Herbie Hancock Imagine Project due June 22, features Dave Matthews duet, Jackpot

The Herbie Hancock Imagine Project comes out June 22, according to Reuters.

"Falling Off the Roof," a rare Dave Matthews Band song turned Dave Matthews-Herbie Hancock duet, is on the album. It's unknown whether the song will keep that title when it is released on the Herbie Hancock Imagine Project. When Hancock discussed the album with Billboard last year, he said he planned to translate the lyrics into Balinese or Indonesian.

A world tour to support the Herbie Hancock Imagine Project is in the works, with dates already scheduled for New York (June 24) and Los Angeles (Sept. 1). DMB will be on the West Coast with an off day Sept. 1, so it wouldn't be shocking to see some sort of live collaboration around that time.

The Herbie Hancock Imagine Project also includes a cover of Anoushka Shankar's "The Song Goes On" with Chaka Khan and a version of Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" featuring Pink, Seal and Jeff Beck. Other artists on the album include the Chieftains and Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi.

This year is shaping up to be a busy one for Dave Matthews duets. He and Carter Beauford joined Santana for "Rain Down on Me," which was recorded in 1999 but just released last week as part of the Supernatural legacy edition.

UPDATE (3/1, 3:28 p.m.): The Herbie Hancock-Dave Matthews duet is now called "Jackpot."

Dave Matthews Band news:

Music Saves Mountains concert announced

The Music Saves Mountains concert, a benefit to fight mountaintop mining, will feature Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller.

The Music Saves Mountains concert will take place May 19 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. Proceeds from the Music Saves Mountains concert will benefit the National Resources Defense Council, which is trying to pass laws that would ban mountaintop mining.

Tickets go on sale March 5 and cost between $45 and $95.

The Music Saves Mountains concert is one day before the Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds benefit concert for the Jane Goodall Institute in Washington, D.C., so there's a chance that this show could end up being a Dave and Tim performance as well.

Dave Matthews Band news:

Dave Matthews acting in another Adam Sandler movie, Just Go With It

Dave Matthews' acting career is moving along quite nicely.

The next Dave Matthews movie role will be in "Just Go With It," a romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, according to Variety. "Just Go With It" will also star swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker, a self-professed Dave Matthews Band fanatic whose husband, tennis star Andy Roddick, is friends with Boyd Tinsley.

Sandler is apparently a big fan of Dave Matthews' acting, as "Just Go With It" will mark the third time the two friends have appeared in the same film. Dave played the leader of a gang of rednecks in "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" and a flamboyant salesman in "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry."

There's no word yet on what Dave Matthews' movie role will be this time around. He's also supposed to be in "The Other Side" with Lindsay Lohan, Woody Harrleson and others, but that movie has been delayed several times, and its current status is "in production."

Dave Matthews Band news:

DMB plays Sledgehammer in Padova, Italy

Dave Matthews Band played "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel for the first time in more than a year at today's Padova, Italy concert.

DMB last played "Sledgehammer" on Sept. 10, 2008. The DMB European tour had gotten off to a pretty standard start in terms of setlist diversity, but the band busted out several tour debuts in addition to "Sledgehammer" in Padova: "One Sweet World," "Seek Up" and "So Much To Say."

DMB played "Sledgehammer" for the first time June 28, 2008 -- LeRoi Moore's last show.

Dave Matthews Band news:

DMB Wrigley Field concerts need City Council approval by March

The planned Dave Matthews Band Wrigley Field concerts must receive the Chicago City Council's approval by next month if they are to become reality.

That's the word from WBBM-AM, which reported this tidbit on the DMB Wrigley Field concerts:

Officials have said they need City Council approval by next month to secure a place in the band's schedule.

Earlier this month, a Chicago alderman brought a proposal for two Wrigley Field Dave Matthews Band concerts in front of the City Council. The DMB Wrigley Field concerts would take place on Friday and Saturday nights in September, but there are no specific dates yet.

The news comes as Billy Joel and Elton John have canceled their planned July 7 concert at Wrigley Field. That leaves the DMB Wrigley Field concerts as the only ones planned for the historic ballpark this year. (Phish and Paul McCartney are apparently no longer in the running to play there.)

The Dave Matthews Band Wrigley Field concerts have been rumored since last month.

Dave Matthews Band news:

DMB Grammys performance used prerecorded music, performer says

The Dave Matthews Band Grammys performance used prerecorded tracks from some of the backing musicians, one of those performers says.

