The day Dave Matthews' tour bus made a splash in Chicago history

Dave Matthews and Chicago have a complicated history, marked by both fondness and infamy. Earlier this summer, Matthews was spotted at Wrigley Field, blending in with fans and probably having a good time. However, not all of his interactions with the city have been so innocuous.

A particularly infamous incident took place on August 8, 2004 — now etched in Chicago lore. On that day, a Dave Matthews Band (DMB) tour bus did something absolutely unacceptable: It emptied its septic tank while crossing the Kinzie Street Bridge, sending 800 pounds of waste cascading onto an unsuspecting architectural tour boat below! The brown, foul-smelling substance splattered over more than 100 passengers on the Chicago River sightseeing boat, operated by the Chicago Architecture Foundation.

Brett McNeil, a Tribune reporter, was among the unfortunate passengers on that boat. He initially mistook the noise from the bus overhead for something benign, such as a street cleaner. That was until the horrid reality hit — literally, and in what one source called a "brownish-yellow slurry."

McNeil, who was struck on the arm, recalled the stunned silence that turned to panic as the foul odor spread, for which there are many names. The confusion lifted when someone from the back of the boat said (apparently calmly), "That’s not water, buddy; that’s urine." Chaos ensued as passengers, some vomiting, scrambled for cover.

The aftermath for the Dave Matthews Band bus driver

The aftermath was swift, and reputations were sullied. Within days, the buses involved were found parked outside the Peninsula Hotel, where the band was staying during their Chicago tour stop. The driver, Stefan Wohl, later pled guilty to reckless conduct and discharging contaminants.

He received 18 months of probation, 150 hours of community service, and a $10,000 fine, which was donated to the Friends of the Chicago River, an organization dedicated to the river's preservation. Although Dave Matthews himself was not directly involved in the incident, the scandal stuck to the band’s name. Previously, the DMB was known almost exclusively for its eclectic blend of rock, jazz, and funk, had built a reputation since its formation in 1991 for dynamic live performances and a loyal fan base.

Their breakout album, Under the Table and Dreaming (1994), catapulted them to fame with hits like "What Would You Say" and "Ants Marching." Now they would be known for another thing, too. Hopefully, as more and more older rock bands cancel tours, none of those cancelations will be over something like this!

Dave Matthews is still welcome in Chicago

Despite the incident, the band's Chicago fanbase largely remained intact, with the city continuing to be a regular stop on their tours. In the years following the river incident, the story has morphed into a strange badge of honor for some Chicagoans, a symbol of the city’s grit and its oddball history. Riot Fest even put up a commemorative plaque near the bridge in 2023, humorously marking the location of the unfortunate event.

Jeremy Scheuch, Riot Fest's creative director, joked about the city's ongoing fascination, attributing it to a mix of "the hate for Dave Matthews and the love for poop jokes." According to Scheuch, an article he wrote about the event in 2016 garnered more attention than any other content the festival had posted, proving how much it resonated with the city (too bad the story wasn't "fake news").

The Dave Matthews Band attempted to make amends, donating $50,000 to Friends of the Chicago River, which used the funds to further their conservation efforts, as well as $50,000 to the Chicago Park District, and paid the State of Illinois $200,000 in settlement.

Good coming from bad

Margaret Frisbie, Friends of the Chicago River's executive director, noted how the incident served as a catalyst for change, raising awareness about the treatment of Chicago's waterways. "Twenty years ago, people were used to thinking of the Chicago River as polluted" and just accepted it, Frisbie said, "but today, that’s no longer true."

Conspiracy theories and why you shouldn't blame DMB too much

While some prefer to forget the day Chicago’s river tours took a foul turn, others embrace it as part of the city's quirky charm, and many have certainly quipped about that time a tour bus let it rip.

The event has even spurred conspiracy theories, with some humorously speculating that Matthews himself might have pulled the lever. That could be misinformation, even if initially started as a joke. Or it could be disinformation, if known to be false yet promoted anyway.

Also, if the view is spread in order to harm Dave Matthews' reputation, then it risks becoming defamation. So, for clarification's sake (and to avoid lawsuits), we should say: There is no evidence that Dave Matthews, or anyone in his band, made the fateful decision to evacuate the bus's bowels.

Brett McNeil, who (endured the splatter firsthand, defended the singer, saying he and the band have paid an unfair price for a contractor’s screw-up. McNeil likened it to blaming Ford for the O.J. Simpson Bronco chase.

Despite the incident’s lingering infamy, Dave Matthews Band continues to perform worldwide, with its devoted fan base remaining steadfast. The band, known for albums like Crash (1996) and Before These Crowded Streets (1998), is still recognized for its fusion of multiple genres and socially conscious lyrics (ironically, their 1998 album has a song called "Don't Drink the Water"). Even as someone who's not a huge DMB fan, I'll at least give them credit for having a unique and influential sound, and one that actually has broadened the flavor palette of rock music.

While the 2004 accident may forever be associated with DMB's time in Chicago, many now view it as a strange, if unpleasant, footnote in the band's otherwise storied career.