CNN highlights DMB's environmental efforts

Dave Matthews Band's environmental awareness efforts have landed the band on CNN.

The network has produced a segment about DMB's partnership with Reverb, which promotes recycling, carpooling to concerts and more. The video also shows how DMB eats mostly organic food backstage and even uses biodegradable cups made out of corn.

The segment includes footage of DMB playing "Bartender" and "So Damn Lucky" during the July 7 show in Atlanta, as well as interviews with Stefan Lessard and fans.

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Stefan Lessard speaks out on LeRoi Moore

Stefan Lessard has posted a short MySpace blog, describing what it was like to play without LeRoi Moore last night:

"Getting on stage without Leroi tonight was one of the hardest things for me to do in my history with this band. It felt I was missing my left arm. I kept thinking that he was there but then he wasn't. I know that the love being sent his way will speed up his recovery and bring him back to the stage."

LeRoi was hurt in ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Va. on Monday and is in fair condition at the University of Virginia Health System. Last night in Charlotte, N.C. was the first Dave Matthews Band show since the accident, and the first DMB show without LeRoi since Oct. 16, 1994, which he missed because of a family illness.

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones' saxophonist Jeff Coffin is playing with DMB in LeRoi's absence. By most accounts, Jeff was a great on-stage addition last night, but many fans in attendance said it was clear that Dave Matthews and other band members were visibly rattled without LeRoi there.

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Stefan Lessard celebrates birthday today

DMBNews.net wants to wish a happy birthday to Stefan Lessard, who turns 34 today. Stefan's the youngest member of Dave Matthews Band and now has spent half his life in the band.

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Dave Matthews Band news recap

Here's a recap of everything that happened in the world of Dave Matthews Band while DMBnews.net was down:

• Fans got their first glimpse of DMB working on its new album, thanks to a video posted on the band's iLike page. The video shows DMB in the studio with producer Rob Cavallo and guest guitarist Tim Reynolds. It features clips of two new songs as well as a fairly finished studio version of "Shotgun." For what it's worth, longtime DMB keyboard player Butch Taylor and recent guest trumpeter Rashawn Ross aren't in the video.


• Everyone who buys tickets to DMB's summer tour through Ticketmaster.com will receive a free six-song digital album featuring recordings from the tour. Fans who bought tickets through the Warehouse will also be able to download the album.
  


• Denver's Mile High Music Festival announced that DMB will headline the show's second night, July 20 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will close out the first night.


• DMB and environmental group Reverb announced they will start a carpool service for fans traveling to this summer's concerts. The move is aimed at saving fuel and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Initiatives like that helped DMB land on Billboard's Top 10 list of green musicians.
  


• Jambands.com posted an interview with Stefan Lessard, focusing on the music he composed for the new 3D IMAX film, "MacGillivray Freeman's Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk." Carter Beauford and Tim Reynolds helped record the score, and the movie also features Dave Matthews Band songs.


• A documentary about the New York concert venue Wetlands Preserve debuted. DMB played there in the 1990s and is featured in the film.
  

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Dave Matthews Band to record new album in Seattle, pre-produce in Charlottesville

Dave Matthews Band will start pre-production on its next studio album this week in Charlottesville, Va., then head to Seattle for recording sessions, according to Stefan Lessard.

There is still no information about who will produce the album or what songs will appear, although Stefan has mentioned "Corn Bread" and "#27" as likely candidates in the past. AntsMarching.org also reported that DMB played "Loving Wings," "Sweet Up and Down" and "Shotgun" during a brief November studio session.

Stefan wrote about the plans for a new DMB album today on his MySpace blog, but the locations were the only information he gave. Charlottesville is of course the band's home base, and Dave Matthews now lives in Seattle.

Stefan also said that Yukon Kornelius, the cover band he formed with Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies and Guster's Adam Gardner, will return.

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Dave Matthews Band Super Bowl effort begins

Dave Matthews Band will play next year's Super Bowl halftime show if a group of fans has its way.

A Facebook group has started a campaign to get DMB to play at Super Bowl XLIII, which will take place Feb. 1, 2009 in Tampa, Fla. Facebook groups start all the time for all sorts of different causes, but this one now stands out because Stefan Lessard joined it yesterday and is listed as one of its officers. It's still a long shot, but at least the seed has been planted with one of the band members.

The NFL won't announce the Super Bowl halftime show performer until late in the regular season. Ever since the Justin Timberlake-Janet Jackson fiasco in 2004, the NFL has chosen established rock acts with mass appeal: Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Prince and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

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Yukon Kornelius videos hit YouTube

Videos of last night's Yukon Kornelius concert in Killington, Vt. are appearing on YouTube this afternoon. Blog-Eyed Fish has the entire performance here, song by song. Enjoy!

