on speed dial on a whole rack of phones. If there’s any outcome that could arguably be better than actually getting into the Hall — not to say there’s anything better than getting into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But if there was anything better, it would be if the fans overwhelmingly voted for you to get in and you still weren't let in. I can live with that."
If you're wondering/questioning the classification/definition of "rock and roll", rest assured it's not a strict or narrow one. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognizes the broad influence and evolution of rock music, which admittedly includes a variety of genres. As example, current inductees include Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Jay-Z, and Dolly Parton, who aren't probably first thoughts when it comes to "rock and roll".
Now, for any Hall of Fame voters who have stumbled upon this, maybe because you are taking your vote seriously and researching/reviewing bands you may not be as familiar with, first "Hi!" and "Thank you!". But second may we just say, this band without a doubt meets and exceeds all the criteria for consideration across Influence & Impact, Length & Depth of Career, and Innovation & Superiority.
With a career depth that has spanned quite the dynamic music industry timeline, including a consistent/constant 33+ years, 10 studio albums, and the record for most consecutive studio albums to debut at #1 by a group, with 7. DMB has a body of work of over 100 live releases, a catalog of over 200 original songs, and a top touring act with over 25 million tickets sold (placing essentially behind only U2 for most.) Their influence spans a wide range of examples, including the likes of Jason Mraz, John Mayer, Zac Brown Band, O.A.R., etc. And lastly (attempting brevity, of extensive resume), related to Innovation & Superiority in style and technique, this band has created and defined their own genre, and it features the highest regarded musicians within each of the respective instruments. (Oh! One more. I mean, doesn't every "
It's time for the Dave Matthews Band to be inducted. (Plus, Ozzy is nominated this year but is already inducted as part of Black Sabbath in 2006, so let's share the love.)
And Dave Matthews is no stranger to supporting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. To start, Dave Matthews (Band) has already had a presence in the actual museum. A display that includes the outfit that Dave wore in the I Did It music video, along with original handwritten setlists and photos from performances. Additionally, Dave Matthews has ceremony inducted both Willie Nelson (2023) and Traffic (2004) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including a performance at the induction ceremony last year.
Voting couldn't be easier, it can be in as little as 2 clicks each day. Just visit vote.rockhall.com, select 'Dave Matthews Band', and click 'Submit'. (To fight duplicate votes you specify a login. If you have a Google/Apple/Amazon login, you can click the respective button and they will take care of that part for you, or register with your email. If you pick "remember me" then each day is a simple 2-clicks.)
The latest standings / leaderboard can be viewed at vote.rockhall.com/standings
Currently (at time of writing), after about a month of voting to date, DMB has 304,950 fan votes. Of note, the last time DMB won the top spot of the fan vote it took just over 1 million fan votes. Voting ends April 26th and there are “40” days to get/keep the band at “#1” (ZOMG! “Forty” - “One”), so let's make each remaining day count and vote daily. (Update: The voting page recently says vote until April 15th, so we shall see when it closes.)
For extra reminders and some fun, join with the band's website / socials in their #voteDMBeveryday fan rally (at davematthewsband.com), including a newsletter with daily throwbacks. We'll be posting the same over the next 40 days to join the fun. (Then come late April / early May, the inductees are expected to be announced.)
So please vote each day, 2 clicks, and let's make 2024 the year DMB gets the recognition they deserve in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (or at the least, retain the top irony spot.)
Vote! vote.rockhall.com
New This Week: TR3 Single, Album, Tour
Posted by Joe M in Album News at 1:29pm on Sunday, Jan 14th, 2024Tim Reynolds is hitting the road with TR3! Kicking off Thursday (18th) in New Hampshire, across the East Coast and Midwest, ending February 3rd at City Winery St Louis. It includes a stop at The Iridium in NYC in the heart of the Theatre District on Broadway, a venue known for it's weekly performances by Les Paul for 15 years and now rich with music artifacts. Full dates below, or at timreynolds.com.
The tour, always a good time, is in part to support the release of their latest studio album that drops this Friday the 19th, titled Watch It. Produced by DMB engineer/producer Rob Evans, and recorded at DMB's private studio Haunted Hollow. The album features 10 tracks, across funk, jazz, and of course rock, and is mostly instrumental. The album is available for pre-order on Amazon, and pre-saved on streaming platforms.
The first single and the title track, Watch It, has just been released. A rhythmic charged tune that gets your head nodding, features Tim Reynolds on acoustic guitar, Mick Vaughn on bass, and Dan Martier on drums, who make up TR3. Available for download and across streaming services. Check it out, and check them out on tour!
