On a warm August afternoon in 2004, Chicago’s scenic riverfront turned into the site of one of the strangest scandals in music history. A luxury tour bus crossed the Kinzie Street Bridge and, in an instant, unleashed more than 800 pounds of human waste onto the river below, and directly onto a boat packed with sightseers.
The luxury tour bus belonged to one of the most popular rock groups of the 2000s: the Dave Matthews Band. A bus assigned to violinist Boyd Tinsley’s crew had dumped the waste as it crossed the bridge. None of the band members was on or near the bus when it happened. The driver, Stefan Wohl, initially denied the allegations, but security footage, eyewitness reports, and vehicle GPS data soon pointed directly to him.
The passengers were enjoying an architectural cruise, one of Chicago’s signature attractions, when the deluge rained down from above. Within seconds, more than half of the roughly 120 people aboard were drenched in a foul, brownish-yellow slurry.
Passengers received medical attention
Happy Dave Matthews Poop Bridge Day pic.twitter.com/0R1Eb9TMZT
— Ian Ian Ian Ian Ian Ian Ian (@in_sithirlind) August 8, 2024
Those on board the boat were horrified. Among those drenched were a pregnant woman, an elderly passenger, a child, and several people with disabilities. The ship returned to the dock immediately, its passengers seeking medical attention as the crew disinfected the deck. Five passengers went to the hospital.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and the City of Chicago sued both Wohl and the band. In April 2005, Wohl pleaded guilty to reckless conduct and discharging contaminants to cause pollution. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation, required to complete 150 hours of community service, and ordered to pay $10,000 to Friends of the Chicago River.
The band later reached a $200,000 settlement with the state of Illinois — without admitting guilt — and donated another $100,000 to environmental causes, including the Chicago Park District. The driver was promptly fired. Frontman Dave Matthews eventually issued a public apology, saying he would “apologize for it as long as I have to.”
