A Year Without Electric Violin: Dave Matthews Band Goes Silent For 2011

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Musician Dave Matthews

REUTERS / Mike Segar

No, it’s nothing quite as important as the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf, or the prosecution of Faisal Shahzad in New York City, but for millions of frat boys (and former frat boys) across the country, the day’s worst news came in the form of an e-mail to fans.

The Dave Matthews Band, one of the most profitable touring groups of all time – the jam band that’s pretty much been touring for 20 years straight – will be writing off 2011 as a year-long vacation.

There’s no way of telling what this news will mean for the nation’s arenas and ticket brokers, but here’s betting that they will all probably notice that missing summer tent pole. And the tens of thousands of fans who turn out year after year – and sometimes multiple times a year – to see Boyd headbang with that violin.

That said, there are still 20 years of bootlegged concerts out there to keep fans happy in the interim – and I’m betting more than 365 versions of “Jimi Thing” and “Crush” to keep you company through all those sad, lonely nights.