If Dave Matthews Band fans can't catch the real thing this summer, the next best thing is the Tripping Billies' recreation of the live DMB experience.
Following a spring trek that drew critical raves and played before packed crowds in East Coast clubs, Tripping Billies is extending its tour into the summer to meet fan demand for the band's heralded recreation of the vintage Dave Matthews live vibe in a manner in which it hasn't been experienced since the DMB's pre-stadium days. Highlights include a series of festivals, major vacation destinations, the Boy Scouts National Convention and a string of dates with The Samples. Tripping Billies will also be seen this summer performing on "Sound Check," a new TV series picked up by NBC.
The DMB tribute band, for which Matthews himself has given the thumbs up to, earned similar regard from the media during its 2002 spring jaunt. The Cleveland Plain Dealer called Tripping Billies "one of the top DMB tribute bands in the land" and the Buffalo News viewed the Rochester, NY outfit as "the model of a successful DMB tribute band." Columbus Wired said Trippping Billies is simply "the best DMB tribute band in the nation."
Understanding that mere replication is not enough, Tripping Billies adds an ingredient that sets it apart from all the other DMB wannabes out there — the insistence upon adding its own original, intricate jams into the music of the Dave Matthews Band to create live improvisational moments that truly live and breathe in the concert setting.
"We try and emulate the show," says Brandon "Dave" DePaul. "We listen to the record to get a base to work from, but we go after the live sound. We try to capture the energy and the spirit."
Tripping Billies Itinerary:
June 27 Albany, NY Valentine's
June 28 Hudson, NY Joe's Lounge
June 29 Binghamton, NY Empire Club
July 5 Canandaigua, NY Sam's Restaurant Festival
July 6 W. Yarmouth, MA Mill Hill Club
July 7 Block Island, RI Spring House Hotel
(with The Samples)
July 11 Laconia, NH Weirs Beach
July 12 Boston, MA Harper's Ferry
July 13 NYC, NY The Lion's Den
July 19 Richmond, VA Alley Katz
July 20 Towson, MD Recher Theatre
July 26 Pittsburgh, PA The Attic
July 27 Auburn, NY Flop's Sports Bar
July 28 Oswego, NY Oswego Harbor Fest
