20 Years Later: The Dave Matthews Band Chicago River Incident

Twenty years ago today, a tour bus belonging to the Dave Matthews Band crossed the Kinzie Street Bridge in Chicago and dumped an estimated 800 pounds of waste onto unsuspecting tourists below.
This is that story.
Shot by: Amanda Freberg
Video editing: Tom Dyke
Audio editing: Rachel Jacobs
Produced by: Sarah Davis, Amanda Freberg
Special Thanks: Nate Freberg, Tom Arnison
Sources:
"Dave Matthews Band Chicago River Incident." Wikipedia. Accessed April 18, 2024. en.wikipedia.o....
Google earth V 10.57.0.4. Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, Wisconsin.
42°44'16.0""N 88°26'00.1""W
www.earth.googl... [July 15, 2024].
Google earth V 10.57.0.4. Kinzie St Bridge, Chicago, Illinois.
41°53'20.8""N 87°38'22.0""W
www.earth.googl... [July 15, 2024].
"Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise Aboard Chicago’s First Lady.”
Chicago Architecture Center. Chicago Architecture Center, Accessed July 15, 2024. www.architectu....
"Chicago’s Little Lady." CruiseChicago.Com. Accessed April 18, 2024. www.cruisechic....
Rozas, Angela, and Brett McNeil. "19 Years Ago Today, a Dave Matthews Band Tour Bus Dumped Human Waste on a Tour Boat in the Chicago River. Here’S Our Original Report." Chicago Tribune (Chicago), August 8, 2022. www.chicagotri....
Hawthorne, Michael. 2004. Review of Band’s Driver Denies Drenching Boat. Chicago Tribune, August 10, 2004. www.chicagotri....
"Witness: Stink Was Unmistakably Porta Potti Juice." Chicago Tribune (Chicago), August 11, 2004. www.chicagotri....
Jaquith, Waldo. ""Band Issues Dumping Letter."" Nancies.Org. August 30, 2004. nancies.org/ne....
""Madigan: Video Busts Band’S Bus in Dumping."" Chicago Tribune (Chicago), August 25, 2004. www.chicagotri....
Carriveau, Cara, host. ""Dave Matthews."" Cara’s Basement (podcast). June 3, 2009. Accessed April 18, 2024. carasbasement.....
Selvam, Ashok , and Aimee Levitt. ""Dave Matthews Dines on the Chicago River 17 Years After His Tour Bus Famously Befouled It."" Eater Chicago (Chicago), August 9, 2021. chicago.eater.....
"15 Years Ago Today, Dave Matthews' Tour Bus Dumped Human Waste On Chicago River Tourists." CBS Chicago (Chicago), August 8, 2019. www.cbsnews.co....
Riley, Marcus. "Dave Matthews Still Apologizing For “Poopgate”." NBC Chicago (Chicago), June 3, 2009. www.nbcchicago....
"Dave Matthews Band Concert History." ConcertArchives.Org. Accessed April 18, 2024. www.concertarc....
Riot Fest (@RiotFest), “In honor of the events of August 8, 2004 the Riot Fest Historical Society has dedicated a plaque on the Kinzie Street Bridge to remember those we lost during the”, Twitter, August 8th, 2023, 9:23AM, x.com/RiotFest....

[@ahobbit1273]

Big fan of how the credits at the end are citied in Chicago style.

[@FirstNameBunchANumbers]

I love that this is pinned because it means that it was almost certainly put in Chicago style on purpose

[@themarecool]

​@@FirstNameBunchANumbersI can't figure out what it means 😔

[@FirstNameBunchANumbers]

@@themarecool "Chicago style" is a way of writing out citations! Like in a research paper you can use different methods like Chicago style or MLA style to show your sources, so it's just different ways of ordering the information

[@Barnuses]

@@themarecool It means the cheese is under the sauce.

