Editing Dave Matthews (section)

===Political activism===
Matthews supported [[Barack Obama]] for president in 2008, both in the primaries and in the general election.<ref>{{cite web|author=Bates, Eric|date=April 17, 2008|title=Dave Matthews Speaks Out for Barack Obama |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/20093048/dave_matthews_speaks_out_for_barack_obama?source=music_news_rssfeed|access-date=September 7, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 8, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080408192456/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/20093048/dave_matthews_speaks_out_for_barack_obama?source=music_news_rssfeed |website=RollingStone}}</ref> On April 6, 2008, he and Tim Reynolds played a concert titled "Change Rocks"<ref name="Change Rocks">{{cite web|title=Change Rocks: Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds to Perform Special Show in Support of Barack Obama|last1=Matthews |first1=Dave|last2=Reynolds|first2=Tim |date=April 2, 2008|website=Official Dave Matthews Website |url=http://www.davematthewsband.com/news/view/7609326981d081ac5a758b04ad0b30fd|access-date=February 4, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 6, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006104813/http://davematthewsband.com/news/view/7609326981d081ac5a758b04ad0b30fd}}</ref> at Indiana University to encourage students to register to vote. The tickets were distributed by the Obama campaign.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dave Matthews at Indiana University |date=April 6, 2008 |website=my.barackobama.com |url=http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/indavematthews |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226012250/http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/indavematthews |archive-date=February 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=2012-04-15}}</ref> Questions regarding his citizenship were answered by advertisements and videos on YouTube, where he says he is a "real American" and a "real Virginian," stating that "real Virginians get out and vote."<ref name="Citizen">{{cite web |title=Dave Matthews for Obama | date=October 28, 2008 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEhOpdkHo_g |access-date=2012-12-17 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211107/BEhOpdkHo_g|archive-date=2021-11-07 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Although bereaved by the loss of band co-founder and saxophonist [[LeRoi Moore]] on August 19, 2008, he and [[Tim Reynolds]] played for the [[Democratic National Convention]] delegates on Sunday, August 24 at Red Rocks.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Goodin|first1=Emily|title=Sunday, August 24|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/1436-sunday-august-24/|website=The Hill|access-date=23 April 2017|date=15 August 2008|archive-date=November 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118101203/https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/1627-sunday-august-24|url-status=live}}</ref> 

On September 21, 2009, Matthews stated that some of Obama's harsher critics were motivated by racism, and stated that he "sees it [racism] everywhere" in the United States.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/21/qa.dave.matthews/index.html | title=U.S. racism 'everywhere,' says Dave Matthews  | website=[[CNN]] | access-date=May 1, 2010 | date=September 21, 2009}}</ref> Matthews is also a strong supporter of [[gay rights]] and participated in "Love Unites Shepard Fairey Equality Project", a gay marriage advocacy project.<ref>{{cite web|last=Eddins|first=Andrew|title=Voice for Equality: Dave Matthews|date=December 22, 2009|url=http://straighttalkonmarriage.blogspot.com/2009/12/voice-for-equality-dave-matthews.html|access-date=2009-12-22|website=straighttalkonmarriage.blogspot.com}}</ref>

On May 10, 2012, Matthews entertained a sellout crowd at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle where Obama was hosting a campaign fundraiser.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://seattlegayscene.com/2012/04/president-obama-dave-matthews-to-rock-out-at-the-paramount-on-may-10/|title=President Obama & Dave Matthews to "rock out" at The Paramount on May 10 |work=Seattle Gay Scene |author=<!--Not stated-->|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-03}}</ref>

In a September 28, 2015, interview with ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', Matthews said that "when I hear someone like [[Bernie Sanders]] talking, I think there's a hope."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Hyman|first=Dan|title=Dave Matthews Talks Bernie Sanders, New Album, His Guitar Hero|date=September 28, 2015|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/dave-matthews-talks-bernie-sanders-new-album-his-guitar-hero-20150928|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=August 26, 2017|archive-date=January 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160116195341/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/dave-matthews-talks-bernie-sanders-new-album-his-guitar-hero-20150928|url-status=dead}}</ref> Matthews performed at a San Francisco rally for Sanders during the 2016 presidential primaries and later, during the general election campaign. He was a major donor to the 2017 gubernatorial campaign of progressive Charlottesville politician [[Tom Perriello]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vpap.org/candidates/105435/top_donors/|title=vpap.org. Tom Perriello: Top Donors|access-date=June 2, 2017|archive-date=June 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170605064939/http://www.vpap.org/candidates/105435/top_donors/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On October 30, 2021, Matthews performed at a Democratic get out the vote event in [[Charlottesville, Virginia]] with gubernatorial candidate [[Terry McAuliffe]].<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |title=Dave Matthews to perform at free event for Terry McAuliffe in Charlottesville |url=https://www.nbc12.com/2021/10/20/dave-matthews-perform-free-event-terry-mcauliffe-charlottesville/ |website=NBC12.com |date=October 20, 2021 |access-date=1 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |agency=[[Associated Press]] |title=Dave Matthews to join Terry McAuliffe in Charlottesville for get-out-the-vote rally |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/government/virginia/vp-nw-virginia-governor-dave-matthews-20211024-zky5kgui3zcafdw3irfwenojom-story.html |website=Virginian Pilot |date=October 24, 2021 |access-date=1 November 2021}}</ref> During the 2022 election campaign, Matthews performed at campaign events for Democratic candidates [[Tim Ryan (Ohio politician)|Tim Ryan]] in Ohio and [[John Fetterman]] in Pennsylvania.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-25 |title=Thousands turn out for Tim Ryan rally featuring Dave Matthews concert |url=https://news.wosu.org/2022-10-25/free-concert-for-tim-ryan-starts-final-two-weeks-of-campaigning-in-close-ohio-us-senate-race |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=WOSU News |language=en}}</ref>