Dave Matthews Band

The only thing more boring than Dave Matthews’ music is alleged to be is the rationale by which such allegations are usually made. The archetypal Matthews critique usually includes one of the following: a snort about the folkways (not to mention the mere existence) of fraternities, mention of the weirdness of saxophones in pop music that skews young, and a swipe at something or other having to do with khaki pants. Only the middle one is reasonable as a critical metric, and Matthews’ insistence on pairing saxophone with electrified violin introduces a whole other line of questioning worth following. The band's latest, 2009's Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King, serves as a tribute to its late saxophonist, LeRoi Moore.

Updated 08/30/2010