[@onlinetuna]

​@@themarecooldeep

[@emmabystrom6546]

Dropping this with absolutely no warning....just like Dave Matthew's Band.

[@fearsomefivefilms]

The hottest drop since

[@Rickyblobby]

Hope this ends up being the top comment (unless someone else makes a better 💩 pun)

[@2goblinsinatrenchcoat]

Iconic

[@Boozlenoodle]

KZbin asked me why this comment was excellent and I checked the box for "Informative"

[@moonbasket]

+

[@Jedicake]

Man... Those incredibly rare times when you get videos of the McElroy's in real life it's like a gift from the heavens. It's like a tiny revival of the MBMBAM show

[@DrLazerbeam]

We need a second season so bad.

[@luo522]

I would give an irresponsible amount of money to kickstarter to make a MBMBAM TV season 2.

[@chiliboom6140]

I was just telling my wife, It’s the brothers out in the wild! It’s nice to see.

[@caseycat]

MBMBAM is gold

[@Norsilca]

A "gift from the heavens"? 😉

[@justintriumphant]

All three of us were supposed to learn this information, only one of us did before the shoot, can you figure out which brother it was?

[@Majorasblaze]

A rare Justin comment, thank you for your service!

[@twistysunshine]

🫡 thank you info king

[@ananananabop]

Ah. That’s ok though, cause it resulted in some great live reactions 😂

[@acsmoothing2262]

It adds tension to a dramatic tale. That’s called good storytelling, folks.

[@travisunbound]

Griffin and I independent of one another decided that the funniest version is you telling us. And we were right!

[@smashingtheadam]

Can this be a series? These guys doing walking tours about wild-ass history?

[@MattFredFry]

More like wild ass-history

[@meeprific]

@@MattFredFryNice!

[@uhhh7685]

Yeah I was just about to say I’m so in if this is a new series

[@beatboxlanguage]

@@MattFredFryGOTEM

[@chastermief839]

i think it's especially apt because of how often they reference this on mbmbam. if they do another series on this it has to be on like, the Judgement of Solomon, or the Kobayashi Maru, or the Foo Fighters music video for Everlong

[@GriffenDoesIt]

This has big "video we made for social studies class that is vaguely about something historic" energy and I love it

[@isaiahsabo4728]

MAN Justin’s hair is looking good, whatever you’re doing is working man

[@justintriumphant]

Thanks pal

[@TheBadIdeaBox]

The "Unhinged PBS" energy coming from this video is immaculate. Please make more!

[@YouLikeKrabbyPattiesDontYou]

Griffin having to physically walk away and Travis staying hunched over with his hands on his knees for _so long_ upon hearing the quote of that poor, poor woman having her mouth open... I felt that.

[@ironickusername]

Now THIS is television!

[@thomeiser8933]

it's actually a KZbin video

[@ironickusername]

@@thomeiser8933 what?! Do they know?

[@rye_ay_ay]

I was already in when I saw the title, but as soon as Justin said "boys, I don't wanna set you up like you're gonna get a motive on this one," I was locked in

[@followthedeia]

I thought this was podracing.

[@Dreamymcbatman]

It can be both​@@followthedeia

[@ironickusername]

Thank you brothers for bringing investigative journalism back to life

[@nightmare_eyes_]

"digestive journalism" was right there

[@jan_825]

Gasped in shock at this notification mid-meeting and had to dismiss several curious glances so there's that

[@Knot_Colin]

Me except I WFH thankfully

[@beatboxlanguage]

“Everything good?” “Yeah! So good. So so good”

[@bobthepinecone]

the brown wave transition is so foul and beautiful

[@trevbot_exe]

"The Ballad of the Kinzie Street Bridge" is my favorite unreleased Mountain Goats B-side

[@TrafficConeArms]

As a Chicagoan this has been in our newspapers all week. They talked about it on WGN (local news station) this morning. An event that will never be forgotten

[@user-xe1zw7fl7l]

Are all cities as proud of how absolutely unhinged they are as Chicago is?