"Yukon Kornelius Theme"



"(Don't Fear) The Reaper"



"Low Rider" --> "Word Up"



"Sympathy for the Devil"



"Psycho Killer"



"Careless Whisper"



"White Room"



"Center of Attention"



"Pinch Me"



"Lost in the Supermarket"



"Superman"



Bass solo



"Rockin' in the Free World"



"We're Not Gonna Take It"



"Highway to Hell"



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Yukon Kornelius debuts in Vermont

Yukon Kornelius -- the band made up of Dave Matthews Band's Stefan Lessard, Guster's Adam Gardner and Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson -- played its first concert last night at the Pickle Barrel Nightclub in Killington, Vt.

Here's the setlist:

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (Blue Oyster Cult) *
"Low Rider" (War) * -->
"Word Up" (Cameo)
"Sympathy for the Devil" (Rolling Stones)
"Psycho Killer" (Talking Heads)
"Careless Whisper" (George Michael)
"White Room" (Cream)
"Center of Attention" (Guster)
"Pinch Me" (Barenaked Ladies)
"Lost In The Supermarket" (The Clash)
"Superman" (The Clique)
Bass solo
"Rockin' in the Free World" (Neil Young) -->
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (reprise)
"We're Not Gonna Take It" (Twisted Sister) **
---------------------------
"Highway to Hell" (AC/DC) ***

* with Jason Biggs on cowbell
** with Jason Biggs on cowbell and Dee Snider on vocals
*** with Dee Snider on vocals

Eric Fawcett of N.E.R.D. also played on every song, although he is considered a "special guest." Biggs, an actor most famous for the "American Pie" movies, and the members of Yukon Kornelius are filming a snowboarding movie, and the Pickle Barrel is at Okemo Mountain Resort. It's unclear how they got matched up with Snider, the lead singer of Twisted Sister.

It's interesting that Yukon Kornelius played a song each by Guster and Barenaked Ladies, but not Dave Matthews Band. Although the band did play two songs that DMB has covered: "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Rockin' in the Free World."

Photo credit: Mary Lepke

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Stefan Lessard to play benefit concert in Vermont

Dave Matthews Band bassist Stefan Lessard will play a benefit show Jan. 9 in Killington, Vt. with Adam Gardner from Guster and Ed Robertson from Barenaked Ladies.

The band members are calling themselves Yukon Kornelius, an ode to the "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" character Yukon Cornelius. Their concert will raise money for the Vermont and New Hampshire food banks, as well as Adam's environmental organization, Reverb. Eric Fawcett from N.E.R.D. and other special guests are also promised to appear at the event, which actor Jason Biggs will host.

Stefan, Adam, Ed and Jason are spending the winter filming a new Warren Miller snowboarding movie, and that's apparently why they're playing in Killington. The show will take place at the Pickle Barrel Night Club, and members of the Dave Matthews Band Warehouse can access a ticket presale from Friday at 9 a.m. through Monday at 9 a.m.

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Stefan Lessard thanks fans for house fire support

Dave Matthews Band bassist Stefan Lessard is saying thank you to fans who have reached out to him in the aftermath of a house fire that destroyed his Ivy, Va. home.

In his first comments since the Nov. 29 fire, Stefan posted on his MySpace blog:

"I want to thank everyone for their love and support that my family has received during this difficult time.

My son saved my life, if he had not came in my room and woke me up, I might have not made it out alive.

We are all doing good, and trying our best to move forward.

love to everyone
Stefan"

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Dave Matthews Band concert turned down by ESPN

Dave Matthews Band offered to play a concert during ESPN's Winter X Games, but ESPN said no, according to the Aspen Daily News.

Dave Matthews Band bassist and X Games aficionado Stefan Lessard made the offer, but an ESPN official said the network did not want to draw attention and staff away from the X Games themselves. Police in Aspen, Colo., home of the X Games, said there were no concerns about crowd control and that was not the reason for passing on the concerts.

The Winter X Games will take place Jan. 24-27 at Buttermilk Mountain. Dave Matthews Band is no stranger to winter sporting events, having played during the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.

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Dave Matthews Band bassist Stefan Lessard loses Virginia home in early-morning fire

Dave Matthews Band bassist Stefan Lessard's house in Ivy, Va. was destroyed in a fire this morning.

Stefan and his son safely escaped before the two-story house became engulfed in flames. WVIR has video of the fire and reports that part of the house's roof collapsed. Ivy is just outside Dave Matthews Band's base in Charlottesville, Va.

Blog-Eyed Fish will post updates throughout the day as they come in.

UPDATE (6:13 p.m.): The Associated Press is reporting that Stefan and his son escaped the house after they heard "crackling" in the kitchen. Investigators now think the fire started outside the house -- previous reports said it started on the first floor -- but arson or foul play is not suspected, the AP said. In addition, WRIV reports that firefighters were able to salvage some "irreplaceable" photos and awards.

UPDATE (3:01 p.m.): Lots of fans are giving Stefan their best wishes on his Facebook and MySpace pages.

UPDATE (1:19 p.m.): WVIR also reports that Stefan's house was worth $1.1 million, and adding in the contents of the house, Stefan and his family are facing a $2 million loss overall.

