Customer stories


Dave Matthews Band

‘It's OK -- We're with the Band'

There's nothing quite like a live concert by a top band. There's an energy that flows directly from the stage and into the audience. You can listen to CDs, you can watch all the videos you want -- but nothing beats a live performance -- especially by a top concert act like the Dave Matthews Band. With their unique fusion of jazz and rock, and their accessible, grassroots style, Dave Matthews and his bandmates make magic every time they take the stage.

But creating that magic isn't easy. It requires tight organization and careful planning. And that's why whenever the DMB performs, they're accompanied by FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Pro Server, the award-winning database software applications by FileMaKer Inc.

A great stage band is more than musicians, more than songwriters. Live performance also requires a crack team of technicians -- lighting experts, audio specialists, equipment managers. And then there are administrative personnel, the people who take care of all the details involved in putting on a show: working with each local venue, coordinating promotion, handling merchandise sales, making backstage arrangements. It's hard work, but for the Dave Matthews Band, FileMaker Pro makes it easier.

Ian Kuhn is the DMB's Monitor Engineer, and he's also responsible for introducing the band to FileMaker. As a long-time enthusiast of the Macintosh operating system, Ian's been using FileMaker since its earliest versions, and it didn't take him long to realize that FileMaker was a perfect fit for all the myriad tasks involved in putting together a show. Now, all these functions are tied together using FileMaker Pro Server - which Ian has running on a network that actually travels wherever the band goes. It's a cross-platform system he designed himself, with help from freelance consultant Rudy Arias, and everyone from the band can log in no matter what laptop they use, get email, surf the web and share files and printers -- all over the network.

Routing the song list for each performance?

FileMaker Pro handles it -- smoothly and efficiently. The set list has been entered into the FileMaker Pro Server on stage, and all the band and crew are plugged in through their own PowerBooks and laptops. Everyone knows instantly when each selection is coming up - and how often each song has been performed. There's even an instant messaging system so that changes in the routine, and choices of encore songs are immediately available to everyone.

Need to work out a special lighting or audio effect?

FileMaker Pro handles that, too. The technical staff is also logged on to the FileMaker network during each performance, and adjustments can be made instantly. Everything from the lighting cues to minor technical details are instantly available via the FMP Server. In fact, up to 60 people can use the system at once, so no one is ever out of the loop.

Need to know the logistics for moving the band and its entourage from this venue to the next venue?

Well, FileMaker Pro handles that as well. The administrative team knows where the band is heading and what it'll find when it gets there, with all the 'advance work' under control.

And once the show is over, FileMaker's job still isn't done. The Dave Matthews Band is well known for its live concert recordings, and once a performance is over, the master recording needs to be logged and filed. FileMaker Pro helps keep careful track of these valuable materials.

FileMaker's ease of operation is a vital part of its success, says Ian. 'I've seen databases made with other software,' he notes, 'and they take forever! With FileMaker Pro we can build massive databases that just make people gasp at what they can do! The first few weeks we were using FileMaker it was sort of an experiment - now it's an integral part of the band!'

Wherever the Dave Matthews Band travels, FileMaker Pro is there. And not just along for the ride. It's right there in the heart of every show.

Rock on!



Contact information

Contact Info for Customer:

Ian Kuhn
Monitor Engineer
Dave Matthews Band
312-432-0623
ian@rlc.net


Rudy Arias
Information Technologies Manager
Dave Matthews Band, Inc.
(312) 961-0460
rudyarias@compuserve.com


Filemaker Contact:

Kevin Mallon
Public Relations Manager
FileMaker Inc.
408-987-7227
kevin_mallon@filemaker.com
http://www.filemaker.com


Overview
  • The Dave Matthews Band's electrifying live performances may appear effortless to their fans. But backstage, FileMaker Pro is hard at work, harmonizing countless elements -- including set list, lighting, audio effects and equipment.
Industry
  • Creative Markets
  • Entertainment
  • Information Technology
  • Small Business