Chicago marks 20 years since Dave Matthews Band’s infamous bridge incident
CHICAGO - Thursday marks exactly 20 years since one of the most revolting moments in Chicago music history.
About 120 people on a Chicago River architectural tour boat were hit by 800 pounds of excrement when the driver of a Dave Matthews Band bus emptied its septic tank on the Kinzie Street Bridge. The horrific accident sparked new efforts to restore the Chicago River.
Twenty years later, the Dave Matthews bus dump has become a stain on a city flush with history.
Today, the exact spot of the slurry slam is marked by a sticker on the bridge, and for a time an actual plaque provided by Riot Fest.
Margaret Frisbie, executive director of the Friends of the Chicago River remembers the day it happened. The organization was hosting a kayaking event for hundreds of people just a few hundred yards downriver.
"Of course, our initial reaction was shock and horror for the people who were on the boat and how terrible it was," Frisbie recalled.
Friends of the Chicago River received a $50,000 donation from the Dave Matthews Band after the sickening soaking, part of a $200,000 settlement with the City of Chicago.
But more important, Frisbie said, is that it brought new attention to the goal of restoring the river.
"A shot in the arm to wake people up that you cannot treat natural resources this way. And in this unfortunate incident, people were hit. What it tells you is if one bus driver was pulling a lever like that, other people were doing it too," she said.
The bus driver, Stefan Wohl of Texas, pleaded guilty to reckless conduct and was sentenced to community service and a fine.
"There is certainly no joy in reliving the 2004 event that traumatized our passengers, crew and family businesses," a spokesman for Chicago's First Lady Cruises said in a statement.
"Our companies have provided acclaimed experiences on Chicago’s waterways for more than 87 years, and we choose to not let what took place that day diminish our contributions in showcasing the city we love with the world."
Today, many people walking over the century-old bridge have no idea they're treading on twisted history.
"Never, never, never. Not in a million years. I'm 27 years old," said Lindsay Kuper, who lives in a residential building near the bridge. And now that she knows? "Woof! Wow. I love the Dave Matthews Band, but that is not what I wanted to hear. I feel bad for the people who were on that tour."
On Thursday the sordid story will be celebrated with a dance party at the Hideout called "Don't Drink the Water." But don’t bother trying to get tickets--it's already sold out.