UPDATE (12:26 p.m.): The fire started around 7 or 7:30 a.m. WCAV reports it took 40 firefighters to battle the flames, and the house burned quickly because its exterior was cedar. WVIR adds that Stefan called 911 after escaping, but "the home is likely a total loss."

Photo courtesy: WCAV

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New Dave Matthews Band album sessions to begin this winter; 'Cornbread,' '#27' likely

Dave Matthews Band will start recording its new album late this winter, according to bassist Stefan Lessard.

Stefan appeared on Sirius radio's Jam On station this week and said there are no firm plans for recording the new Dave Matthews Band album. It will likely include some of the songs that the band debuted on its summer tour -- Stefan specifically mentioned "Cornbread" and "#27" -- as well as some brand new songs.

"We're excited to get something out," Stefan said. "We've been playing a lot of new songs, and we've been getting good responses."

Dave Matthews Band has not decided on a producer for the new album or where to record it, Stefan told Sirius. He mentioned Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hawaii, Grand Cayman and the band's hometown of Charlottesville, Va. as possible locations. And there's no timetable for the new album's release, he said.

"There's really no deadline to have a record out," he said. "We just want to make something that's going to be great to release."

Stefan said he will spend most of his winter working on a new snowboarding movie with "American Pie" star Jason Biggs, Ed Robertson from Barenaked Ladies and Adam Gardner from Guster. He also said a Dave Matthews Band summer tour in 2008 is "almost a guarantee."

"It would be like a summer without, you know, backyard barbecues and beach vacations," he said.

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Dave Matthews Band live album preview on Sirius

Dave Matthews Band bassist Stefan Lessard will be on Sirius satellite radio tomorrow to promote DMB's upcoming Live at Piedmont Park album and DVD. He'll be on Jam On, the jam bands station, at 5 p.m. Eastern, playing songs from the CD. Sirius will rebroadcast the program Wednesday at 9 p.m. and Thanksgiving Day at noon.

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Stefan Lessard composing IMAX score

Dave Matthews Band will contribute songs to "Grand Canyon Adventure," an IMAX film about impending shortages of fresh water.

Stefan Lessard is also composing the score for "Grand Canyon Adventure," which is scheduled to hit IMAX theaters in March. The documentary follows Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and anthropologist Wade Davis as they raft down the Colorado River.

"It's our hope that this powerful IMAX Theatre film will inspire people to do what they can to help ensure that all the earth's inhabitants have access to safe drinking water, both now and in the future," Stefan said in a press release.

MacGillivray Freeman Films is producing "Grand Canyon Adventure." The company's previous environmental films have featured the music of George Harrison, Sting, Queen, the Moody Blues and Crosby, Stills and Nash.

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Stefan Lessard responds to song requests

Stefan Lessard has responded to fans' requests for old and rare Dave Matthews Band songs.

Lessard asked users of his Web site, IZStyle.com, what songs they'd like to hear on DMB's upcoming summer tour. According to the results, "Blue Water" was fans' most popular choice. And now Stefan has posted his reaction to the results on his MySpace page.

"I loved the responses and am with you on Blue Water.... One of my all time favorites," he wrote. "The solo section bass line from that song was inspired from listening to Pink Floyd all the time when I was 18. The lyrics...beautifully dark...we were a young band when that song was written..."

Stefan's survey and reaction are fueling speculation that DMB will play "Blue Water" this tour. DMB has not played the song in full since Feb. 25, 1995 -- although Dave Matthews has teased and played it off and on since then, sometimes with Tim Reynolds.

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Stefan Lessard taking song requests

Stefan Lessard has posted on the message board at his Web site, IZStyle.com, asking fans what song they'd most like to hear Dave Matthews Band play on its upcoming summer tour.

Fans are seizing the opportunity, offering up nearly 300 responses as of this morning. Most are clamoring for old songs the band hasn't played in years, like "Blue Water" and "Spotlight," and some want more recent tunes that have disappeared, like "Sugar Will," "Crazy Easy" and "Good Good Time."

The post comes on the heels of Dave Matthews telling Billboard magazine that DMB members sometimes go online to find out what songs fans want to hear. So it could signal the dawn of a new era of DMB listening to fans more. Or, it could just be a way for Stefan to drum up membership for IZStyle, which recently relaunched. We'll find out a week from today, when the summer tour starts in Mansfield, Mass.

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Stefan Lessard turns 33

Happy birthday to Stefan Lessard, the youngest member of Dave Matthews Band. He turns 33 today.

Stefan says no album any time soon

Dave Matthews Band won't seriously start recording its next album until later this year, according to Stefan Lessard in this Brisbane Times interview. Stefan characterizes the time the band has spent in the studio so far as "pre-production" and says the band is on a "creative break" right now.

The interview also features Stefan talking about joining the band when he was 16, its charitable work and what else he plans to do during DMB's current Australian tour.