It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in Chicago. August 8, 2004. The kind of day where the skyline looks like a postcard and the Chicago River is buzzing with tourists.
Around 120 people were packed onto the Chicago’s Little Lady, an open-roof sightseeing boat. They were there for the Architecture Foundation tour. Looking at skyscrapers. Enjoying the breeze.
Then everything changed.
Suddenly, a "brownish-yellow slurry" rained down from the sky. It wasn't a freak storm. It was 800 pounds of liquid human waste.
The Dave Matthews Band bus incident had just begun. It's a story that sounds like an urban legend, but for the people on that boat, it was a literal nightmare. Imagine being doused from head to toe in sewage while trying to learn about the Willis Tower.
Basically, it's the most infamous PR disaster in rock history.
The Kinzie Street Bridge Disaster
So, how does 800 pounds of waste end up on a boat?
The geography of Chicago is key here. The Kinzie Street Bridge is a "bascule" bridge. It has a metal grate deck. If you look down while driving over it, you can see the river right through the floor.
At approximately 1:18 p.m., a tour bus belonging to the Dave Matthews Band was crossing that bridge. The driver, Stefan Wohl, was alone. He was heading to a hotel to pick up violinist Boyd Tinsley.
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Wohl did something unthinkable. He flicked a toggle switch behind the driver's seat.
This switch opened the blackwater tank.
Usually, you do this at a proper disposal station. But Wohl did it right over the grates. He probably thought the waste would just disappear into the murky river water. He didn't see the Chicago’s Little Lady passing directly underneath.
The timing was precise. And devastating.
Roughly two-thirds of the passengers were soaked. We’re talking eyes, mouths, hair—everything. People started vomiting. The smell was described as "deplorable." The boat had to pull an immediate U-turn and head back to the dock.
Denial and the Video Evidence
The band didn't own up to it right away.
Actually, they denied it. Their tour manager initially claimed all their buses were parked at the time. Stefan Wohl denied it, too.
But Chicago has cameras everywhere.
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A nearby health club had surveillance footage. It showed the bus—clearly marked and identifiable—crossing the bridge at the exact moment of the "dumping."
The Mayor at the time, Richard M. Daley, wasn't thrilled. He held a press conference. He called the act "unacceptable," though he did awkwardly add that Dave Matthews was still a "very good band."
By the time the evidence piled up, the "Poopgate" headlines were everywhere. The band’s "green" reputation was taking a massive hit.
The Fallout: Fines, Firings, and Lawsuits
The legal consequences were swift.
Stefan Wohl eventually changed his tune. In March 2005, he pleaded guilty to reckless conduct and discharging contaminants.
His sentence?
- 18 months of probation.
- 150 hours of community service.
- A $10,000 fine paid to Friends of the Chicago River.
The band fired him. They also went into full damage-control mode.
They didn't just apologize; they paid up. The Dave Matthews Band settled a lawsuit filed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan for $200,000. On top of that, they donated $100,000 to local environmental groups.
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They even agreed to keep detailed logs of every time their buses emptied their septic tanks in the future. You've gotta wonder if those logs are still being checked today.
Why We Still Talk About It
It’s been over 20 years.
People still post about the Dave Matthews Band bus incident every single August. It has become a piece of Chicago folklore, right up there with Mrs. O'Leary's cow and the 1908 Cubs.
There’s even a documentary in the works called The Crappening.
Some of the victims have found the humor in it over time, but many still remember the trauma. One passenger, Mike Scarpelli, told reporters years later about the "demoralizing" feeling of being abandoned at the dock while the boat crew tried to figure out what to do.
Honestly, the incident changed how tour buses operate in major cities.
What You Should Know About Waste Safety Today
If you're ever on a tour boat, don't worry too much. This specific incident led to much stricter enforcement of waste disposal laws.
- Check the Bridge: Most modern tour buses have "lockouts" on their external dump valves to prevent accidental (or intentional) releases while moving.
- Environmental Protection: The money the band paid actually helped fund the restoration of the Chicago River. It's much cleaner now than it was in 2004.
- The Legend Lives On: You can still visit the Kinzie Street Bridge. Sometimes, fans leave little "memorials" there on the anniversary.
The lesson here is simple. Don't dump your problems on other people. Especially not from a bridge.
To see how the Chicago River has recovered since the 2004 incident, you can check out the latest reports from Friends of the Chicago River. If you're planning your own trip to the city, maybe just... keep an eye on the bridges.