Update: Music Video released for So Am I
Tour Dates (click for ticket information):
01/18 - Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club - Portsmouth, NH
01/19 - REX Theatre - Manchester, NH
01/20 - Bayside Bowl - Portland, ME
01/21 - The Strand Theatre - Hudson Falls, NY
01/24 - Sellersville Theater - Sellersville, PA
01/25 - Infinity Music Hall - Hartford, CT
01/26 - Newton Theatre - Newton, NJ
01/27 - The Iridium - New York, NY
01/28 - Phantom Power - Millersville, PA
01/31 - Kent Stage - Kent, OH
02/01 - Hi Fi - Indianapolis, IN
02/02 - Castle Theatre - Bloomington, IL
02/03 - City Winery - St. Louis, MO
TR3 - Watch It
1 All By Design
2 Watch It
3 So Am I
4 The Sun Is Still There
5 Going Places (Once Upon a Tune)
6 Dirty Feet
7 You Can You Have You Will
8 Mutant Swarm
9 If Everything Could Be Ok for Just One Moment
10 Golden Flower
Cville Shows: Your Chance to Visit Rockbridge Guitars
Posted by Joe M in Site News at 7:14am on Sunday, Nov 5th, 2023Going to be in Charlottesville for the hometown shows next week? Want to get an opportunity to tour the Rockbridge Guitar shop, optionally play/demo the different style of guitars, and meet Brian Calhoun Rockbridge co-founder (along with Chickapig and latest rage TinkerTar)? Well here's your chance, both if you are a musician or just an interested DMB fan, here's how.
If you aren't familiar with Rockbridge Guitars they are the maker of the acoustic guitars that Dave Matthews primarily uses, along with being among the collections of Tim Reynolds and Stefan Lessard. And also popular among many other talented musicians, including Brandi Carlie, Tim Hanseroth, Keith Urban, Jason Mraz, Ray LaMontagne, Warren Haynes, and Lukas Nelson, just to name a few. (Many of which have visited the guitar shop themselves.) Rockbridge is known for making custom, hand-built, high-quality guitars, some with unique and custom inlays. (You may have seen the rhino inlay guitars over the years that were raffled off for preservation causes.)
The guitar shop is located right in downtown Charlottesville, in a charming late nineteenth century historic home, just a couple blocks off the downtown walking mall. And, as you'd expect with such a specialty maker, the shop is small, only a handful of guitars in the making process at any time.
So, to help make it the best experience possible, going to manage flow. First smaller groups of those that are musicians / acoustic guitar players (and their guests) to allow for some guitar demo time, and then additional time for more casual visitors. For now, we are gathering those interested to finalize timing.
If you want to come by the shop here's what need to do:
How: Please send an email to staff -at- antsmarching.org with subject 'Rockbridge' and let us know if you're an acoustic guitar player/musician interested in demo'ing, or if you're just generally interested in checking out this unique shop.
When: Saturday (11th), we'll start at 12pm for musicians, and then have casual fans through a little after that (dependent on musician interest). Estimate experience time about 30 minutes (+/- 10 mins). Will follow-up with those that have reached out, via the above directions, with better timing details.
Where: Downtown off the walking mall. Will also follow-up with address/directions.
Bonus: Heard of TinkerTar yet? (The new guitar toy and education device teaching young new musicians how to play guitar-with only ONE string. And now available at/on Amazon, Target, Walmart.) Brian Calhoun also is the creator, and if you bring one with you, he's offering to give it a founders autograph as a Thank You.
We're excited about this great experience and looking forward to all the other great activities coming this weekend in Cville!
BTCS Vinyl 2.0: New Exclusive Variant Pre-Orderable (and half sold out)
Posted by Joe M in Album News at 7:34pm on Thursday, Oct 19th, 2023After waiting 20+5 years (smile), the highly desired and highly requested new vinyl pressing of the Dave Matthews Band - Before These Crowded Streets album, has moved into a new 'highly' category, highly sought after. So much so that official DMB store BTCS vinyl pre-orders have sold out, including the exclusive Red and Blue Swirl edition, and the Yellow variant (though it's still available for pre-order from Walmart). That leaves just the standard Black variant left in the store, until today that is.