[@CampyGrandpa]

"After I say this to you I"m just gonna run away" is how I'm ending every conversation for the rest of my life. My days of being painfully socially awkward behind me. THANKS JUICE

[@bensledge4652]

Why did I watch all those credits like Nick Fury was gonna come out after?

[@thomeiser8933]

"You think you're the only goofbrothers in the world? Boys, you've just become a part of a sillier goofiverse. You just don't know it yet."

[@johnfreeman9349]

mr mathews himself emerges from the shadows

[@kingcalamity6276]

I can tell you why I did it, and it was for that *beautiful* sax loop!

[@charliegiammarco5178]

I would love a 3 second slow zoom of Clint grinning at the camera

[@MesGuided]

​@@charliegiammarco5178 Clint should have been revealed as Thanos

[@tvanddy]

I have a coffee mug with the Wikipedia page for this incident on it, it’s one of my favorite things that I own

[@10tothe10088]

I love how many times Griffin is legitimately surprised at Justin's depth of knowledge on this topic

[@tasteyfoood]

This is making me desperately need a Rick Steves-esque travel show featuring the McElroys

[@captgeech]

its honestly a travesty these guys don't have a hit show, somewhere. a travis tea.

[@user-xe1zw7fl7l]

@@captgeech I *love* comedy and truly I can't think of any other creators who have as smooth, punch-up-not-down-y, absolute-banger-after-banger of a joke-per-minute quotient.

[@captgeech]

@@user-xe1zw7fl7l right? when they put out that tv show it felt like it was basically just me and two of my friends that even knew about it or who they were and its absolutely wild to me. Especially the fact that they are in the gaming space which is huge and doesn't have all that many creators with s-tier comedic timing.

[@shockofthenew]

​@@captgeech Same! It's frustrating because their main podcasts are genuinely very popular, but their audience is purely online so it's kind of invisible unless you know where to look. It's a a shame the TV industry didn't seem to pick up on that potential... the show was so funny and well made (a blessing!) but it got pushed onto a small streaming service that was an offshoot of a bigger one, which quickly got shut down, so it never got any momentum outside of hardcore fans who tracked it down. There was also going to be an Adventure Zone animated series on Peacock which even got officially announced a couple years back, but presumably ended up in development limbo and we never heard about again... it's a common story sadly, so many amazing fan-favourite projects never make it to air or get cancelled after one season, especially if it's something alternative which executives and advertisers don't really understand. They're still popular in the podcast market and have a solid fanbase, so they're fine, but I'll always hold out faint hope for another season of the TV show. In the meantime anyone who liked that show should go watch Taste of Luxury (Justin and his friend Dwight) which is on this channel, it's very funny and criminally under-viewed!

[@GlennBRust]

The fact that the guy was caught and prosecuted but apparently didn't provide his reasoning or motive is wild.

[@ashknight6696]

seriously like can't even say you were a cardinals fan and let the intrusive thoughts win?

[@BioYuGi]

"His reasoning or motive" I mean seems obvious, doesn't it? Dumping the waste was something they'd have to do eventually. He probably just thought "Here, nobody will care if I dump it through the grate of this bridge". Probably didn't even know there was a boat.

[@GlennBRust]

@@BioYuGi But that thought that no one will care if they dump it through the grate of this bridge is still wrong even if there doesn't happen to be a boat of people passing by... You're still not allowed to do that.

[@mustardofdoom]

"funny"

[@thebeckofkevin]

@@GlennBRust I'm pretty sure this is going to come as a big shock, but some people don't care about the rules.

[@janab1130]

- "Sir" - "I'm Justin your brother" - 3 minutes in and Travis is taking physical and mental damage - Justin dropping facts and just Taking Off - the Transition???????

[@logarhythmic6859]

3:45 I love how the only time in that entire shot that a pedestrian passes by happens to be precisely when Justin commits to the bit of running away.

