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.

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]