By Joanie Cox-Henry
photo courtesy of Shore Fire Media
If you got the chance to meet Dave Matthews, "What Would You Say?" These Dave Matthews super fans got a chance to meet their guitar hero. Over the years, Dave Matthews has garnered some of the most loyal fans in the live music scene since he first hit the stage in 1991 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Many travel thousands of miles to catch his performances and attend multiple show dates when he hits a city. While Matthews tends to lead a private life when he's not onstage, he has gained a reputation for down-to-earth encounters when it comes to bumping into his fans. He recently told The New York Times that curiosity “about how to write a good song” may be one reason his band has stayed in the spotlight for more than three decades. While Matthews maintains he just wants people to have a good time at his performances, the dream of actually getting to tell him how his music has impacted their lives is something most hardcore DMB devotees are still Under The Table And Dreaming about. That's why these fans have "So Much To Say" about meeting the multi-platinum troubadour over the years in South Florida.
Kristin Shockley and Jason Shockley
When it comes to ultimate Dave Matthews super fans, Boca Raton couple Kristin and Jason Shockley would definitely snag the top spot. Dave Matthews is actually the reason they met more than two decades ago. Their mutual love for the band is what brought them together and now they have seen more than 60 Dave Matthews Band shows over the years. That includes North American and international tour dates. The couple also bears 10 matching Dave Matthews-themed tattoos.
"We’ve met him twice at The Breakers," Kristin Shockley recalls. "We’ve met Jeff Coffin the sax player twice, Tim Reynolds the guitar player twice, and Carter Beauford the drummer once."
So what keeps them coming back for future Dave Matthews Band shows? It's simple. The couple says the band's melodies and lyrics speak to their souls. "We love how the band has grown and we have grown," Kristin adds. "Their last album Come Tomorrow addressed so much that matters to us like the song 'Samurai Cop' and having a baby and watching them grow, which is our daughter Astella's theme song. The newest album, Walk Around The Moon, is very grounded in the moment of COVID-19 and how we all felt. The song 'Monsters' speaks to the anxiety many of us feel and 'Looking For A Vein' is such a powerful song. The band has been our escape and our calm."
The couple adds that meeting Dave Matthews was completely surreal. "The first time was on the beach and super quick," Kristin says. "We told him he was the reason Jason and I met and he said that’s a good quality to have but we didn’t get our pic. That was in July of 2018."
This year, the couple stayed at The Breakers again, but didn't know if the band would be there but they decided to treat themselves to a little getaway anyway. "We literally walk outside to sit on a bench and look at the ocean," Kristin explains of meeting Matthews again this past July. "I’m looking at my phone and J starts freaking out. Dave is literally walking by us. So my mind is racing and I’m like 'What do I do? So I yell, Dave!' And he turns around and I start freaking out."
Kristin then asked if they could get a photo with the musician and he was happy to oblige. "He turns around and walks back to us," she adds. "So I start talking a mile a minute about how we have five kids and how much he means so much, and how he got us through Covid with stay-at-home concerts. He took the pic and said 'I'd love to stay and talk but I’ve got a gig to get ready for!'" The couple later saw Dave Matthews perform in West Palm Beach and went to both of his South Florida shows on July 28 and 29.
Jonathon Becker
There are people who have randomly met celebrities and then there's Jonathon Becker. This South Florida celebrity photo-seeking enthusiast has met thousands of celebrities over the years and has the pictures to prove it. Whether he's at the Oscars or roaming a red carpet in Miami, Becker is impossible to beat when it comes to selfies with Hollywood's biggest stars including Sylvester Stallone, John Travolta, Julia Roberts, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Al Pacino, and so many other legends.
Becker says he met Dave Matthews last summer at The Breakers. "He was at an after-party for the band fresh off the stage from night number one," says Becker. "We already knew he stays there consistently year after year. After the party by the pool, he was heading back to the main hotel when we stopped to say hello. He was very nice and took some photo ops."
Becky Bassett
Dave Matthews Band fan Becky Bassett admits she had always thought about what it would be like to meet Dave Matthews but this lucky lady actually got to hang out with him. The magical moment happened during the summer of 2006 while with her sister Helen.
"We traveled to Palm Beach from Charlottesville, Virginia after being invited by the band’s tennis pro to stay ‘with’ the band at the Four Seasons," Bassett says. "We hung out at the pool with the band and their families by day, awkwardly from afar so as to not be a bother/ogling fans while the band and crew were enjoying family time." She says once their tennis pro friend caught wind that everyone was partying in the lobby that night, they went. "We partied with Dave—shots and everything!" Bassett beams. "He was hilarious and so, so fun—as was his lovely wife, Ashley. It was a very memorable night, with my sister and I giggling in disbelief throughout the night that we got to hang with one of our musical idols! The following night, we got to see all our ‘new hotel lobby pool party friends’ on stage at the Sound Advice Amphitheater. Wowza!"
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