[@drewluski]

a moment of appreciation for the royalty free song by Doctor Turtle entitled "Unexpected Hoedown in Bagging Area"

[@detecafix]

THAT'S what I'm saying! All the titles are pretty wild!

[@user-xe1zw7fl7l]

Their videos are like onions: beneath every layer of jokes, there's a deeper, more pungent layer of jokes

[@ehhhhhhhhhh]

I stayed for the Sensual Folk!

[@mothergoose9383]

@@ehhhhhhhhhh Come for the turtle, stay for the folk!

[@littlemau1360]

The "good luck" to the people on the boat was so perfect

[@maymorning8504]

I can’t thank you enough for posting this when you did. I’m sitting in my car and the mailman is taking his break parked outside my house. I can’t go inside until he leaves because at this point it’s been a weirdly long time for me to reveal that I’ve been here all along.

[@InvdrDana]

At this point you'll just have to pack your bags and leave 😞

[@sonorasgirl]

“Iiiiii’ve been here the whoooooole time!”

[@billbentley78]

I have been watching and supporting the McElroys for almost 10 years now, in the hopes that they would take up investigative journalism. I am so glad my prayers were answered, and that they started with such an important story!

[@mariah9824]

As a native Chicagoan, thank you, brothers, for keeping this vital piece of our history alive. Never forget.

[@DaemonInWhite]

Now _this_ is what I watch the McElroy brothers for

[@blundermoth4720]

Mouths fully open

[@benb4192]

close enough, welcome back My Brother My Brother and Me television show!

[@phoneguy8369]

This is the most fucked up thing I've seen in my whole life, only because I used to work on the river (and on Chicago's Little Lady more specifically, the boat upon which Dave Matthew's, um, Did That) and know very intimately all of the places you guys are wanderin' throughout this video. It's like my favorite youtuber just uploaded a video from the inside of my house or something. Anyway great content, glad you guys are spreading the word about this incredible story haha. It really lent itself to the tour, too-- "If you think my tour *stinks*, well, let me tell you about the Dave Matthews Band..."

[@BigStinkyT-Rex]

Hi, Dave Matthews here, and I just want to say from the bottom of my heart. I'm sorry. We goofed.

[@nigelthornberry5375]

username checks out

[@caseycat]

Thanks Dave Matthews

[@twojuiceman]

I think it was from a little further down than the bottom of your heart if you know what I mean

[@Eltuine]

This is the real Dave Matthews Man

[@TheVutswag]

We made a big stinky goof

[@ethanomcbride]

This WILL win an Emmy 😤

[@maymorning8504]

Talk about it 👏

[@raethestar44]

The video editing elevates this so much 🤌 JUSTIN RUNNING AWAY AT 3:44 KILLED ME LOL

[@Andrew-wb2zq]

I had no idea the bridge was SO LOW.

[@dimensionalvintage]

This is awesome. Y'all need to do more of these, like a walking tour of niche pop culture sites across America.

[@UnkoMunko]

This comes weirdly full circle for me since my only exposure to the Dave Matthews Band tour bus incident has only ever been through MBMBaM.

[@heyitsmegn]

really loving that this was clearly filmed several months ago, admirable dedication to this important date in american history. o7

[@charliecrossing]

"Sensual Folk," "Unexpected Hoedown in Bagging Area," "Ominous Criminal Atmosphere," and "Blues and Tooth" really set the sonic mood almost as well as some DMB.

[@thegeneticgee]

"HEEEee wakes up in the morning, DROPS some poop into mouths and he's rolling..."

[@ananananabop]

Stopp!!😂🤣

[@blundermoth4720]

There is no way to adequately quantify what a shitty day I was having immediately before I saw this, McElroys to the rescue again with an entire coachload of perspective

[@Lurkipoh]

20 years ago about 120 ppl also had a shitty day

[@justintriumphant]

@@Lurkipohtoo true

[@user-xe1zw7fl7l]

*an entire coachload's worth of septic waste of perspective, you mean

[@tape-6]

would you say it was an approximately 800 pounds of porta-potty filtered shit kind of day?

