Dave Matthews Band

Want to make a hipster snarl? Just utter the following innocuous sentence — "Wanna go see the Dave Matthews Band?" — and watch the fun begin. The mere suggestion of attending such a patchwork and patchouli-laced event will make your tight-pants-wearing, electronic-music-loving friends recoil in horror. Few bands are as polarizing, as ridiculed, and still as insanely popular as the DMB. Whether you love their songs for being earnest and melodic or you despise them for being corny, annoying, and way too long, the fact remains that the Dave Matthews Band is one of the most successful live acts touring today. Despite a distinct lack of radio success, Dave and the boys stand strong among the RIAA's top 100 highest selling music acts of all time. And that's entirely because DMB concerts are fun as hell. You don't go to a DMB show to be seen, to look cool, or to flash the latest designer gear. The dress code is casual to a fault, the dancing can best be described as adorably uncoordinated, and a quick survey of the audience will reveal a distinct lack of melanin and a preponderance of former and current frat boys. But a friendly audience, a steadily overhanging cloud of fragrant smoke, and the sweet crooning of the South African-born lead singer should soon reassure you that checking this band out is well worth it.