20 Years Ago, Dave Matthews Band Pulled A Poop Stunt Chicago Can't Forget
It was 20 years ago this week when a group of Chicago boaters out for a lovely afternoon sightseeing tour were suddenly doused from the Heavens with some sort of strange-smelling, brown-colored liquid.
But this wasn't God's Holy Water.
Instead, it was Dave Matthews Band's tour bus releasing 800lbs of human waste from its septic tank into the Chicago River below in what has become an iconic and literal "oh, crap" moment in Tales From the Road history.
THE SEPTIC TANK RELEASED 800 POUNDS OF WASTE ONTO UNSUSPECTING PEOPLE BELOW!
On the afternoon of August 4, 2004, the passenger sightseeing boat Chicago's Little Lady passed under the Kinzie Street Bridge when suddenly the tour bus septic tank of Dave Matthews Band violonist Boyd Tinsley rained all over them. Of the 120 people on board the open-air seated rooftop, nearly two-thirds of them were absolutely soaked with the waste.
The boat immediately returned to the dock where everyone was issued refunds - a small compensation considering what they had just encountered. Five people ended up being transported to a Chicago hospital for testing, presumably for swallowing the liquid contents.
"The liquid waste was brownish yellow in color, and had a foul, offensive odor. The liquid human waste went into passengers' eyes, mouths, hair, and onto clothing and personal belongings, many of which were soaked. Some of the passengers suffered nausea and vomiting as a result of exposure to the human waste," a filing from the Illinois Attorney General read.
Talk about a crappy situation!
EMBRACING THE FILTH
In true Chicago-fashion, there is now a plaque on the Kinzie Street Bridge letting tourists know that yes, this was the spot where it rained feces thanks to the Dave Matthews Band. We might as well call it Chicago's version of Plymouth Rock!
There's also lovely Chicago merchandise like this that will forever remind people of the poop cruise. (Any Chicago OutKick fans want to grab one of these for me?)
"In August 2004, a DMB tour bus dumped 800 lbs of poop on a Chicago River tour boat. #NeverForget" the hilarious shirt reads.
Despite initially denying any involvement while also claiming that all their tour buses were parked at the hotel, an investigation revealed that Tinsley's bus driver, Stefan Wohl, was the culprit after he opened up his tank in the middle of the bridge. However, rather than the waste flowing down the streets of Chicago in what would just be considered another day, all the remnants went through the bridge's grated road that allow for rainwater to pass through. Something passed through, alright!
DMB DONATED $100,000 AS AN APOLOGY
In the end, Wohl was sentenced to 18 months probation and fined $10,000 while Dave Matthews Band donated $50,000 to the Chicago Park District and $50,000 to the Friends of the Chicago River Foundation.
As for those onboard? Well, there's a Kickstarter currently raising money for a documentary called ‘The Crappening’ that will chronicle that infamous day in Chicago history, including interviews with people that were on the receiving end of the waste.
The moral of the story? Boatgoers may want to put on a rain suit the next time their trip goes underneath unsuspecting bridges! And also - what in the hell did Boyd Tinsley eat during that tour to clog the toilet that much?
Woof!