The band has announced "due to overwhelming demand" that a new option of Ultra Clear is available, exclusively through the official store. And if the behind-the-scenes inventory counts are accurate (which, they seemed to have been for the other editions) the Ultra Clear edition is already about halfway to sold out (also). So if you want one, or in need of a holiday gift for a very appreciative DMB fan (I'm 'not' talking about me), you may want to jump on it now. But, not to fret. (Random "fret" side note: origin of fret in this context is not of the stringed musical linage, instead Old English freton meaning to 'consume' your thoughts. Digress...) Not to fret, as we would anticipate the Black edition will have enough quantity for those needing a copy at a later date.
Editorial Opinion: You haven't heard BTCS until you've heard it on vinyl with headphones. I know how snobby that may sound, but I truly reserve that bold of a statement for a conclusion that will deliver. It is a whole experience. If you haven't had that chance yet (which let's be real, it hasn't been the easiest to be in the presence of original BTCS vinyl), then I implore you to indulge this opinion. BTCS vinyl + headphones = core (musical) memory
And if you needed more than that, this pressing, marking the 25th anniversary, includes a new insert booklet with some new photos. Preorders are expected to ship on November 1st, with the official release date of November 3rd.
May this release increase the fervor of the forever debate of what is the best song from this album, or even more relevant to this release, which vinyl 'side' (of the 4) is the best. Cheers and happy listening to one of the band's greatest albums.
Track Listing:
Side A:
1. Pantala Naga Pampa
2. Rapunzel
3. The Last Stop
4. Don't Drink The Water
Side B:
1. Stay (Wasting Time)
2. Halloween
3. The Stone
Side C:
1. Crush
2. The Dreaming Tree
Side D:
1. Pig
2. Spoon
Ants Podcast 108: Walk Around the Moon
Posted by Matt Yette in Podcasts at 8:21am on Thursday, Jun 15th, 2023While Matt and Joe have been able to enjoy some face time over the last couple of years, the podcast has definitely not been as fortunate. The fellas return with aplomb after a 20-month hiatus with hot takes abound on the band's latest effort, Walk Around the Moon. You might be surprised at what they have to say, as opinions develop in real time during this episode. Enjoy!
While Apple's built in Podcast app is a great app for listening to the Ants Podcast, an alternative that some might enjoy has emerged: Overcast. Overcast is a great, free podcast app that has gained a lot of popularity since its release. If you're looking for another app for your Ants Podcast fix, give it a try!
We are also now on Spotify! Check us out!
If you prefer to check out the video of the podcast, it's up on YouTube.
Planning to stream Walk Around The Moon, pause and consider this
Posted by Joe M in Album News at 6:25pm on Monday, Apr 24th, 2023The new Dave Matthews Band - Walk Around The Moon studio album will be released just a few weeks from now on Friday May 19th (also the day the US Summer Tour kicks off in Woodlands, TX.) And considering over 60% of homes have a streaming music subscription (and even more if you include ad-supported streaming) chances are you’re planning to stream the new album when it’s released. But before you do, give this some consideration: your vote for future DMB studio albums.
How much music do you stream? Across how many artists does that cover? Do you value all those artists equally? Is DMB in the same standing as [insert band that randomly appears in a daily playlist here, or default to OneRepublic]? Should all things be equal? Well they pretty much are if you only plan on streaming the album. If you get to cast a vote on future DMB studio albums that vote is now with this album, not down the road.
The most important factors for future music and possibly a studio album are the bands level of creativity and ambition, both of those are hard for anyone to foresee. However there is one thing that can kindle and influence the future: the commercial success of most recent work, both as validation and encouragement.
At this point, are studio albums important/needed? Note: Not asking if ‘new music’ is important, but specifically studio recordings. This band very easily could still be creative and ambitious with new music, perform and record the live performance, and then make it available for similar wide consumption as an album. None of that is that new, and to that point, 7 of the 12 tracks on Walk Around the Moon had been played live prior to the official album announcement on January 24, 2023, and now 8 have been played following Monsters performance in February. (And Break Free has been played going back to 2006.) So does studio album/recordings at this point warrant the bands time/money/effort if we don’t consume it any differently than live content? Said another way, is this studio album changing your buying habit or not? (ELI5: Are you buying the album?). If not, then maybe it’s worth considering how much you value studio work, and if you want to make a ‘vote’ for the possibility of future studio work. (Plus get some cool album art and/or extras, while at it.)
So, if you haven’t yet and would like to vote (aka buying/owning), we compiled a cheat sheet of options to compare that may not have all been previously spelled out.
