The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Dave Matthews reacts to nomination for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Dave Matthews is having a hard time imagining his band being included on the same Rock & Roll Hall of Fame list as other musical icons such as Whitney Houston.
The Dave Matthews Band frontman said their recent nomination for the Hall’s 2020 class was unexpected and a “little bit insane.” He said he feels honored to be amongst music’s elite while promoting his newlylaunched board games called Chickapig and 25 Outlaws .
“It’s a real honor,” Matthews told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “Even if they stick us in a holding pen for a few years, that’s OK. Just to get on that list. I can’t believe I’m on a list with Whitney Houston, Motorhead and T. Rex. That’s pretty awesome.”
The sevenmember band is among 16 acts nominated, a list that also includes Soundgarden, The Doobie Brothers, Nine Inch Nails, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, MC5 and Todd Rundgren. The 35th annual induction ceremony will take place May 2 in Cleveland, Ohio.
The official inductees will be announced earlier in January.
Matthews called this moment of his life exciting, especially with the release of the board games he created with Brian Calhoun, a longtime friend and business partner. The singerguitarist said they got into the board game business to create a product to bring families and friends together with the hopes of putting their cell phones down.
“So if the end of times comes, not saying that it’s going to happen, but if it does happen and all of our phones die, we can play Chickapig,” Matthews joked. “We won’t be completely lost.”
Chickapig is being dubbed a lightly strategic social chess game that features chickenpig hybrids that attempt to maneuver past hay bales and a pooping cow. The game is designed for people aged above 4.
25 Outlaws is based on poker, but with a “Wild West” twist. This game is more suited for younger adults and older players since they are tasked with trying to eliminate rival outlaw gangs.
Both games are currently on sale in major retail stores.