22 Years Later, Dave Matthews Band Bus Waste Incident on Chicago River Still Lingers
On August 8, 2004, a Dave Matthews Band tour bus dumped approximately 800 pounds of human waste through the grates of the Kinzie Street Bridge into the Chicago River, splattering unsuspecting passengers on a Chicago Architecture Foundation tour boat below.…
Chicago, IL, August 8, 2026 —
Twenty-two years ago, an unusual and unpleasant incident involving the Dave Matthews Band’s tour bus cast a shadow over the Chicago River. On August 8, 2004, the band’s bus was documented to have dumped approximately 800 pounds of human waste through the grates of the Kinzie Street Bridge.
The waste cascaded into the Chicago River, directly below the bridge. Unsuspecting passengers aboard a Chicago Architecture Foundation tour boat experienced the unfortunate fallout, as the waste splattered them.
The event, which happened over two decades ago, continues to be a topic of discussion among Chicago residents. Reactions to the memory vary, with some recalling it as a peculiar but uniquely Chicagoan anecdote. Others view the incident as a stark reminder of the city’s history with river pollution.
Story summarized from the original created by Clint Worthington on blockclubchicago.org, see more information here.
