The Modest Man
**Reverting to type**
As people grow older, they often find themselves reverting to the things they loved when they were younger. For writer and comedian Samantha Irby, this meant rediscovering her love of Dave Matthews Band. In an interview with Pitchfork, Irby reflected on her early obsession with the band, which she first discovered in high school.
**Discovering Dave**
Irby first heard Dave Matthews Band’s music during the summer before her freshman year of high school. She was in marching band practice when a fellow student put on Under the Table and Dreaming. Though Irby wasn’t immediately taken with the music, she was eventually won over by the band’s gentle, upbeat sound.
**Becoming a fan for life**
Irby’s love of Dave Matthews Band became cemented when a crackhead broke into her rooming house and stole her CDs. Irby fought the thief off to protect the Dave Matthews CD, realizing then that the band had become essential to her. Though Irby has never bled for another musician (yet), her love for Dave Matthews has continued to grow.
**Local celebrity**
One interesting aspect of Dave Matthews Band’s origin story is that Dave Matthews was already a local celebrity in Charlottesville before he became known as a musician. As a bartender at a local venue, Matthews had already made a name for himself. This early buzz around the band helped to build excitement and anticipation for their music.
**No hipster cred**
Though Irby loves Dave Matthews Band, she can’t claim to have been a hipster fan from the beginning. By the time she discovered the band, they were already becoming popular. Despite this, Irby’s love for their music continues to grow, and she remains an enthusiastic fan.
