DAVE MATTHEWS BAND MEMBER COFFIN TO PERFORM NATIONAL ANTHEM AT AUG. 2 SEMIFINAL GAME

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Multi-Grammy award winning musician and saxophonist Jeff Coffin, a member of The Dave Matthews Band, will perform the National Anthem at the Nashville Kats’ semifinal game on Sunday, Aug. 2.

As a member of The Dave Matthews Band, Coffin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024 and performed at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The Dave Matthews Band has sold more than 32 million albums worldwide and are currently on tour for the 35th straight year.

The Nashville Kats closed the regular season by winning nine games in a row to claim the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Arena Football One (AF1) playoffs.

The Kats will host a semifinal playoff game on Sunday, Aug. 2 at 3 p.m. CDT at F&M Bank Arena against a team to be determined by this weekend’s opening round results, as the lowest remaining seed will come to visit.

“Jeff Coffin is absolutely one of the most acclaimed saxophonists in the world,” Kats Chief Operating Officer and Partner Greg Pogue said. “Sure, he’s known all over for his work as a member of The Dave Matthews Band, but his accolades and achievements are so much far reaching than that. It will be a treat to have him perform the National Anthem before our semifinal game.”

Coffin has performed the National Anthem at many locales over the years, including again recently in pregame festivities for the Boston Red Sox at famed Fenway Park.

A composer and educator who has earned international acclaim for his work with The Dave Matthews Band and Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, as well as his 25-plus solo projects. Coffin’s approach to the saxophone is marked by a fearless sense of exploration, fusing jazz, funk, world music and rock into a style that is uniquely his own.

Coffin is deeply committed to music education. He has been teaching at the prestigious Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music since 2015 and has also presented well over 400 workshops and clinics around the globe.

Coffin is the founder of independent record label Ear Up Records and co-founder of AfricaNashville that promotes cross cultural relationships between celebrated African and American artists in Nashville.

Two weeks ago, the Kats won 57-54 at Albany to sweep the season series versus the defending champion Firebirds to secure the No. 1 seed. Should the Kats win their semifinal game, they will host the Arena Crown championship game the weekend of Aug. 8-9.

The AF1 playoffs begin this coming Saturday with No. 4 seed Kentucky Barrels (7-5) playing at No. 5 seed Michigan Arsenal (6-6) at 3 p.m. CDT. On Sunday at 6 p.m. CDT, the No. 3 seed Minnesota Monsters (8-4) play host to the No. 6 seed Washington Wolfpack (5-7).

For the regular season, the Kats finished 7-0 at home during the regular season with wins April 14 versus the Michigan Arsenal (78-40), April 27 over the Washington Wolfpack (45-3), May 9 against the Oregon Lightning (64-21), May 16 versus the Oceanside Bombers (63-49), June 13 versus the Minnesota Monsters (48-32), June 20 against the Albany Firebirds (78- 69) and June 27 versus the Beaumont Renegades (72-20).

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