Q&A: The Dave Matthews Band

SI Associate Editor Richard Deitsch recently interviewed Dave Matthews and Carter Beauford of The Dave Matthews Band [www.davematthewsband.com] for the magazine's weekly Q&A. The band is currently on a nationwide tour. Here are additional excerpts from the interview.

SI: What do you consider your finest athletic moment? Beauford: I remember in high school -- I played running back and offensive guard at Lane High School and Charlottesville High, and this was around the time the crackback block was being outlawed -- I was on the punt-receiving team and I [executed] one of the best crackback blocks you could imagine. It didn't put the guy in the hospital, but I rung his bell pretty good. The block produced a touchdown. It was a helluva a hit. Matthews: I never had enough focus to get very far in the sports that I played in high school. I played left wing in rugby and I remember me and a friend both hit this guy. He had the ball and it was close to a high tackle. My friend hit him him just below the knees, but exactly at the same time going in exactly the same direction. The reason I remember it is because of the sound that came from an unimpressed crowd. It was like "Oooohhh." I got up surprised and thought to myself: "Wow, we just crushed this idiot."

SI: On a recent cover of Rolling Stone, the band posed in old-time uniforms at a baseball field in Charlottesville, Va. How did that cover come about? Matthews: It was the photographer's idea and it just appealed to all of us. There's often a lot of stupid ideas like "you all dress as fruits and pretend you're selling underpants" or "we'll put you on a bed of nails and drive a truck over the top and photograph you" for the cover. But this appealed to us. And it was fun to remember how to throw a ball around. Beauford: Wearing the uniforms wasn't too bad, but the gloves and the old-time cleats were tough. Matthews: Yeah, like putting nails through your soles.

SI: Dave, you played Saturday Night Live when tennis star Andy Roddick hosted. What do you remember about him as a comedian? Matthews: [Laughs] I'm impressed by his tennis. I'm not advocating he drop tennis and go into acting, just as I'm not about to give up music and go into tennis.

SI: Your songs have been used during coverage of some big sporting events, including the NBA Finals and Major League Baseball games. Next month, the band will be featured in a CBS Sports ad campaign for its NFL coverage. Do you ever tune into the events just to hear your songs? Beauford: I've done that a bunch of times. Earlier in the Dave Matthews Band history, for example, I was watching a hockey game with the Rangers and they played Ants Marching in the arena and it completely took me by surprise. It was the coolest thing to hear your music being played in front of all these people, to hear people give a nice roar as a response to what they were listening to.

SI: Several athletes, including Tony Hawk, Andy Roddick and Barry Zito, are huge fans of your band. What's your favorite story involving an athlete who's a fan? Matthews: We were playing Live 8 in Philadelphia and a bunch of the Eagles were there. I was like, "Who are these big dudes?" It was Donovan McNabb and a couple other cats. Beauford: Last year, Rick Fox came to one of our shows. I'm a Lakers fan, so I was blown away. He was the coolest cat to hang with. Before he got backstage, he was jumping up and down in the crowd. He was so thrilled to be near us. It was the weirdest thing. I was like, "Dude, I'm supposed to be like that."

SI: Fox is a North Carolina guy and you're both Charlottesville dudes. Isn't he supposed to be the enemy? Matthews: We've gotten past the period in our lives when we held on too tight to that stuff (laughs).

SI: What role has sports played in your life? Beauford: For me, just staying healthy. I've been in sports all my life since I was five years old. It's always been a part of my life and a part of my family's life. It's always been around. It's like eating food. If I don't have it, something's wrong. It's a big part of my life. Matthews: I've gone through phases with sports. As a source of entertainment, I think sports is fun. It's fun to see people that are at the very best at anything competing. As far as my life, I'm a pretty active person at the moment, and as a kid I enjoyed competing on a friendly level, even if it's occasionally a rivalry. I think it's really important to be physical. I think it's very important for your mind. It's sort of like the difference between a river and swamp. If you are immobile all the time, I can't believe your mind can be at its best. I think the times in my life when I've been happiest and most creative have been the times I've been most active.

SI: South Africa is hosting the World Cup in 2010. Dave, you were born in Johannesburg and lived there as a teenager. What will this mean for your native country? Matthews: We've traveled around the world and when you see soccer fans, they're amazing to watch. When we were in Brazil, it wasn't just "this is the team I like." It was "I'll die for that team." There's a passion and pride and a nationalism. I'm glad the World Cup finals are being held in Africa because there's a lot of great soccer players who come out of that part of the world, and I think it will inspire a lot of people to take it more seriously. Everyone plays soccer over there. It can be nothing but healthy for the country overall. I'll probably try to get over there to watch some of it.

SI: Bandmate Boyd Tinsely sponsors a tennis tournament in Charlottesville. Have you ever played in the tournament? Matthews: No, because it's a women's tournament (laughs). But Carter is a very good tennis player. Beauford: Dave's more of an athlete than he's giving up here. I've seen him go. Homeboy has game.