To start, vinyl is where all the love is. No joke, last year for the first time since 1987 that more vinyl were sold than CD’s in the US. (That’s before some of you were born, but also let’s not age ourselves on that.) DMB is all over this vinyl trend/direction. The new album is available in 8 (yes 8) versions. (side note: Remember the days when we clamored and wished for any kind of vinyl, and now we have 8 for a single album. Wild.) And vinyl is also the gatekeeper to the “extras”. Particularly the 180g Vinyl which includes printed inner sleeve, a 12 page booklet with exclusive (extra) photos, and 12” x 12” numbered Art Card (presumably the collage of all band members done by Dave Matthews, using photos by Aaron Farrington.) The other vinyl's look to include an 8 page 12” x 12” booklet, and the CD version of the album with the same/similar booklet just in a smaller format.
Here’s details on the (8) different choices of vinyl (with links):
- Black ($21 - Walmart & Amazon) ($27 - Official Store)
- Translucent Red (Target Exclusive) ($26)
- Lavender (Official DMB Store Exclusive) ($28)
- White (DMB Warehouse Exclusive - “initially”) ($28)
- Clear (Independent Record Store Exclusive) (~$29)
- Translucent Blue (Walmart Exclusive) ($28)
- Translucent Green (Barnes & Noble Exclusive) ($30)
- 180 Gram Black (Official DMB Store Exclusive) ($32)
Outside of vinyl (with links):
- CD ($11.25 - Walmart & Amazon)($14 - Official Store)
- Digital: MP3 ($12 - Amazon, iTunes, Official DMB Store) or Lossless ($14 - Official DMB Store)
New Song, Monsters, Released
Posted by Joe M in Album News at 5:36pm on Monday, Apr 24th, 2023One month before the release of Walk Around The Moon the Dave Matthews Band release Monsters along with a visualization video by artist Justin Zielke.
Monsters song debut was earlier this year at the Dave and Tim Mexico weekend where it was played twice (acoustically.)
The studio release brings the full band to the song with strong bass, spacey electric guitar notes followed by big rock strums, and subtle organ backing.
Give a listen and discuss on the forums your thoughts.
Madmans Eyes continues chart performance & the next single
Posted by Matt Yette in Album News at 5:07pm on Tuesday, Mar 28th, 2023Two months into the release of the first single off of new album Walk Around the Moon (due 5/19/23), Madman’s Eyes continues to represent well on the Billboard Charts for weekly radio spins. Actually, Madman’s Eyes is Dave Matthews Band’s best charting song in the last 10 years, going back to 2012 when the song Mercy charted better.
Billboard has a number of music performance charts, released weekly. When it comes to radio play, DMB falls to the Adult Alternative Airplay (AAA) chart primarily (occasionally breaking into the Billboard (general) Top 100, or Hot 100 over the years, again lastly with Mercy.)
Madman’s Eyes debuted on the AAA chart at #23 and steadily moved up the charts each week since then. Moving up to #11 in week 2, then #8 and then #5. And then for the last 4 weeks the song has stayed consistent at the #4 spot. Pretty respectable holding power, and as mentioned better than DMB songs have performed in recent years.
Peak position of #4 isn’t bad, but it would be a nice cherry if the song could make it to a number 1 position. So if you’re one of those that is still a radio listener and have the opportunity to give this favorite band a boost with radio song request(s), you may be able to give it a bump. (Madman’s Eyes is currently being topped by The National, Death Cab for Cutie, and Depeche Mode. So don’t request them too, ha.)
But Madman’s Eyes staying power on the charts raises some interesting timing questions on when it makes sense to release the 2nd single for the album. You’d expect timed to help with approaching album release, however if Madman’s Eyes is doing good, no particular rush, which may mean longer to wait.
What will be the 2nd single off the album? Well now that production versions of the album are starting to make it out in the wild (as seen on social media posts from the band members), we may have a clue. Stickers on the album that highlight “featured songs” list a second song as Walk Around the Moon, which you can likely infer as being the second single from the album, similarly titled conveniently. Time will tell. Until then, happy Madman’s Eyes listening. Here’s the youtube link if you want to jump back in.
UPDATE: Stickers lie, it's a trait of theirs. Never trust a sticker. Unless it's a 'Hello My Name Is', those you can sometimes trust. Anyway, the second single from the new album is Monsters.
