THE ROANOKE REGION OF VIRGINIA

Before it hit the charts, Dave Matthews Band put in 200 hours of work -- on the q.t. -- at Salem's Flat 5 Press and Recording Co.

Rewind to 1993, and Dave Matthews Band was playing college fraternity parties, and had played the Barrel House in Salem (site of All Sports Cafe's Salem location). But the buzz was building, and by the end of the year, a major record label bidding war was on to sign the act, Ohmsen remembered.

He had just moved the studio out of his Salem home and into town -- "My wife told me to move it," he said, with a grin -- and the business was "limping along." He was also working at Stage Sound, where Matthews' group had been renting gear for shows.

Band manager Coran Capshaw asked Stage Sound owner Reid Henion about local studios. Capshaw wanted something relatively close to DMB's Charlottesville home base, but not so close that the band couldn't get any peace. Henion suggested Ohmsen.

The band came to hang out, liked the vibe and made plans to record. Ohmsen was sworn to secrecy.

"I agreed not to reveal they were here," he said. "I did get calls -- from the media, from girls."

The band came in for five days a week, two weeks out of each month. It spent the rest of the month playing shows. The arrangement worked like it often does for young bands.




Roanoke Region of Virginia

Thanks to Roanoke.com