On a sunny afternoon in August 2004, passengers aboard a Chicago River architectural tour expected sights of steel, glass, and skyline.
Instead, their cruise was abruptly and horrifyingly interrupted by an 800-pound deluge of human waste, dumped from above by a tour bus belonging to the Dave Matthews Band. The incident triggered a citywide investigation, international headlines, and a highly publicized settlement.
A Bridge, a Bus, and a Grated Catastrophe
On August 8, 2004, bus driver Stefan Wohl, operating a vehicle assigned to violinist Boyd Tinsley of Dave Matthews Band, drove across Chicago’s Kinzie Street Bridge.
While crossing the bridge’s open metal grates, he released the contents of the vehicle’s blackwater tank—estimated at 800 pounds (360 kg) of waste—onto the river below. Directly underneath was Chicago’s Little Lady, a sightseeing boat carrying 120 people on a 1:00 PM architecture tour.
A Horrific Shower and Immediate Fallout
Two-thirds of the passengers on the boat were drenched. Waste entered eyes, mouths, hair, and soaked clothes and belongings. Victims included a pregnant woman, a child, and an infant.
The boat returned to dock, and five passengers were sent to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The deck was scrubbed, and tours resumed within hours.
Cameras, Denials, and Guilty Pleas
Initially, Dave Matthews Band’s publicist claimed all buses were parked. But witness reports and East Bank Club security footage identified Wohl as the driver.
On August 24, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a $70,000 lawsuit. Wohl pleaded guilty in March 2005 to reckless conduct and discharging pollutants, receiving 18 months probation, a $10,000 fine, and 150 hours of community service.
Cleanup, Settlements, and Commemoration
The band paid a $200,000 settlement to Illinois and donated $100,000 to environmental groups. The incident, nicknamed “Poopgate,” was commemorated in 2023 with a plaque on Kinzie Bridge and inspired a 2024 mini-documentary titled The Crappening. In interviews, victims later shared that over time, disgust gave way to surreal humor as the event entered urban folklore.
On August 8, 2004, passengers on a Chicago River architecture tour were drenched when 800 pounds (360 kg) of human waste fell from above.
The waste came from a Dave Matthews Band tour bus crossing the Kinzie Street Bridge.
What followed was a scandal unlike any other…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/bELYACJF92
— Detective Tiger’s Stories (@TigerDetective) June 3, 2025