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Remember when a Dave Matthews Band tour bus dumped 800 pounds of waste on tour boat passengers?​​​​​​​

It's been 18 years since a  Dave Matthews Band tour bus dumped 800 pounds of poop on people on a tour boat under the Kinzie Street Bridge in Chicago.

On Aug. 8, 2004, a tour bus belonging to the band dumped the human waste – the equivalent of 55 gallons of sand – from the bus's septic tank onto the passenger sightseeing boat on the Chicago River below.

At the time, The Chicago Tribune reported , nobody knew who was responsible for the dumping, but the incident was later connected to the band. The band later settled with the state of Illinois after a lawsuit was filed, the outlet reported, and the driver pleaded guilty to reckless conduct and pollution charges.

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On Monday's anniversary, Chicagoans and beyond took to social media to continue to remember that infamous day.

Here are a few winners that crashed into this story:

Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter  @nataliealund .

Pic Shows Time Dave Matthews Band's Bus Dumped 800 Pounds of Poop on Tourist Boat?

Tourists were reportedly "doused with a brownish-yellow liquid.", madison dapcevich, published feb. 8, 2024.

About this rating

While the photo in question is satirical creation, the Dave Matthews Band bus driver pleaded guilty in 2005 to dumping waste in the Chicago River the previous year. Passengers on a tour boat below the bridge where the septic tank was emptied said "a cascade of a 'brownish-yellow' substance rained on them," the Chicago Tribune reported.

A post shared to X (formerly Twitter) on Nov. 11, 2020, (archived here ), included a photograph allegedly depicting a 2004 incident in which "the Dave Mathews Band tour bus dumped 800 pounds of poop off a bridge onto a Chicago River sightseeing boat full of people."

Idk why more people don't talk about this but in 2004 the Dave Matthews Band tour bus dumped 800 pounds of poop off a bridge onto a Chicago River sightseeing boat full of people as if no one would notice and its the funniest thing that's ever happened. pic.twitter.com/8HklgtFiut — TJ #CHOP ? (@TJHitchings) November 17, 2020

While the incident described above did occur in 2004, the photograph, which has circulated via social media for years, is not an accurate representation of the event. For this reason, we have rated this post as "Fake."

A reverse image search using TinEye (archived here ) traced the photograph to an article published by the satirical website The Onion on Nov. 28, 2018, titled " Dave Matthews Band Apologizes After Tour Bus Dumps Another 800 Pounds Of Human S*** Onto Same Boat Full Of People " (archived here ).

The Onion acknowledges its satirical content on its "About Us" page, writing:

What if I want to sue The Onion? Please do not do that. The First Amendment protects satire as a form of free speech and expression. The Onion uses invented names in all of its stories, except in cases where public figures are being satirized. Any other use of real names is accidental and coincidental. The Onion is not intended for readers under 18 years of age.

A closer examination of the photograph published by The Onion reveals details indicating it was edited, including the texture of the supposed feces and its mismatched lighting when compared with the ship and background, as well as the blurred — and relatively clean — line along the top of the mound:

While the photo in question is satirical, it was inspired by genuine events in 2004 that were first reported by the Chicago Tribune (archived here ).

“Tourists on the architectural sightseeing cruise reported they were doused with a brownish-yellow liquid from a bus crossing the grated drawbridge around the same time,” the newspaper reported at the time.

Every so often the news outlet republishes its original report on the anniversary of the incident. Below is an excerpt from the original story:

At the outset of a Chicago River boat tour Sunday, Capt. Sonja Lund deadpanned that passengers should not look up with their mouths open when passing under the city’s grated bridges, lest they get a true “taste of Chicago.” About 15 minutes later, passengers got more than that. They got a deluge when the boat was doused with a foul “liquid substance” that appeared to drop from one or two charter buses as the boat passed under the Kinzie Street bridge, passengers and tour officials said. Witnesses said they had just begun the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s 1 p.m. tour when they passed under the bridge and a cascade of a “brownish-yellow” substance rained on them. About two-thirds of the passengers seated on the upper deck of Chicago’s Little Lady were soaked. Passengers said they looked up to see at least one, possibly two charter buses rumbling above. A volunteer tour guide at the boat’s helm reassured passengers that they had been splashed with water. But the foul smell prompted suspicion.

Security camera footage confirmed that the only bus in the area was the band's, the Tribune reported in 2004 (archived here ). The following year, the bus driver admitted he "emptied his bus's septic tank over the Chicago River last summer, drenching passengers on an architectural boat tour with 800 pounds of human waste," according to a Chicago Tribune article (archived here ). His sentence? Eighteen months of probation, 150 hours of community service and a $10,000 fine for misdemeanor charges of reckless conduct and water pollution.

Snopes contacted the Chicago Police Department and the management agency representing the Dave Mathews Band but did not receive a response from either. We will update the article accordingly should we hear back.

“Dave Matthews Band Apologizes After Tour Bus Dumps Another 800 Pounds Of Human Shit Onto Same Boat Full Of People.” The Onion , 28 Nov. 2018, https://www.theonion.com/dave-matthews-band-apologizes-after-tour-bus-dumps-anot-1830712805.

Evon, Dan. “Snopes Tips: A Guide To Performing Reverse Image Searches.” Snopes , 22 Mar. 2022, https://www.snopes.com/articles/400681/how-to-perform-reverse-image-searches/.

Johnson, Steve. “15 Years after the Dave Matthews Band Let Loose over the Chicago River, We Survey the Damages and Uncover a New Victim.” Chicago Tribune , 9 Aug. 2019, https://www.chicagotribune.com/2019/08/09/15-years-after-the-dave-matthews-band-let-loose-over-the-chicago-river-we-survey-the-damages-and-uncover-a-new-victim/.

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 , 8 Aug. 2022, https://www.chicagotribune.com/2022/08/08/19-years-ago-today-a-dave-matthews-band-tour-bus-dumped-human-waste-on-a-tour-boat-in-the-chicago-river-heres-our-original-report/.

Tribune, Chicago. “Matthews Band Bus Driver Pleads Guilty to Dumping Waste in River.” Chicago Tribune , 10 Mar. 2005, https://www.chicagotribune.com/2005/03/10/matthews-band-bus-driver-pleads-guilty-to-dumping-waste-in-river/.

Washburn, Gary. “Cops Show Video in Dumping Case.” Chicago Tribune , 26 Aug. 2004, https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/08/26/cops-show-video-in-dumping-case/.

By Madison Dapcevich

Madison Dapcevich is a freelance contributor for Snopes.

Article Tags

Dave Matthews Band tour bus feces incident remembered 19 years later with plaque dedication

Plaque dedicated to dave matthews band tour bus feces incident.

Boat passengers on the architectural tour reported ruined clothes and several cases of illness.

CHICAGO - It was a stinky anniversary on Tuesday, as 19 years ago, the Dave Matthews Band tour bus dumped 800 pounds of human waste on a river cruise that was passing under the Kinzie Street Bridge.

The band's tour bus driver admitted to the act, paid a fine, and served a year and a half of probation.

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To honor the event, the Riot Fest Historical Society dedicated a plaque on the bridge that reads in part: "No one died that day. But many wish they had."

Watch CBS News

15 Years Ago Today, Dave Matthews' Tour Bus Dumped Human Waste On Chicago River Tourists

August 8, 2019 / 8:47 AM CDT / CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Where were you when, on this day in 2004, a Dave Matthews Band tour bus dumped hundreds of pounds of human waste into the Chicago River? Hopefully, you weren't on the architecture cruise boat that was floating under the Kinzie Street along the Chicago River when the bus driver emptied the septic tank, soaking tourists in what was described in the Chicago Tribune as a "brownish-yellow slurry."

More than 100 passengers were on board that day, Aug. 8, 2004.

The bridge, incidentally, was the site of another Chicago disaster, the great Loop Flood of 1992.

The driver of the bus Stefan Wohl, admitted he dumped the 800 pounds of waste from the bus. He was sentenced to 18 months probation, 150 hours of community service and the maximum $10,000 fine, which was paid to Friends of the Chicago River, CBS News reported at the time.

The bus, which reportedly was used by band violinist Boyd Tinsley, was not occupied at the time of the incident. The Dave Matthews Band eventually agreed to pay $200,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by state Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

Wohl never drove a bus for the band again.

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When the Dave Matthews Band’s Bus Pooped on Chicago

They say that when in a city you’ve never visited before, you should look up. That’s just what nearly 100 tourists were doing aboard the  Chicago’s Little Lady boat on the afternoon of Aug. 8, 2004, as the vessel took them under the downtown Kinzie Street Bridge during an architectural tour.

Unfortunately, they saw something they weren’t expecting: 800 pounds of human waste dropping from a grille in the bridge platform, heading straight for them. That’s because, above their heads, a tour bus driver had taken the decision to empty his vehicle’s septic tank into the river. It proved to be a $300,000-plus decision.

The Chicago Tribune reported the tourists had been bathed in “foul-smelling, brownish-yellow slurry that ruined their clothes and made several of them sick.” None was reported to have suffered any long-term ill effects, though several went to a hospital. The offer of a full refund from Chicago’s First Lady Cruises wouldn’t have done much to alleviate matters as the company took the boat out of service to wash it down with disinfectant. Claims for ruined clothes followed – but worse was to come.

Dave Matthews  first heard about the incident – which became known as “Poopgate” – a little later, and laughed the way you would if you weren’t involved. Only, he was involved … he just didn’t know it yet. Later that month, he knew all too well when the state of Illinois filed a lawsuit, demanding $70,000 from the band for violation of environmental laws, and citing video evidence for the claim.

“Our driver has stated that he was not involved in this incident,” a spokesman for Matthews said. He noted the band would “continue to be co-operative in this investigation.” Eventually, Stefan Wohl admitted he’d done the deed. The 42-year-old, who was driving violinist Boyd Tinsley’s bus, had dropped the load into the Chicago River while he was the only person aboard the bus, presumably in a bid to save himself a trip to an authorized waste depot.

Wohl, 42 at the time, lost his job, was ordered to serve 18 months of probation and 150 hours of community service, and fined $10,000. The band eventually paid a $200,000 settlement fee – and that was after it made goodwill donations of $50,000 to the Chicago Park District and $50,000 to the Friends of the Chicago River (which also received the proceeds of Wohl’s fine).

“Although the band members were not on the bus when the incident took place, we have always said that if it was our bus we would take responsibility for what happened," the spokesman said following the legal action. The state’s attorney general noted the settlement was “reasonable and appropriate given the public health threat caused by this foul incident.” The band further agreed to keep records of when and where its septic tanks were emptied.

“I’ll apologize for that as long as I have to,” Matthews told NBC in 2009. “I didn't have my finger on the button … but it was one of the buses in my employment and so I feel bad about it. It would be funnier if it was anyone else but me. ... I know some people there accept my apology and other people don’t, but I can’t do anything about it now. If Snoop Dogg had done it, it probably would have raised his record sales, but it applies differently to everybody.”

Matthews may be apologizing for a long time still to come, since, inevitably, Poopgate has passed into folklore. Spoof news site The Onion ran a story claiming that the exact same boat and tourists had been targeted again, and that Matthews had “personally offered to provide free lifetime concert tickets to the victims if this somehow happened a third time.” A local reporter – coincidentally named David Matthews – revealed the existence of a handmade sign placed on the bridge to commemorate the incident.

A YouTuber filmed himself retelling the sordid story to a group of bemused tourists, complete with alleged eyewitness accounts. You can watch the video below.

Remembering Poopgate affectionately, Laura Turner wrote in The Cut in 2018 that "for Matthews, whose songs all seem to be (very) thinly veiled references to doing drugs with his friends, maintaining an air of gravitas was key to his image. He wasn’t a joker or prankster, he was the guy you would smoke a cigarette with while talking about death.

"Which is what makes it all the funnier that it was his bus that dumped 800 pounds of human waste on the patrons of the arts touring Chicago’s architectural scene by boat that cool summer day. Poop is juvenile, unserious, disgusting, base and hilarious. The Dave Matthews Band, in its own estimation and mine – until a certain point, at least – was none of those things.”

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Dave Matthews Dines on the Chicago River 17 Years After His Tour Bus Famously Befouled It

RPM Seafood is about a half mile from the 2004 incident

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Share All sharing options for: Dave Matthews Dines on the Chicago River 17 Years After His Tour Bus Famously Befouled It

Celebrities are just like anyone else: if they’re on work trips, they have to find somewhere to eat while away from home. Dave Matthews is no exception. His band played the Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island on Saturday, and the next day, he and his family were spotted dining at RPM Seafood along the Chicago River.

According to a rep, Matthews and his family on Sunday night sat on a private terrace with a view overlooking the river. The group’s order included Japanese hamachi, 60-day dry-aged New York strip steaks, and sides of hen of the woods mushrooms.

https://t.co/4HBLXkVxIy Happy 17th anniversary to my favorite Chicago event!! — Melissa Kane (@MelissaAnnKane) August 8, 2021

Coincidentally, Sunday happened to be the 17th anniversary of Matthews’ most eventful trip to Chicago, when a tour bus carrying him and his band across the Kinzie Street Bridge, about half a mile away, dumped, as the Tribune described it, “a torrent of foul-smelling waste onto a tour boat and passengers below.” In other words, 800 pounds of shit. The aroma made some of the boat’s 120 passengers sick. As former DNAinfo staffer David Matthews (no relation) reported, the band apparently made a $50,000 donation to the Chicago Park District in repentance. It was not reported if, or how, Matthews and family observed this momentous anniversary at RPM.

RPM Seafood is part of the city’s plan to revitalize the Chicago Riverwalk . It opened in January 2020 , part of a $180 million project along the river. The RPM brand, which includes RPM Steak and RPM Italian , is a celebrity favorite. It’s backed by celebrity couple Giuliana and Bill Rancic. Bill Rancic is a suburban Chicago native who won the first season of Donald Trump’s The Apprentice. Giuliana Rancic is a E! television personality. They represent the “R” in the RPM brand.

• 15 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. [ Tribune ]
• Dave Matthews’ Bus Dumped 800 Pounds Of Poop Into River 13 Years Ago Today [ DNAinfo ]

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What We Talked About When We Talked About Dave Matthews' Poop-Bus Incident

Ten years ago, the Dave Matthews Band's tour bus released hundreds of pounds of human waste into a Chicago river. The headlines were as punny as you'd imagine.

Ten years ago today, Dave Matthews' tour bus ejected 800 pounds of septic waste into the Chicago River. Really, what more is there to be said? If you haven't heard the story before, bless you for remaining pure in the face of the Internet. If you haven't, there's not much more to it: Hundreds of pounds of sewage got dumped into a river, soaking a boat with approximately 100 people on it in human waste.

To think about that actually happening to a group of human beings is terrifying and nauseating and the worst.  But for online headline writers a decade ago, in the halcyon days before Twitter, it was a field day. Oh, how the puns positively gushed out! It was, you could say, a shitstorm of puns.

While some took the simple route, choosing not to judge before knowing all the details :

Others were not so discerning. Others had their best poop jokes and pent-up Dave Matthews Band hatred ready and raring to rip. Like NME :

Or Entertainment Weekly :

EW had the benefit of one of its staffers' aunts working on the architectural tour boats being able to provide a little context.

" There were 120 people on board, and at least two thirds of them got hit," Barbara Zink said at the time. "We're talking hundreds of pounds of slop! No one could begin to guess what hit them-until their brains registered the smell."

Lovely! But at the time, there was some confusion about if it was actually Matthews' bus (it was) and if he was on it (he wasn't). When it was finally discovered, you know that PoopReport.com, "your #1 source for #2," was on the case :

PoopReport.com did not use a pun, you'll note. PoopReport.com takes this shit seriously.

Of course, for the haters at the MockingMusic blog, the news was just same old, same old :

And The Standing Room happily doubled down on its poop puns:

Even years after the fact, Matthews was still eating... well, you know... for the incident:

Though he says he wasn't on the bus , Matthews still felt terrible. Not terrible enough not to say "If Snoop Dogg had done it, it probably would have raised his record sales" five years later, of course, but he's really sorry. He promises.

But luckily, Matthews could always count on someone else to muck things up down the line:

And Urban's poop  was all over East 11th in New York ! As Chris Rovzar said at the time, Matthews' sewage dump was " pretty damn country." But Urban waste? That's truly shitty.

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Dave Matthews Tour Bus Dumped 800 Pounds Of Poop On People Taking A Chicago River Cruise 18 Years Ago Today

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RIVER NORTH — Monday marks 18 years since a group of people taking a river cruise were hit with poop from Dave Matthews Band’s tour bus.

It was the afternoon of Aug. 8. 2004, when people on an architectural boat cruise traveling along the Chicago River got an unwelcome surprise while passing under the Kinzie Street Bridge. The Dave Matthews Band tour bus was driving across the bridge at the same time and someone onboard dumped 800 pounds of human waste on top of the open air cruise’s passengers.

A Chicago Tribune reporter was among the passengers hit with human waste and the newspaper described the substance excreted by the tour bus as a “foul ‘liquid substance’” and “horrific.”

The jam band’s tour bus driver admitted to the dumping and reportedly paid a fine, served 1½ years probation and performed community service. 

The band, known for huge outdoor shows, a string of hits and environmental activism, later donated $50,000 to the Chicago Park District “to begin the healing process,” according to reports.

In 2015 a sign was posted at the Kinzie Street Bridge asking people to remember the infamous incident.

“In August 2004, at this very location, a DMB tour bus dumped 800 pounds of poo on some people. #NEVERFORGET #ALWAYSREMEMBER,” the sign said.

Chicagoans continue to remember that infamous day almost two decades later by posting about it on social media.

18 years ago today, Slow Motion and Lean Back were No. 1. Alien vs. Predator and Spiderman 2 were in theaters. Everyone's dad was reading the DaVinci Code. And the Dave Matthews Band dumped 800 pounds of feces onto a crowded tour boat from Chicago's Kinzie bridge. — mick (@swasko) August 8, 2022

Time flies: A child born on the day the Dave Matthews Band tour bus dropped 800 pounds of shit on 120 Chicago River tourists can now legally vote and go to war. pic.twitter.com/ZUX8k8XqpM — Slade (@Slade) August 8, 2022

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I Think About This a Lot: The Dave Matthews Band Poop Bus Incident

I Think About This a Lot  is a series dedicated to private memes: images, videos, and other random trivia we are doomed to play forever on loop in our minds.

The morning of August 8, 2004 dawned cool and crisp in Chicago. It was the perfect day to take in the city’s sights without being overwhelmed by its usual summertime heat and humidity. Tourists lined up for the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier, went shopping up and down the Magnificent Mile, boarded double-decker buses that would whisk them down Lake Shore Drive. And 120 sightseers embarked on the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise — a boat trip down the Chicago River showcasing some of the city’s prized architectural gems — not knowing they were bound to be forever tied to one of music’s darkest days. (Or at least, one of its smelliest.) As they reached the Kinzie Street Bridge, a grated drawbridge on the north fork of the river, one of Dave Matthews Band’s tour bus drivers emptied 800 pounds of human waste directly overhead.

“Poopgate,” as the incident quickly came to be known, remains a smirch on Chicago’s otherwise storied music history. One hundred tourists aboard the boat were drenched by the unsavory mixture, ruining their clothes and causing several of them to get sick .

As a teenager growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Dave Matthews imprinted uniqueness and agony to an otherwise anodyne existence, which lent him both a kind of authority and familiarity. Going to DMB concerts was simply “going to see Dave,” often in someone’s older brother’s Jeep, sharing a few pre-show swigs of Natty Ice or — if you were especially daring and connected — a joint. Dave Matthews’ music made me and my peers feel understood in our heartache and existential angst, as he lent an air of seriousness to the uniquely white, upper-middle-class problems we all faced. Never mind the fact that he was twice our age — all it took were the first few notes of “The Space Between” to make us feel like our brief fling with the quiet Swedish student from study hall was, indeed, destined to make us “strange allies with warring hearts.”

I was out of high school when Poopgate happened, about to enter my second year of college in California. When I heard about it, I did not stop laughing for days. I told everyone I knew: “Did you hear about Dave Matthews’ bus? How it dumped POOP on a bunch of TOURISTS?” I couldn’t put my finger on why this was so riotous to me; it just was.

All these years later, and with the help of Ladybird — a movie that featured “Crash Into Me” so prominently that dozens of articles were written about its meaning — I think I know. Dave Matthews Band is one of the most self-serious music groups ever to exist. Their entire reputation was built off of being able to convince their teen and 20-something fans that their particular problems were the most consuming to have ever existed. Heartbreak was poetry, and their poetry was nonsense. Take, for instance, the opening lyrics to “Tripping Billies:”

We were above You were standing underneath us We were not yet lovers Dragons were smoked Bumblebees were stinging us I was soon to be crazy

What on Earth does that mean? What dragons were smoked, and how? Why were bumblebees stinging you? And how does this relate to the song’s chorus, which enjoins readers to “eat, drink, and be merry/for tomorrow we’ll die”? For Matthews, whose songs all seem to be (very) thinly veiled references to doing drugs with his friends, maintaining an air of gravitas was key to his image. He wasn’t a joker or prankster, he was the guy you would smoke a cigarette with while talking about death. Which is what makes it all the funnier that it was his bus that dumped 800 pounds of human waste on the patrons of the arts touring Chicago’s architectural scene by boat that cool summer day. Poop is juvenile, unserious, disgusting, base, and hilarious. The Dave Matthews Band, in its own estimation and mine — until a certain point, at least — was none of those things.

Then, the passage of time worked its magic on me and I began to understand that there were greater artists than Dave and the crew; bands whose music struck at emotional truths even more honestly than they did. So perhaps what changed wasn’t so much the music of Dave Matthews, but my understanding of life. Growing up alters things, including musical tastes, and it’s easy to act embarrassed by what we used to like — but I can admit that, for a time, Dave Matthews Band was particularly meaningful for me. I don’t find that to be the case now, but the nostalgia of it all makes the incongruity of the event even funnier, and makes me feel more possessive of it. I don’t live in Chicago any longer, but somehow events like this one still belong to me, in the same way that I’ll always feel transported whenever I hear the first bars of “Crash Into Me” even if I wouldn’t choose to listen to it on purpose.

As for the Poopgate consequences, the band’s bus driver, Stefan Wohl, initially denied that he had intentionally discharged the poop from the bus. It wasn’t until seven months later that he entered a guilty plea and ended up serving 18 months of probation, doing 150 hours of community service, and paying a $10,000 fine. (The band also gave $50,000 to the Chicago Park District and to the Friends of the Chicago River. “We simply want to begin the healing process,” they said in a statement.)

The incident does, however, help make sense of the Tripping Billies lyrics I could never quite understand. “We were above / You were standing underneath us.” Now we all get it — just don’t look up.

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Why Is This Trending? The Dave Matthews Band Chicago River Incident

The dave matthews band trends every year for reasons they and 120 passengers on a chicago tour boat would prefer to forget., sign up for our daily newsletter.

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On this day in 2004, Chicago history was made. No, nothing involving politics, sports, or deep-dish pizza, but something much more — for want of a better word — dense: The Dave Matthews Band Tour Bus Incident.

The incident in question? A DMB tour bus, while crossing the Kinzie Street Bridge in Chicago, dumped 800 pounds of waste from the bus’s septic tank, which fell on  the passenger sightseeing boat Chicago’s Little Lady  in the Chicago River below. Roughly two-thirds of the 120 passengers on board were soaked. It trends every year on social media because it’s gross, it’s funny, and no passengers suffered any long-lasting physical health effects, so it’s okay to laugh at it the same way you’d laugh at an episode of Jackass . 

How soon will it go away? Well, presumably by the end of the day. The cleanup from the actual dumping of the waste probably took a couple of days. 

Who stands to benefit? Well, certainly not any of the passengers on Chicago’s Little Lady. Nor Dave Matthews, his band, or the driver of the bus, Stefan Wohl, who later pleaded guilty to the dumping. Chicago Police initially couldn’t figure out who did the dumping, resulting in the then Mayor of Chicago Richard M. Daley holding a press conference, in which he released a videotape used as evidence that the DMB tour bus did the crime. Daley said that the dumping was “absolutely unacceptable,” but also said the Dave Matthews Band was “a very good band.” Wohl later paid a fine of $10,000 to Friends of the Chicago River, with the Dave Matthews Band donating an additional $50,000 to Friends of the Chicago River, as well as $50,000 to the Chicago Park District, and paying the State of Illinois $200,000 as a settlement. So those organizations benefitted.

What’s the misinformation quotient?  At this point: shockingly little! This happened as told! Though there was some in at the time: DMB’s tour manager initially said all the band’s buses were parked, but it turned out the one driver fibbed.

Do I really want to know more?  Your mileage may vary on that one. There are some detailed descriptions of the waste itself on the incident’s Wikipedia Page (of course it has a page), along with a spirited interview of a woman whose car was in front of the bus in the Chicago Tribune . Click at your own risk. You can’t say we didn’t warn you.

Is this bad for humanity? Humanity? No. Your stomach? Maybe. The people on the boat that day? Definitely. 

• SEE ALSO : Will Keen On Playing Vladimir Putin On Broadway in ‘Patriots’

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Dave Matthews Still Apologizing For “Poopgate”

Lead singer: "i'll apologize for that as long as i have to", by marcus riley • published june 3, 2009 • updated on june 4, 2009 at 5:59 pm.

The issue comes up whenever the words " Chicago " and " Dave Matthews Band " are mentioned in the same sentence. Who could ever forget the infamous 2004 incident when the band's driver dumped 800 pounds of human waste into the Chicago River from their tour bus? The driver was charged after a crowd of sightseers on an architecture tour boat were soaked with the sewage after the bus' septic tank emptied through the Kinzie Street bridge's metal grating. Yes, it was a long time ago, but whenever summer rolls around and the band schedules dates in the Chicago area, the topic inevitably come up. That was the case this week when Matthews spoke with WTMX radio host the NBC Chicago Street Team 's Cara Carriveau in a podcast interview . With little prompting, Matthews delved into the sensitive issue, saying "I'll apologize for that as long as I have to." "The bus driver lost his job, and I didn't have my finger on the button, but it was one of our buses -- wasn't mine -- but it was one of the buses in my employment and so I feel bad about it," Matthews said. "It would be funnier if it was anyone else but me." Matthews said he was on a plane when he first heard about the incident, and laughed about it because he didn't realize it was his bus. It wasn't until he landed that he learned that his bus was involved. "I regret that enormously, and I know some people there accept my apology and other people don't, but I can't do anything about it now," Matthews said. "If Snoop Dogg had done it, it probably would have raised his record sales, but it applies differently to everybody." As for DMB's current business, the band released a new album this week, " Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King ," which is dedicated to band member LaRoi Moore who recently died following an ATV accident. Their summer's tour will bring them to Alpine Valley on July 18 and 19, and to First Midwest Bank Amplitheatre on September 26. No word if they plan on flying or driving.

Audio: Listen to Dave Matthews Podcast Interview

News | Matthews Band bus driver pleads guilty to…

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News | Matthews Band bus driver pleads guilty to dumping waste in river

A driver for the Dave Matthews Band admitted Wednesday that he emptied his bus’ septic tank over the Chicago River last summer, drenching passengers on an architectural boat tour with 800 pounds of human waste.

Stefan Wohl, 42, was sentenced to 18 months of probation, 150 hours of community service and a $10,000 fine after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of reckless conduct and water pollution.

Wohl’s guilty plea was the first time that the bus driver for the popular rock band publicly acknowledged discharging the waste. He initially denied the charge when interviewed by police, prosecutors said.

In a court hearing Wednesday morning, Wohl admitted that on the afternoon of Aug. 8, he discharged the septic tank while the bus crossed the grated Kinzie Street Bridge downtown, endangering about 100 sightseers riding the open-deck tourist boat passing under the bridge.

Passengers on the tour boat, Chicago’s Little Lady, described a downpour of foul-smelling, brownish-yellow slurry that ruined their clothes and made several of them sick.

After the incident, the boat returned to its dock where passengers were given refunds. No serious injuries were reported though several passengers did get a checkup at a local hospital.

Speaking after the hearing, Cook County Assistant State’s Atty. Robert Egan, who negotiated the plea deal, said he was satisfied with Wohl’s punishment even though it did not include jail time.

“I have been in touch with many of the people who were on the boat, and none of them suffered any lasting health effects,” Egan said, though many threw out the clothing they were wearing that day and said their cars became soiled on their drive home.

Wohl, of Selma, Texas, will serve his probation and community service in Texas, according to the plea arrangement. His $10,000 fine will be donated to the Friends of the Chicago River. A longtime driver for the band’s fiddle player Boyd Tinsley, Wohl has been suspended from his job since the Chicago incident. The band’s publicist, John Vlautin, said “There are no plans for him to start driving again.”

Vlautin said the “Dave Matthews Band family” was “shocked and saddened to think that one of our buses was involved in this terrible incident.”

Wohl and his attorney had no comment after the hearing.

Last fall, the band donated $50,000 to both the Chicago Park District and the Friends of the Chicago River. In a statement, the rock band said the gifts were an effort “to begin the healing process.”

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Golden Grandeur: The Best Chicago Sunset Tour

I had the opportunity to experience the Big Bus Chicago Sunset Live Tour that features a live guide who provides engaging (and hilarious) commentary as well as little known insights in real-time.

I’m obsessed.

And I’m spilling all the tea on this unique experience because this is a tour that should be on your list of things to do in Cihcago!

What is the Chicago Sunset Tour

This tour takes you on a journey through the city’s streets and most iconic landmarks, all while enjoying live commentary as Chicago’s skyline transitions from day into stunning views at the golden hour, and into the night.

It begins in a popular Chicago neighborhood where you’ll board a comfortable open-top double-decker bus, offering unobstructed panoramic views and the perfect vantage point to take in the sights.

What I Loved About the Tour

There is a booth to purchase tickets on the southeast corner of Ontario. We arrived at 7:00 PM but didn’t see anyone there. So, we made our way to the bus and were greeted by friendly staff who exchanged our vouchers for boarding tickets.

We made our way to the front row to take advantage of photo opportunities from the large glass window. Then I thought, “Wait, we don’t have earbuds” before realizing one of the best parts of the tour.

It’s LIVE !

That’s right, there is no need for earbuds.

In addition to English, the tour is also offered in Spanish on Fridays only from May through October.

Get your tickets, find your favorite seat on the open top bus, and get ready to roll through the Windy City!

Check tickets for the Chicago Sunset Live Tour

Before the tour began, I was taken in by the energy of the city.

The blend of towering skyscrapers, the buzz in the air, and the metropolitan feels of Chicago reminded me how great it is to live here.

I’ve taken Big Bus tours in just about every city that I’ve visited, including Paris and New York and with all stunning views aside, a live tour guide is always the star of the show.

They are more than just narrators – they have a gift of storytelling, making you smile, and forgetting about the pile of work at the office.

Our guide, Matty, is a life-long resident of Chicago who captivated us with his wit, spot-on impersonations, and extensive knowledge of the city’s history and architecture.

After living in the Chicagoland area for more than 30 years, I learned a few things.

He’s amazing. And he knows everything there is to know about Lincoln Park Zoo without missing a beat!

I’ve driven in Chicago hundreds of times. Nothing is more impressive than a driver who can navigate a 45-foot bus through traffic.

This is the true beauty of a Big Bus Tour. You can take in everything without the hassle of driving and navigating through congested city streets or the stress of finding parking. Instead, you can sit back, relax, and fully enjoy yourself in the experience.

The ride was smooth, though we had to dodge a few tree branches. But as we say in Chicago, “Keep your head on a swivel” and stay alert no matter where you go or how you get there.

Are you a photography lover? This is the tour for you!

As the sun began to set, the tour took on a magical quality, with the sky turning shades of orange, gold, purple, and pink in the distance.

We rode through Rush Street (great for nightlife), Lincoln Park, Lake Shore Drive, the Magnificent Mile , across the river where you’ll find restaurants on the Chicago Riverwalk , and then to the Downtown (Loop), Rt. 66, the Lakefront, and the Museum Campus — in about 90 minutes.

Seeing the city lit at night is thrilling. You won’t want to miss it on the riverfront, the lakefront, on State Steet, and in the theater district.

The Big Bus Chicago Sunset Live Tour is a must-do experience for anyone visiting the Windy City.

If you are a Chicagoan, keep this tour in mind for entertaining guests from out of town.

Tripadvisor Reviews

Perhaps I am biased but Chicago has some of the best tours in the country.

Don’t just take my word for it. Peek at the reviews from satisfied travelers on TripAdvisor, which highlight the engaging and entertaining nature of this sunset live tour.

Things to Know Before You Go

There are beautiful landscapes in Chicago , but be mindful of low-hanging branches and trees, especially when traveling through lush areas like Lincoln Park and residential neighborhoods.

There are a couple of places where the bus will stop for you to take photos. You will know in advance so that you can be camera ready . These photo opportunities are carefully curated to showcase the city’s most picturesque spots, bathed in the warm, golden light of the setting sun.

Check the forecast in advance and dress for the Chicago weather . The temperatures are cooler in the evening or a bit windy, especially near the lakefront. In spring season, you may need a wrap or light jacket.

Best Restaurants Near the Tour Stop

Before the tour, you may want to get your fill of some Chicago cuisine at one of the city’s renowned cafés or restaurants.

The River North area is one of my favorite hangouts for night life, so I highly recommend the signature dishes from these few local spots.

Frontera Grill

445 N. Clark | $$$ | Mexican

I still remember ordering the Wood-grilled Portobello Mushroom Tacos on my first visit. The food was fresh and perhaps a tad pricey for Mexican food, but Rick knows his way around the kitchen.

Coffee enthusiasts will be thrilled to know that they will fill your cup with Dark Matter, and the menu is as diverse as the colors of a poncho.

What you should order : Carne Asada, Cerviche, Tortilla Soup

Hard Rock Cafe

63 W Ontario St | $$ | American

Hard Rock Cafe Chicago is easily recognizable by the huge, illuminated guitar outside. It’s loud, it’s large, and it’s legendary!

The cafe is famed for having the world’s largest collection of music memorabilia. The cafe’s walls display priceless items from music icons like Freddie Mercury, Madonna, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince.

Having dined here before, I remembered that the food was good, and the atmosphere was lively. However, when we arrived, we were informed of a 45-minute wait time and decided on Portillo’s.

What you should order : I am a fan of the Impossible burger and the onion ring tower. You can’t go wrong with their selections of simple bar food.

Portillo’s & Barnelli’s

100 W Ontario St | $ | American

What you should order: If you haven’t tried the famous Chicago-style hotdog, or one of our classic foods , here is your chance. The restaurant is pretty large and filled with antiques from the Chicago Stadium, gas stations, and factories.

Before the sunset tour, we stopped here to eat and I ordered the whitefish sandwich with cheese. The fish was moist, the dressings made it wet and messy, but was tasty!

What you should order : Italian Beef, Maxwell Street Polish Sausage with fries.

Chicago Raw

51 W Huron St | $$ | Vegan and Vegetarian

Vegan or vegetarian? I got you covered! Chicago Raw has some of the most innovative plant-based foods that look and taste fantastic.

I remember ordering a raw ravioli once that was made from thinly sliced turnips. Don’t leave without trying the carrot cake or lemon square; it’s hard to believe everything is raw.

What you should order : Collard Burrito, Garden Burgers, Spaghetti and “Meatballs

Maggiano’s Little Italy

516 N Clark St | $$ | Italian

This place serves classic comfort food and the garlicky flavors with marinara really hits home. The prices are not over-the-top, the portions are generous, and chances are you will end with a doggy bag.

What you should order: Stuffed Mushrooms, Taylor Street Baked Ziti, Shrimp Scampi, Chicken Piccata, Garlic Mashed Potatoes

There are other options, of course!

If you are looking for something quicker and cheaper, you can’t miss the McDonald’s sign on Clark Street.

For after-hour cocktails and a bit of nightlife after the tour, I recommend heading south on Clark Street where you find restaurants with outdoor seating and live entertainment at Blue Chicago. Redhead Piano Bar (16 w Ontario) and Howl at the Moon (26 W Hubbard) are also great spots for live music.

Final Thoughts on the Big Bus Chicago Sunset Tour

I had such a fun evening that I’m still smiling and reminiscing about the entertaining interactions and sights I experienced right in my own backyard.

Despite being a local, this tour allowed me to rediscover the magic of Chicago through a fresh lens, revealing hidden gems and new perspectives on famous buildings and familiar places.

The engaging guide’s witty banter and infectious enthusiasm added an extra layer of enjoyment that created an atmosphere that felt more like a lively gathering of friends than a typical tour.

I recommend this tour if you want to experience the city at night. Chicago is safe after dark and this just one of many ways to enjoy it.

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Safe travel.