How the Dave Matthews Band Has Redeemed Itself Since 2004's Infamous Chicago River Incident

Do you remember where you were on Aug. 8, 2004? Well, if you happened to be on an architectural boat cruise traversing the Chicago River, I am so sorry. We're coming up on the 20th anniversary of a particularly stinky incident, an environmentally hazardous pop culture moment known as the "Dave Matthews Band Chicago River incident."

If you don't know, one of the "Crash into Me" band's tour buses emptied its septic tank over the grated Kinzie Street Bridge, dumping 800 pounds of human waste on an open-air cruise. And yes, feces landed directly on many of the 120 unsuspecting passengers of the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s 1 p.m. tour.

This gag-inducing occurrence left a brown stain on Chicago's history, not to mention the legacy of the Dave Matthews Band — formed by titular lead singer and guitarist Dave Matthews, saxophonist LeRoi Moore, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer Carter Beauford, keyboard player Peter Griesar, and violinist Boyd Tinsley in Charlottesville, Va.

Considering the DMB was known as an eco-conscious group — even launching an environmentally charitable ice cream flavor with Ben & Jerry's in 2002 — the Chicago Tribune cheekily mentioned the "schadenfreude" of it all.

But I'm not here to dredge up old feelings or "tsk, tsk" at anyone. I'm here to highlight and applaud the environmentalism work the DMB has practiced for decades, while also providing a refresher on one of the crappiest events Chicago has ever seen.

As per the original Chicago Tribune report, "about two-thirds of the passengers seated on the upper deck of Chicago’s Little Lady were soaked" after the septic tank dumping on Aug. 8, 2004. It was said that a “brownish-yellow” mixture seemingly fell from the sky, shocking everyone aboard.

The unspeakable downpour spawned much nausea and vomiting, as the hazardous waste was almost inescapable, a stomach-churning smell wafting through the air. Though the Chicago Architecture Foundation had nothing to do with the illegal dumping, it immediately issued ticket refunds.

Billboard reported that authorities relayed none of the impacted passengers developed any infections or diseases. That's a relief because the American Rivers nonprofit noted that "untreated human sewage teems with salmonella, hepatitis, dysentery, cryptosporidium," among other diseases.

Water pollution is an ongoing issue in the U.S., as a 2022 report published by the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) (a nonprofit created by former EPA attorneys) found that "51 percent of assessed river and stream miles across the U.S. — more than 700,000 miles of waterways — remain impaired with pollution," not to mention "55 percent of lake acres and 26 percent of estuary miles." This is 50 years after the Clean Water Act attempted to make U.S. waters "fishable and swimmable" by 1983.

The report primarily points to "factory-style animal production" and agriculture's use of fertilizer. However, illegal septic tank dumping doesn't help.

As for the Dave Matthews Band, it donated $50,000 to the Chicago Park District and $50,000 to the Friends of the Chicago River nonprofit in hopes of alleviating the harm done to the river, not to mention the community.

The Grammy-winning band toured in five separate buses, and Stefan Wohl, the now-former driver of Boyd Tinsley's bus, eventually owned up to the dumping.

Wohl pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of "reckless conduct and water pollution," as noted by the Chicago Tribune, and was sentenced to 1.5 years probation, 150 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay a fine of $10,000, which went to Friends of the Chicago River.

The band was later hit with a civil lawsuit by the State of Illinois, which alleged that it was responsible for violating state environmental laws. In 2005, the DMB paid $200,000 in settlement money toward an environmental protection and education fund.

Additionally, according to The Spokesman-Review, the band agreed to record its bus septic tank dumping details while traveling in Illinois for the following five years.

“Although the band members were not on the bus when the incident took place, we have always said that if it was our bus we would take responsibility for what happened,” a DMB spokesperson said at the time.

A negligent act by a tour bus driver wound up costing the DMB about $300,000, a hit to its sustainable reputation, and loads of embarrassment. To this day, you can purchase a t-shirt commemorating the fecal event — it's essentially embedded into Chicago's lore. But in 2024, things are a bit different, as the "Ants Marching" band is a prime example of taking true accountability.

Since 1999, the band's Bama Works Fund has supported charitable programs in the Charlottesville area and beyond. As an offshoot of Bama Works, the DMB's BamaGreen Project has partnered with concert sustainability nonprofit REVERB since 2005, an initiative dedicated to encouraging eco-conscious efforts and education in the DMB fandom and within the musical group.

Through the REVERB partnership, DMB concerts feature an Eco-Village tent, aka a hub for information on minimizing plastic waste, registering to vote, and donating to the band's reforestation campaign with The Nature Conservancy, which has led to the planting of almost 5 million trees since 2020.

According to the group's site, the DMB has neutralized tour carbon emissions since the early shows of 1991. "Climate positive" touring continues today, as DMB tours feature refill stations, local "farm-to-stage" catering, utilize biodiesel for vehicles, non-toxic cleaning products, rechargeable batteries, reusable and compostable catering products, and encourage upcycling and recycling.

Plus, as part of the summer 2024 tour — which kicked off on May 22 — the DMB teamed up with Live Nation venues to "divert at least 90 percent of fan-generated waste from landfills." The "On the Road to Zero Waste" initiative boasts sustainable HOMEGROWN Concessions and food donation, waste sorting, and composting stations.

Efforts such as these led the UN Environment Programme to designate the DMB as a Goodwill Ambassador in 2019. It is the first band to receive the honor.

"We all need to work together to have hope for the future, hope for our children, and hope for the planet,” Dave Matthews stated at the official ceremony.

In the end, it's easy to poke fun at the band for the Chicago poop-gate fiasco, but let's recognize that its members are likely more eco-progressive than some of your musical faves.