DMB played "You and Me" at the Grammys with several percussionists, backup singers, a small string section and eight high school horn players. One of those high school musicians, trumpet player Noah Hocker, told his local newspaper that the horn section recorded its parts at a studio three days before the DMB Grammys performance.

"I thought it was kinda weird at first, wondering why they couldn’t just do it live, but it makes sense," Hocker said, according to The Times of Tualatin, Ore. "You can’t mic all of those people."

Normally, this news wouldn't be that big of a deal. But both before and after the DMB Grammys performance, Dave Matthews repeatedly stressed how important it was for the dozens of backing musicians to all be playing live.

Before the Grammys, Dave told USA Today, "It's cool that everyone up there is playing. There are no dancers, no stand-ins. We wanted everything live. There's such a freedom to that."

He also told MTV, "Everybody is playing, and that's a big part for me. Everybody is playing. There's nobody up there faking it."

Dave Matthews Band news:

Santana-Dave Matthews collaboration Rain Down on Me released

The Santana-Dave Matthews collaboration "Rain Down on Me," an early version of Dave Matthews Band's "JTR," is available today.

"Rain Down on Me" is on Santana's Supernatural legacy edition album. The Santana-Dave Matthews collaboration also features Carter Beauford on the drums. They recorded "Rain Down on Me" and "Love of My Life" during the sessions for Supernatural, which was released in 1999, but only "Love of My Life" made the cut at that time.

Santana and Dave Matthews Band played "Rain Down on Me," then known as "John the Revelator," a few times in concert in 1999. Those versions included the chorus of the traditional song "John the Revelator," as does "Rain Down on Me," but "JTR" omitted that part.

"JTR," recorded for DMB's 2000 Lillywhite Sessions, also added a jam at the end of the song. DMB has not played "JTR" live since 2006.

Dave Matthews Band news:

You and Me debuts on Billboard Hot 100 chart

"You and Me" by Dave Matthews Band is on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time this week at No. 57.

"You and Me," Dave Matthews Band's third single off of Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, got a boost after DMB played the song at the Grammys. The song is also No. 33 on the Billboard rock chart this week.

The "You and Me" Grammy performance helped Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King as well. The album jumped from No. 93 to No. 47 in its 36th week on the Billboard 200 album chart. It's also No. 4 on the alternative album chart and No. 7 on the rock album chart.

Dave Matthews Band news:

Wrigley Field Dave Matthews Band concerts up for Chicago City Council approval

Two Wrigley Field Dave Matthews Band concerts will go before the Chicago City Council for approval tonight.

Alderman Tom Tunney will bring forth a proposal for two Wrigley Field Dave Matthews Band concerts and another concert by Billy Joel and Elton John, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The Wrigley Field Dave Matthews Band concerts will take place on Friday and Saturday nights in September, but the dates have not been set yet. The Billy Joel and Elton John concert is tentatively scheduled for July 7.

The Chicago City Council will need to approve an exception to an ordinance that limits the amount of night events at Wrigley Field. The Dave Matthews Band Wrigley Field concerts have been rumored since last month, and the band tried unsuccessfully to play Wrigley Field in 2007.

Dave Matthews Band news:

Dave Matthews Band, Bonnaroo 2010 headliner

The rumored Dave Matthews Band Bonnaroo 2010 appearance is official.

Dave Matthews Band will headline Bonnaroo 2010 on Friday, June 11. The festival runs Thursday, June 10 through Sunday, June 13 in Manchester, Tenn.

This year marks DMB's second time as a Bonnaroo headliner. The band also headlined Bonnaroo 2005. Dave Matthews and Friends headlined Bonnaroo 2004.

Besides Dave Matthews Band, Bonnaroo 2010 headliners also include Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z and Kings of Leon. Other confirmed Bonnaroo 2010 acts are Phoenix, Weezer, Medeski Martin and Wood, John Fogerty, Blues Traveler, Jeff Beck, the Avett Brothers and the Flaming Lips.

Dave Matthews Band news:

New LeRoi Moore music on Sokoband album

New LeRoi Moore music will appear on the latest album by Sokoband, a Charlottesville, Va. group.

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds also appear on the Sokoband album, according to Jambands.com. The self-titled Sokoband album comes out March 10.

New LeRoi Moore music is on the Sokoband album because he helped the band, formerly known as Soko, release two previous albums. LeRoi died in August 2008 from complications of injuries suffered in an ATV accident.

