Informative Speech on Dave Matthews Band
...s of the band, I would like to acquaint with their history.) II. Main Point: Formed in 1991, the Dave Matthews Band has over a decade of experience under its belt. A. Born in South Africa, Dave Matthews escaped to the states in 1986 to avoid mandatory military service. B. He bartended while attending Charlottesville Community College, at Miller’s Bar. C. It is here, that during open-mic nights, Dave Matthews first performed in front of an audience. D. After creating a small demo of 4 original songs, Dave Matthews convinced Leroi Moore, a regular at the bar, and his childhood friend Carter Beauford to guest on a new demo. E. They also enlisted Stefan Lessard and Boyd Tinsley to help. F. Their first official gig was on May 11, 1991 at a rooftop party in Charlottesville. Lacking a name, they tentatively called themselves the Dave Matthews Band and it stuck ever since. G. More local gigs followed, as well as studio time, and on November 9, 1993, the Dave Matthews Band released their first album, Remember Two Things. The album debuted on college charts as the highest independent entry. H. The band continued to tour and record and eventually became one of the top grossing acts of all time. (Signpost: Now that you know how the band was created, and their trail of success, I’d like to talk about their music.) III. Main Point: For any band, their main purpose is to record and tour. The Dave Matthews Band is no different. A. The band has released a total of 11 albums since 1993. 1. Releasing a combination of studio recordings and live recordings, the band is able to expose non-concert goers to their unique live performance. B. Containing lyrics of carpe diem, death, life, infatuation, love, hate, race and sexual diversity, monotony, anger and sadness, the band has created a catalog of over 95 songs as well as numerous covers. 1. Many of the band’s songs however do not appear on studio or live albums. They are often only played at concerts, if at all. C. The Dave Matthews Band puts on incredible live shows. 1. Usually over 3 hours long, the concerts showcase the band’s talent, through jam sessions and improv. 2. At a concert I attended last spring, they played one song for over 35 minutes. 3. Their live shows have been the backbone in their career, and a crucial part in becoming one of the top grossing acts of all time. (Signpost: I would now like to speak about the large fan base that the Dave Matthews Band has acquired over the years.) V. Main Point: The Dave Matthews Band has a large and dedicated fan base that can be seen on websites, taper’s circles, and in the tailgating at concerts. A. There are many websites that are dedicated to the band, the music, and the fans. 1. For example, AntsMarching.org and Nancies.org are huge DMB web portals which feature set list archives, message boards, newsletters, and chat programs. B. The band encourages fans to tape and distribute their concerts, as long as it’s...