Getting an opening slot for one of the biggest touring acts in the nation is no small feat.

But for Yerba Buena, it's even more of a big deal, considering the band is still unsigned, has not released an album and has only been playing select gigs thus far in its career.

Yerba Buena's shows garnered much attention and rave reviews, but these were small club gigs in New York City.

Does the group have what it takes to entertain a sold-out crowd of 16,000?

Apparently so: Yerba Buena was asked to play by Dave Matthews Band after the band heard it's EP.

"They heard it and really liked it," famed producer Andres Levin said. " I guess they went out on a limb."

Levin, who has worked with such artists as David Byrne, D'Angelo, Macy Gray, and various Latin rock acts, conceptualized and brought the new band, Yerba Buena, together.

Levin said that he wanted to have a project that blended Latin music with Urban and hip-hop flavor.

"After many experiences, this is the recipe," Levin said.

Describing the group's sound as more song-driven and less-jam based, Levin said the group sings songs in various languages, including; English, Spanish and African dialect.

A press release classifies the group's music as "Afro-Cuban/Latin Rhythm with hip-hop, funk and soul."

Yerba Buena consists of seasoned Cuban musicians, under the direction of Levin.

Various jazz musicians have also guested on the group's performances. Yerba Buena's vocalist, Xiomara Laugart, has been called by the L.A. Times "Cuba's almost mystical vocal treasure."

After the band plays its opening run of 3 shows with DMB, it will enter the studio to start working on an album to be released on Levin's own record label, which is now unnamed, or one of the many labels pursuing the band.

Ed Morales of Newsday, said on the band, "Yerba Buena's mission: to bring the free-flowing, soulful swing of Havana's clubs and cafes to New York, recombine it with influences such as R&B, jazz, hip-hop, and Afro-beat and make an entirely new form of Latin music.

When they took the stage, the music they played was at once familiar, and like nothing I have ever heard before."

Hailing from New York City, the group is hoping to break it big, playing to stadium- sized crowds.

"The last groups to make it big out of New York were the Strokes and Blondie," Levin said, pointing to the fact that few bands have come on to the music scene from New York City in the past couple of decades.

There is a slight difference though, Yerba Buena could be the first band to be popular from New York City to mix Cuban traditions like Boogaloo, Mambo and Sango with hip-hop and soul.

Opening for a massively popular band couldn't hurt its chances at stardom.