Dave Matthews Band news:

John Edwards' mistress 'weirded out' Dave Matthews Band, book says

Rielle Hunter, John Edwards' mistress, "weirded out everyone backstage" at a Dave Matthews Band concert, according to the new book, "The Politician."

Newsweek recently previewed "The Politician," by former Edwards aide Andrew Young. It includes these tidbits on the spending habits of John Edwards' mistress:

She “requested backstage passes to a Dave Matthews concert,” then “practically tackled Matthews when she saw him,” prompting a member of the band’s staff to call Young and tell him Hunter “had ‘weirded out’ everyone backstage.”

Dave Matthews Band has figured prominently in the John Edwards scandal. Edwards, the former U.S. senator and presidential candidate, reportedly promised Hunter that he would marry her in a rooftop wedding -- with music supplied by DMB -- after his cancer-stricken wife died. (Hunter had produced videos for Edwards' presidential campaign, and they featured the Boyd Tinsley song "True Reflections.")

Once these reports came out, Stefan Lessard called Edwards a "sleaze ball." Edwards and his wife have since separated, and he has admitted that he fathered Hunter's child.

Dave Matthews Band news:

Green Music Group launched; Dave Matthews Band is founding member

The Green Music Group, an environmental coalition formed by Dave Matthews Band and other musicians, has officially launched.

Besides Dave Matthews Band, other Green Music Group founding members include Linkin Park, Bonnie Raitt, Maroon 5, Willie Nelson, The Roots, Sheryl Crow, Barenaked Ladies and Guster. Several music venues and two record labels, Brushfire Records and Warner Music Group, are also founding members.

The goal of the Green Music Group is to create environmentally friendly concerts and tours and promote the environment globally.

Dave Matthews Band has connections to most other Green Music Group founding members. Willie Nelson, The Roots and Sheryl Crow have opened for DMB. Stefan Lessard is in Yukon Kornelius with Guster's Adam Gardner and Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson. And DMB recently donated a live version of "Typical Situation" to Linkin Park's Download to Donate for Haiti album.

Dave Matthews Band news:

Yukon Kornelius Halloween video surfaces

A Yukon Kornelius "Halloween" video has finally shown up online, two months after the band covered the Dave Matthews Band song in Vail, Colo.

The Yukon Kornelius "Halloween" video features Twisted Sister's Dee Snider on lead vocals. The rest of the band is DMB's Stefan Lessard, Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson, Guster's Adam Gardner and N.E.R.D.'s Eric Fawcett.

Check out the Yukon Kornelius "Halloween" video from Vail:

Dave Matthews Band news:

Performance Rights Act gets Dave Matthews' support

The Performance Rights Act has a supporter in Dave Matthews.

Dave Matthews has signed a petition to support the Performance Rights Act, which would net radio station royalties for artists (not just songwriters, as is currently the case). He and dozens of other artists signed the petition in the lead-up to the Grammys last week.

"We support the Performance Rights Act because it is fair to radio and fair to artists," the statement reads, according to Billboard. "We encourage the radio industry to work with the music community and Congress to pass The Performance Rights Act."

Radio station operators oppose the Performance Rights Act because playing songs is free promotion for the artists, while the writers of those songs get none of the spotlight, according to The Hill.

The Performance Rights Act is sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) in the Senate and Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) in the House of Representatives.

Besides Dave Matthews, other artists who have signed on in support of the Performance Rights Act include Green Day, Sheryl Crow, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Black Eyed Peas and Mary J. Blige.

Dave Matthews Band news:

Video: Dave Matthews Band Grammy performance of You and Me

This Dave Matthews Band Grammy performance video captures DMB playing "You and Me" at last night's Grammys.

The DMB Grammy performance of "You and Me" featured percussionists, a small orchestra and choir and a horn section made up of high school musicians -- inspired by the "You and Me" video. It was one of the more creative Grammy performances of the night that didn't involve acrobatics and water dripping all over celebrities in fancy outfits.

The DMB Grammy performance was the highlight of the night for the band, which lost the Best Rock Album Grammy to Green Day and lost the Album of the Year Grammy award to Taylor Swift.

Watch the DMB Grammy performance video here:



UPDATE (2/3, 1:11 p.m.): YouTube has pulled the video above, but you can now buy the official Dave Matthews Band Grammy performance video of "You and Me" on iTunes.

Dave Matthews Band news: