Earlier this year, the Morrison Hotel Gallery in New York City hosted a photo exhibit to commemorate Dave Matthews Band’s 25th anniversary. Here’s a selection of images from that exhibit, with notes from the photographers.
Lisbon, Portugal | René Huemer

It had been five years since the band had toured in Europe. I got there the day before they kicked off their tour in Lisbon [on Oct. 11, 2015], and you could feel the energy in the air. Portuguese fans are some of the most enthusiastic in the world, and they were all ecstatic for the band’s highly anticipated return. The night was on fire and so was the band. When they returned to the stage for the encore, the audience had lit up the whole place with their cellphones and lighters—you could really tell that Dave was so moved by their overwhelmingly warm welcome. The band rode on that energy throughout the entire European tour. There were many more amazing moments that tour, but that specific moment in Lisbon will always stand out for me.

The Flood Zone | C. Taylor Crothers

The infamous Flood Zone in Richmond, Va.—not air-conditioned. This was taken Aug. 10, 1993 from the balcony. Legend has it that the stage was so old and rotten that one of the band members fell through it during a soundcheck. 

Europe, 1996 | Sam Erickson

I was touring with the band in Europe during the summer of 1996. It was a great tour because they were going to so many places that they had never played before. This shot is from Copenhagen, and LeRoi, Dave and Stefan were standing on the street waiting for a taxi to take us somewhere. I can honestly say it was one of those random moments where I thought, “This is something I am gonna remember 20 years from now.”

Venice, Italy | C. Taylor Crothers

This was completely Dave’s idea. He had been thinking about this for the whole tour. When I showed up, we happened to be in one of the most pigeon-infested places in Europe [Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy on Feb. 24, 2010]. I had to pay a surly gelato vendor 10 euros for the cones—he was not as amused with our idea as we were.

Listener Supported | Danny Clinch

This was during the soundcheck for the Listener Supported show at the Continental Airlines Arena [on Sept. 11, 1999]. The band had just walked on stage and were surveying the venue. I love these moments. They leave you wondering what they were talking about and give the viewer a glimpse into history.

Toronto, ON | Danny Clinch 

I shot this in Toronto after a day of shooting publicity photos. We had a blast kicking around the city. The show that night had a great energy, and I feel this really captures a peak moment in their performance history where they were firing on all cylinders. 

Werchter, Belgium | C. Taylor Crothers

This is a huge fan favorite. It’s from July 2, 2009, at the Rock Werchter Festival in Werchter, Belgium. I think people like it because it encapsulates Dave’s personality, body language—everything—perfectly in one shot. I remember capturing this photograph but really didn’t think about it until much later. Sometimes you know immediately you nailed it; sometimes they creep up on you.

Electric Lady Studios | Sam Erickson

This shot was taken at Electric Lady Studios in early 1998. Dave and Carter were working on vocals for “Pig.” There were a couple of harmonies that they were having a hard time hitting. This photo was snapped right at the moment when they had just made a breakthrough with how to sing it. There might have been a slightly off-color joke to lighten the mood but, mostly, this is a picture of a creative breakthrough in real time.