In the July issue of Relix magazine, Dave Matthews explained the lyrics to “Dive In,” an apocalyptic warning from the band’s month-old Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King: “It’s talking about the future of our planet, but in a very lilting, light hearted way," Matthews said. "The gravity of the topic sort of sneaks up a little bit. If you think this song sounds light, you need to listen a little harder. It’s the end of the fucking world, that song!”
Matthews is no doubt speaking about global warming and climate change. So what are Matthews, his band, and their fans doing about it?
A recent DMB email blast introduced the Bama Green Project, a group of green initiatives the band has taken on. The Bama Green Project is a partnership with Reverb (founded by Adam Gardner of Guster and his wife, Lauren Sullivan, to promote environmental sustainability among musicians and their fans) and IZSTYLE (an environmentally conscious music, sports, and design project founded by DMB bassist Stefan Lessard).
DMB has also teamed up with Collective Good, a cell-phone recycling organization. Fans who recycle their phones become eligible for free merch from the DMB's store at Music Today.
Likewise, with every purchase of Dave Matthews-designed vegan-friendly kicks, TOMS shoes will donate a pair to a needy child.
The Bama Green Project’s other partners include:
* Honest Tea: The nation’s top-selling organic bottled tea company is on the road with DMB this summer to help green the tour while hydrating fans.
* Specialized bicycles: Riding a bike is greener than a car in more ways than one.
* ClimateCounts: A nonprofit consumer-awareness organization that helps consumers buy the most eco-friendly products possible.
* The Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance: promoting sustainable biodiesel practices.
* PickupPal: This free online carpool service delivers economic value while contributing toward the reduction of carbon emissions caused by ground transportation.
* NativeEnergy: With significant ownership by Native American tribes, this wind farm-building organization fights global warming while creating new sustainable communities.