DMB New Studio Album Details Revealed
Posted by Joe M in Album News at 9:54pm on Thursday, Jan 19th, 2023This time it's not a drill, but 'walk' don't run. On the day that the Ants discussion thread on 'New Album coming soon?' hit over 1.6 million views and 23,000 posts (over the course of 28 months of desperation that is), things are getting real. The wait has been long since DMB's last studio release (55 months. Should we admit we count?) But we have some new details about (what appears to be) an impending new DMB studio album announcement. Thanks goes to the dedicated fanbase for sourcing these details (they know who they are, but also don't desire the wrong spotlight, if you know what I mean.) DMB's next studio album will be titled Walk Around The Moon. That will sound familiar to most, but if you're not maniacal with the DMB catalog it's the title of a song the band debuted live in 2021 and has played the last two years, and if you've been following along with us as we reported the progress over the last couple years on development of a new album, you'll recall Walk Around The Moon was "the song" that spurred Dave to get the band together to record (check out previous news coverage for more details/history.)
Besides the name of the new album, we also have details about what format it will be available in, one of which is Vinyl (!!! Picture Jonah Hill Excited Hands GIF Here !!!). And not just one type, how about a Black version, a Lavender version (shout out Taylor Swift?), a White version (but that one will be exclusive to Warehouse members), and a 180-gram version (that's the heavier vinyl version, get your head out of the gutter.) There will also be a CD (yay artwork!!), and a digital download (is that what people did before streaming?) There's a lot of other details speculated at this point, which you can head over to the previously mentioned discussion thread if you wish to participate, but it would appear official news of the album will be on its way to you very shortly, along with an announcement of 2023 summer tour dates. (Yes, we haven't taken a moment to comment, but tour date rumors are in full swing with a lot of gravity behind them. Head over to the tour forum for the 2023 summer tour rumors thread if you want the latest.)
There is some speculation of when the album will be available, which we don't know quite yet. But with the band having a chance to have an 8th consecutive studio album to debut at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, there should be some consideration on the details. DMB currently holds the record for the band with the most consecutive #1 studio album debuts at a total of 7. (A stat that dedicated DMB fans, and marketing execs, hold on to probably more than the band much cares about.) An 8th would further DMB's lead over Metallica (who has 6 consecutive #1 debut studio albums). (You may want to note the reference to the keyword of "band" with the most consecutive, because non-"band" artists Kanye West and Eminem have 10, and Taylor Swift (lavender reference!) leads with 11. (How about #carters-version releases? just saying.)
Now, how Billboard #1 is calculated these days has changed significantly, even just over the 5 years since Come Tomorrow. They tally using a multi-metric consumption called album equivalents (which one album equivalent unit equals "one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.") (whew, say all that without a breath.) At the moment, the #1 on the Billboard 200 has a metric of 125,000 album equivalents, as a rough idea of what it will take. (Come Tomorrow debuted with 292,000 album-equivalent units in 2018 methods.) So if you want to support this effort for an 8th debut at #1, get ready to buy the CD (artwork!), vinyl, and get to streaming! (Oh, and don't forget to "Sleepify" the album. Ya know, before you go to bed stream the album on repeat, but turn your audio all the way down so it can run all night and rack up the streams. That wouldn't be cooking the books would it? People wouldn't actually do that would they? [Note: Actually yea they would. A Michigan-based band actually made $20k from fans streaming their album while they slept.) For all your efforts, Billboard tracks weeks starting Friday to Thursday, so if there's any interest to maximize an attempt at an 8th consecutive studio album debut, the rocket scientists have calculated a Friday in the future would be an ideal official release date.
We'll leave it at that for now. As mentioned, you can follow further details in the discussion thread, view the rumored tour dates in the tour discussion, and catch up on the history of the album and new songs in our previous news postings. Look forward to covering further details with you all in the near future.
Tim Reynolds touring December with TR3
Posted by Joe M in Tour News at 11:31am on Saturday, Oct 22nd, 2022For those on the east coast, your all-things-DMB-2022 doesn’t have to end in November. Starting December, Tim Reynolds, along with Mick Vaughn and Dan Martier, aka TR3, are hitting the road for 13 tour dates, fresh off studio time.
The band spent October in the recording studio working on a fresh set of acoustic songs and is anxious to bring them out and perform them live this December. But the shows this tour won’t only be acoustic, as sets will include a mix of the familiar high energy electric rock. The tour starts December 1st in Tampa, FL and continues north finishing in Massachusetts on the 17th.
Stops: Tampa, Stuart, & Boca Raton, FL; Asheville & Charlotte, NC; Winchester, VA; Harrisonburg, VA; Philadelphia, PA; Hudson Falls, NY; Morristown, NJ; Fairfield, CT; Concord, NH; Fall River, MA.
Full details and ticket links on www.timreynolds.com/tour