For some people, it's merely another day.

For others, it's a day like no other.

When Dave Matthews Band steps into town, fans will be eagerly awaiting his return to The Bryce Jordan Center stage at 7 p.m. tonight. With the arrival of the band, news of its latest CD had also been dancing around in people's heads. Current facts, according to RCA's Web site, show the album due out on July 2, with a new single to be released within the next few weeks.

But that's still four months away.

Some would say Dave Matthews Band has nothing new to promote on its current North American tour. Well, the sold-out show tonight would argue otherwise.

As would the fans.

Dave Matthews Band has set foot on State College soil twice in as many years, and the fan base hasn't diminished since then. Some believe that the band's incessant touring might cause listeners to grow weary and lose interest, especially considering the fact that in those past two years, the band only released one CD.

If it's not new material that people come to see the band for, then what is it?

For fans, something about the band draws them back again and again, regardless of CD releases, frequent appearances or even mass popularity.

Several fans of Dave Matthews Band provided their take on just why it makes sense to see the band in concert over and over (and over) again.

Dave's Own Style

Shannon Ward (senior-business management) has seen the band four times in concert, with the first going back to the band's tour supporting its first major label release, Under the Table and Dreaming.

She was first taken aback by the music itself, and then her enjoyment was reinforced when she saw the band perform live.

"The music is laid back," Ward said. "You can either sit down and enjoy it or stand up and dance to it."

She enjoyed it so much that she attended two shows for the same tour. She does not consider this excessive, because she said the shows were completely different both times.

Dave Matthews Band has played both album tracks and unreleased songs at shows she's attended, and that mix has caused her to never be disappointed by a show.

Her admiration for the band stems from her appreciation for its efforts to resist trends on pop culture and play music that holds true to its style.

"A lot of songs on the radio today fall under the same style," Ward said. "When I hear Dave, it's his own type of music."

Nothing Like a First Impression

Though some fans' appreciation for the band was merely reinforced by a live show, Erin Ryan (junior-food science) fell in love with the band at the first show she attended.

She and her brother went to a Dave Matthews Band show on a whim in 1998. Though they had no expectations going into the show, they were more than pleased with what they heard.

After that one show, Ryan said she and her brother became instant die-hard fans and haven't changed since, attending more shows and meeting more people with the same love for the band.

"People who like Dave stick together," Ryan said. "You either like him or you don't."

There has been a show that didn't meet her expectations, like the others.

The story goes that the night before a show at the Post-Gazette Pavilion in Burgettstown, Pa., Dave Matthews had been throwing grapes in the air and trying to catch them. Apparently, in transit, he slipped and ended up fracturing three ribs in the crash (pardon the pun).

The next night, the concert was shortened and Dave's onstage antics were subsequently lessened.

Ryan will be seeing the band for the fifth time tonight but she is still excited about the show and what it may entail. She said she never knows what to expect. Even after the first four shows, there's still songs she has never heard live.

Why Not Go?

Scott Bauer (sophomore-electrical engineering) was first introduced to the band by a friend. The music immediately hit him and stuck. Since then, he's been to four shows (tonight will be the fifth) -- and it's the same musicianship that keeps him coming back for more.

"They didn't have to play as loud as possible, they actually have skill," Bauer said.

Bauer compares the legions of obsessed fans following the band as they tour to how people used to see the Grateful Dead.

It's not quite a lifestyle, he said, but close to it. Going to see the band whenever they tour is just a way of showing appreciation for the time and effort Dave Matthews Band expends.

"I feel like, if they tour, it's not my job to go, but I see it as they want to spend a night with us," Bauer said. "If they're going to tour, why not go see them?"

In the end, though everyone has their own special reasons for seeing Dave Matthews Band repeatedly, they all agree that the band will not let them down, no matter how many times they see a performance. It's not just hearing good music for them; it's paying homage to a band that is willing to play for its fans as often as they will come and dance along.

"They play for us -- and that's what keeps me coming," Bauer said.