Dave Matthews Band fans rejoice! All is not lost this year to see the band. You may have heard they were going to take a year off from touring, but that's not ENTIRELY true according to Ray Waddell of Billboard. - Michelle

Dave Matthews Band
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As reported on Billboard.biz last month, Dave Matthews Band will stage four regional destination festivals this summer under the Dave Matthews Band Caravan banner, the first of which is set for June 24-26 at Bader Field, former site of the Atlantic City (New Jersey) Municipal Airport, the band announced this morning.

The band is taking the year off from touring, so these will be its only performances this year. While DMB fans have known such an announcement was coming, they may be surprised at the size and scope of these events, as the the event is a full-blown festival, at least in terms of talent.

In addition to DMB, the Atlantic City lineup includes David Gray, Ray LaMontagne, the Flaming Lips, O.A.R., Damian Marley, Bassnectar, Dr. Dog, Amos Lee, Thievery Corporation, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Warren Haynes Band, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Guster, Lotus, Rebelution, Fitz and the Tantrums, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Lisa Hannigan, Punch Brothers, From Good Homes, Delta Spirit, Big Gigantic, Alberta Cross, Mariachi El Bronx, TR3, Vusi Mahlasela, the Budos Band and Bobby Long, and special performances by DMB members Carter Beauford and Stefan Lessard, plus a Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds acoustic set.

The festival weekend will also include a number of late-night shows at Atlantic City venues.

The shows are conceived as destination events and are designed to let the fans come to DMB, as opposed to DMB visiting 60-plus cities as on a traditional tour.

The festival's website -- www.dmbcaravan.com -- lists other shows on July 8-10 in the Midwest, and TBAs in August and September. DMB is booked by Chip Hooper at Paradigm Talent. Industry speculation is that Phish, who are also represented by Paradigm and Capshaw's Red Light Management, will stage their own festival at Watkins Glen in upstate New York Fourth of July weekend.

DMB is the top-grossing band in the world for the period 2000-2009, according to Billboard Boxscore, and grossed more than $62 million and drew more than a million fans last year.

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