[@justahippiekid]

Wow, to think it’s been 20 years since the Dave Matthews Band tour bus dumped 800 lbs of septic waste on unsuspecting boat passengers. As always, top-quality McElroy journalism!

[@twistysunshine]

Im fucking in love with this. Detailed pop culture history and the brothers just enjoying themselves walking around

[@Jakeshapedworld]

Hard hitting journalism

[@scaredlittlebug]

Soft and sloshy journalism

[@MesGuided]

It hit the poor people on that boat pretty hard.

[@akrum962]

Brothers reviving that classic SeeSo property Hidden America

[@BlessingKnTproducti]

this content is so fucking good i need a new tv series from you please

[@mikacarlson1814]

this feels like a high-school project in a way that i cannot define

[@elduderino007]

I need more of these public access history specials.

[@kittykake44]

Finally, the sequel to the ghost tour

[@ChicaneryBro]

...I won't go back and check but I'd like to think it was that same tour guide holding the camera in the reflection

[@moonbasket]

Thank you, Amanda, for the great filming of this epic tale. 😂

[@bennypmo]

8:40 the ghost of the fourth McElroy sullenly watches the brothers walk away.

[@JustinOfTheWild]

Jorb McElroy can hold a camera for sure! When he’s not too busy delivering all the mail.

[@makaylashaw8501]

Thank you boys. I almost forgot about the Dave Matthew’s band septic tank incident 20 years ago

[@katy8161]

Unnecessary yet excellent to have that poop wave transition.

[@rye_ay_ay]

Love the absolutely zero lead-up to a mini documentary. Love how drastically obvious it is that this is Justin hauling his brothers around Chicago because of a story he liked. We're so back, MBMBAM show come home

[@xprismperfectx]

This is peak journalism, we need more McElroy documentaries McelDocs if you will

[@vaporreads5095]

I like the sea of links at the end credits as if anyone will source this for a very important anthropological dissertation that will change the corresponding field of study for ever. Thanks bros.

[@scyence]

Wake up babe, new sh*tstorm

[@sonorasgirl]

I can’t like this cause it has 69 likes

[@scyence]

@@sonorasgirl nice

[@bird_cowboy]

I could listen to dramatic retellings of niche city specific dramas told by Justin any day. What a gift this video was 😌

[@mikeg2240]

Never Forget

[@ThePupSquad]

literally begging on my hands and knees for more content like this from yall ❤

[@BaiNaiMai]

incredible, and i love that u cited ur sources at the end. 10/10 stuff my guy.

[@BucklingSwashes]

Boys, videos like this and the Ghost Tour give me life. It's just a joy seeing you guys explore and learn while being your usual goof selves.

[@pooolB]

Okay wait, I gotta know when you guys filmed this, because yesterday on NBC Chicago they did a whole segment about this and they showed a sticker on the bridge railing that says "I survived Dave Matthews Band Poopgate 2004", and I can't believe you didn't show that

[@nschwartz311]

They were here in Chicago in April so I assume they filmed it then. And iirc the sign went up after that

[@mick3199]

This was definitely filmed ahead, it's been mid-high eighties all month. Now that's commitment to the bit.

[@tombot5000]

This makes me miss their show even more. But I'm loving this!

[@princessemi]

Congratulations for your future Peabody nomination with this incredible reporting work, Brothers

[@BlessingKnTproducti]

oh my god i just KNEW the boys would talk on this

[@jodyanthony]

Thank you for the reminder

[@shockofthenew]

Thank you so much for the hard-hitting investigative journalism. Finally we have a fitting memorial for this momentous incident in American history.

