The official Dave Matthews Band web site has announced another set of openers for the 2004 Summer Tour. Robert Rudolph and the Family Band, Galactic, Nappy Roots, Robert Earl Keen, Graham Colton Band and The Red West will be opening up for some of the shows. They join an already well built line-up of DMB Summer 2004 opening bands.
Update:
Update:
Check out the rest of the Openers Here
DMB 2004 Summer Tour Schedule
Here's a break down of the newly announced performers:
Robert Randolph and the Family Band got its start in an African-American Pentecostal Church in Orange, New Jersey. Robert Randolph learned to play the the pedal steel guitar as part of the tradition of Sacred Steel music Pentecostal churches.
His talent landed him at the first ever Sacred Steel Convention where he was discovered by his soon to be manager Jim Markel. He was soon signed as the opener for the North Mississippi All-Stars, and eventually  to jam band Medeski, Martin and Wood. This ultimately led to his first major release, The Word, The album was a cooperative effort with MMW's keyboardist John Medeski.
In 2002, DMB had RR open at the 5/28, 5/29 Madison Square Gardens shows. According to this Pollstar article, Dave Matthews himself has said that Randolph is the best muscian he has ever played with.
 Listen to a clip of "Waiting On My Wings" .mp3 (The Word)
The appropriately named Family Band that backs Robert Randolph consists of Marcus Randolph on drums, Danyel Morgan on bass and Jason Crosby on keyboards and violin. Both Marcus and Danyel are Robert's cousins.
Since The Word Randolph has released a live album, Live at the Wetlands under his own label, and the studio release Unclassified.
Listen to a clip of "Going in the Right Direction" .mp3 (Unclassified)
Robert Randolph and the Family Band DMB Tour Dates:
- June 26th, 2004 - Post-Gazette Pavilion, Burgettestown, PA
- June 27th, 2004 - Post-Gazette Pavilion, Burgettestown, PA
- June 29th, 2004 - Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
- June 30th, 2004 - Molson Amphitheater, Toronto, ON
 Galactic is Robert Mercurio, Jeff Raines, Stanton Moore, Ben Ellman, Rich Vogel and Theryl "Houseman" DeClouet. A self-proclaimed jazz-funk-rock fusion, the band has now released six studio albums since the early 90's and toured extensively throughout.
The New York Times has described Galactic: "Lean bass lines, stuttering drumbeats, chords placed cooly on the backbeat and melodies like bluesy epigrams add up to some of the most danceable music on earth." Though its founding members Raines and Mercurio come from Washington, DC the band is now based out of New Orleans.
Their newest studio album, Rukus, was release to rave reviews. The album was produced by Dan "The Automater" Nakamura (Gorrilaz, Dr. Octagon)
Both Galactic and Dave and Friends will play at Bonnaroo this summer.
You can listen to Ruckus for free on the Galactic website! (cool.)
Robert Randolph and the Family Band DMB Tour Dates:
- July 10th, 2004 - Hershey Park Stadium, Hershey, PA
- July 11th, 2004 - Nissan Pavilion, Bristow, VA
- July 13th, 2004 - Darien Lake, Darien Center, NY
- July 14th, 2004 - Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
 Nappy Roots defined southern hip-hop with their 2002 debut release of Watermellon, Chicken and Gritz.
Nappy Roots is Skinny DeVille, Ron Clutch, Big V, R. Prophet, Scales and B. Stille. The group snagged two Grammy Award nominations in 2003 for Best Rap/Song Collaboration and Best Long Form Music Video for their DVD, "The World According to Nappy."
They have toured with N.E.R.D, 311, and Jay-Z. Interestingly they were also invited by the US Government to perform for American troops positioned in the Persian Gulf. They made that journey and are no doubt looking forward to the opportunity to open for DMB.
Nappy Roots DMB Tour Dates:
- July 6th, 2004 - Tweeter Center, Mansfield, MA
- July 7th, 2004 - Tweeter Center, Mansfield, MA
Robert Earl Keen turned 48 in January of this year, putting him well ahead of other artists opening for DMB along the summer tour. But like an austere wine, Keen's music has aged well.
Keen started jamming when he was studying English at Texas A&M. He was given his first guitar by his sister, which he took to playing with his neighbor, a journalism student named Lyle Lovett. Keen and Lovett would both launch successful careers out of this incubation.
His latest release is Farm Fresh Onions on Audium / Koch Records
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Robert Earl Keen's DMB Tour Dates
- July 24th, 2004 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Charlotte, NC
- July 26th, 2004 - Altel Pavilion at Walnut Creek, Raleigh, NC
- July 27th, 2004 - HiFi Buys Amphitheater, Atlanta, GA
The Graham Colton Band travels along the road paved by the "genuine  chemistry that derives only from youth and raw anticipation." They have an alternative sound supplied by Brian "Turtle" Turton, Ryan Tallent, Jordan Elder, Drew Nichols and the twenty one year old Graham Colton.
The band has already opened for Train, Blues Traveler, John Mayer and Counting Crows. They've also spent some time on the road with another DMB summer tour band, O.A.R. summer tour.
Graham Colton Band DMB Tour Dates
- August 16th, 2004 - Verizon Amphitheater, Bonner Springs, KS
- August 18th, 2004 - Verizon Amphitheater, Selma, TX
- August 20th, 2004 - Woods Mitchell Pavilion, The Woodlands, TX
- August 21st, 2004 - Woods Mitchell Pavilion, The Woodlands, TX
 The Red West was put together in 2001 at Biola University when a pair of roommates named Andy Smiths and Jason Belt. They were soon to be joined by Matt Bethancourt on bass guitar and Belt's cousin Ryan Gleason on drums.
Their 2002 self-titled release, The Red West includes laid back summer shade tracks like "Days Die." This tune has a really great muted trumpet wandering in it. Check this track out!
They are perhaps among the freshest of bands opening for DMB this summer.
The Red West DMB Tour Dates
- August 23rd, 2004 - Verizon Amphitheater, Bonner Springs, KS
- August 24th, 2004 - Cricket Amphitheater, Phoenix, AZ
- August 26th, 2004 - Coors Amphitheater, Chula Vista, CA
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