Dave Matthews Band has experienced a lot in its 35 years: the death of its saxophonist, LeRoi Moore, the departure of its violinist, Boyd Tinsley, and an unfortunate septic accident over Chicago’s Kinzie Street Bridge. But through it all, one guy has endured. Well, two guys. Three if you count Carter Beauford (which you should — some say it should be called the “Carter Beauford Band”). Anyway, one guy is with us today. We’ll call him “the bassist.” We caught up with the bassist on Zoom.
The Hard Times: First of all, wow, what an honor.
Bassist: Ha, thank you. I’m actually a fan of yours as well.
Let’s get right to it. What’s . . . what’s bass like?
Bass? Bass is my livelihood. I’ve—
Would you consider yourself a “real” bassist?
What do you mean?
Like sometimes you get a guy who seems to just want to be in a band.
No, I’m into it.
And then there’s the bassist who wanted to be the guitarist.
I’m fully committed.
To bass?
Yeah.
Wait . . . you set out to play bass?
Is that a bad thing?
Maybe not if you’re, like, Victor Wooten or Les Claypool.
I know both of them. We all share a—
House?
I was going to say “fanbase.”
I thought you were going to say “house.”
We’re friends.
You and Dave?
Me and Les and Victor.
What’s Dave like?
Dave? He’s Dave, you know. We’ve been friends since—
You’re friends with Dave?!
Of course.
Hypothetical: Dave invites Les Claypool to play onstage. Would you play bass too?
What’s the song?
“Tripping Billies.”
I guess it depends.
I think you’d play tambourine. You’d be like, “This is Les Claypool, I’m . . . who I am . . . I’ll stand aside and play tambourine.
I don’t see that happening.
What if Dave made you?
We don’t play “Tripping Billies” much anymore.
Too much violin?
Exactly.
Boyd Tinsley.
Yes.
Also, it hasn’t aged well. It’s like watching “The Cosby Show” and thinking, “Am I gonna get in trouble for this?”
I don’t understand.
You don’t watch “The Cosby Show”?
I mean it’s been a while.
Right now I’m watching “Workin’ Moms.” Does the bassist for Dave Matthews Band watch “Workin’ Moms”?
I’ve seen some episodes.
It’s four working moms in Toronto—Kate, Anne, Jenny, and Frankie—as they struggle to achieve work-life balance.
What’s your question?
Do you think Dave ever struggles to achieve work-life balance?
Why don’t you ask Dave?
OMG, do you think we could call him?!