[@notarose]

“Too far GWAR”is so fun to say. Entire video is a delight but that’s the part that’s gonna stay with me the longest.

[@ChicaneryBro]

Exellent video. Justin...you lookin goooood🎉❤

[@joeejulz6023]

More. Of. This. Thank you.

[@TomLumPerson]

I was not expecting this (it sort of just craaaashed into me) but please Please do more of these, whatever this is!!

[@raserus]

A marvelous dive into Chicago's amazing history.

[@JenLM0410]

Well, this was delightful, and would be an incredible recurring segment! It’s reminiscent of the ghost tour y’all did, which is still one of my faves. Not to put more work on you and the team, but this was just so damn good!

[@ventoaureo]

i love the delivery on 'are you sure about the water riders by the way' 'idk how to.. i dont know how to do..... that'

[@1BlueScreenOfDeath1]

this is the kind of nug i listen every week in hopes of finding. truly either you have developed this show for people with my tastes, or i have developed my tastes for this content, but regardless of which, please never die. i think this is a threat.

[@THEZMX195]

Never forget 08/08/04 🫡🇺🇲💩🚌 thank you for honoring this sacred day brothers

[@anonomys6049]

This just makes me miss your show.

[@PhngluiMglwnafh]

"don't open your mouth or you get a taste of Chicago" is a great line. It's a nod to the Taste of Chicago, a huge food festival that's been held annually since 1980

[@gaarakamaru]

Unexpectedly seeing this video drop after an edible was such a beautiful coincidence I'm having the time of my life. Really good please do more.

[@user-xe1zw7fl7l]

Exact same here. I've watched it twice but don't want to leave this funny, cozy vibe so I'm crawling the comment section to stay wrapped up

[@xdan0x]

Loved it 🎉 you guys have travelled to so many places over the podcasting and gaming years. So glad to get a few of these every so often since opening my heart to game milk. May E3 Bessie bless yey.

[@lilylittlelamb]

This video has big MBMBaM TV series vibes, and it’s just immaculate. Great job boys! 👏👏

[@glitchard3685]

This feels like an unearthed hidden gem of content from the mbmbam tv show and I am HERE FOR IT

[@exzacklygaming]

GREAT JOB! 📣 This was a NEEDED video today to boost my spirits. An in the wild video from the boys! Thanks guys, and have a great weekend, everyone!

[@mw7]

Thank you for this blessing. Please do more of this!

[@browdser]

Completely obsessed with how thorough the referencing is. I want this to be the new standard for all of KZbin

[@Anastazjas]

what a joy, thanks guys!

[@ironuckles]

This was the moment that united a generation. Thank you, boys, for FINALLY giving us closure.

[@PuissantPike]

What a great surprise video, and what an uplifting look at history.

[@janepigliacelli6564]

Thank you boys for this highly informative and fun surprise

[@Tadlete]

Our sweet, sweet boys have done it again, they're delivering peak comedy to the whole family!! .... just like Dave Matthews Band delivered porta potti juices to the city of Chicago!

[@kosenmedia]

Absolutely legendary video boys.

[@ChicaneryBro]

A powerful warning to both young and old

[@commiemommie9802]

Wow this really impacted me in such a profound way. Will be thinking about this for some time... Thank you boys 🫡

[@meeveling]

gonna show this to my mum who is a huge dave matthew’s fan. also can I just say that Justin is looking fantastic in this video. really giving me Richard Madden vibes.

[@vuuvovuuv]

i forgot that today was the day but MY BOYS DID NOT!!!! and they had filmed this A little bit of a WHILE AGO and they it got edited and cut up and everything just for today's big big BIG event. my blessing, my blessing, to these

[@dylanlebeau4832]

Yeah, I'm gonna need about six more seasons of this show.

[@maggiejackson2160]

Serial could absolutely never.

[@CheezeWuz]

I think about this a lot. I'm so happy you made this

[@ShowFizzle]

God this format was so good!