Twenty years ago, I drove about three hours from Independence, Kansas, to Springfield, Missouri, for my first Hootie and the Blowfish concert.
By that time, the band was at the end of a transition from most popular group on the planet to punchline. That took all of four years, from selling 20 million copies of their debut album, “Cracked Rear View,” to playing in front of a far-from-capacity crowd in a mid-sized theatre.
I didn’t really care about the latter, of course. Hootie’s always been my band. What I remember about that night is I went by myself because the girl I asked to go said, “No thanks.” That seems fitting now. The rejection didn’t ruin my night. Instead, the concert was great therapy during a rough time.
That was the year I finished college and moved to Independence to start my career in newspapers. I was away from home, on my own, and I was terrified. I also was having a difficult time fitting in at work at in the small southeast Kansas town.
Hootie was there, of course. I listened to their music often because it made me feel better. At least for one night in Springfield, I got to enjoy an escape from reality.
A few years later, my fiancée and I traveled to Wichita for my second Hootie concert. The band’s popularity had faded further, and they played in front of a few thousand people.
We took a sign with us that read “Getting Married May 28. Came to Celebrate with Hootie.” I’ll always remember that because I wanted no part of being married at that point. I had a pretty good idea that wasn’t going to work out, which Darius Rucker later validated by grabbing the mic, looking at us and saying, “Don’t do it, man.” Boy, was he right.
But, again, even with that going on, the concert proved to be a nice break from life, which included an upcoming marriage that had no chance and a move from Kansas to deep south Texas for a new job. To top it off, the band members autographed the sign, and Rucker spoke with us for a few minutes after the gig. He couldn’t have been more gracious.
A break from reality has been a common theme for me with Hootie and the Blowfish. Their music has been there through breakups, moves that came with longing for family, difficult times at work and much more.
When the band went on hiatus as Rucker became a country music star, many wondered if Hootie and the Blowfish was done. For a decade, it appeared that was going to be the case. Then, suddenly, they were back, announcing a 2019 tour and an album coming out in the fall.
My wife, who has transitioned from Hootie hater to fan, and I bought tickets for the closest venue, St. Louis, as soon as they went on sale. I looked forward to that concert for months, partly because we were (and are) struggling through a difficult family situation.
Leading up to the concert on July 13, it looked like we weren’t going to make it. That changed as the event approached. I was as excited that morning as I have been in a long time.
Barenaked Ladies, also a damn fine band, was the opening act, and got an already hyped crowd revved up for the main event with an awesome set. Then, at 9 p.m., Hootie and the Blowfish exploded onto the stage with “Hannah Jane,” the first track on CRV.
For the next two hours, they played hit after hit, a reminder that the band was far more popular than many people like to think. They mixed in a couple of Rucker’s country hits, notably “Wagon Wheel,” and covered REM, among others.
I didn’t look behind us until about an hour into the event. I was shocked to see how many people were there. Seventeen years after playing to a small crowd at a festival in Wichita, the Blowfish were playing in front a sold-out amphitheater holding 20,000 people in St. Louis.
Throughout the night, as I danced and sang with my lovely wife, I thought about all the times Hootie’s music took me to another place, away from heartbreak, stress, sadness, worry, anger and many other emotions.
That’s the great thing about music, regardless of what genre you like, your favorite band or the song that’s your “Desperado,” It’s a break from reality. I just hope we don’t have to wait another 15 years for that break.
PLAYLIST FROM GROUP THERAPY TOUR, ST. LOUIS, JULY 13
“Hannah Jane”
“State Your Peace”
“I Go Blind”
“A Fine Line”
“Not Even the Trees”
“Hold My Hand”
“Losing My Religion”
“I Will Wait”
“Let Her Cry”
“Hey Hey What Can I Do”
“Will the Circle Be Unbroken”
“Desert Mountain Showdown”
“I Hope That I Don’t Fall in Love With You”
“When the Blues Go Marchin’ In”
“Alright”
“Running from an Angel”
“Time”
“Drowning”
“Wagon Wheel”
“Old Man and Me (Public Enemy solo from MB)”
“With a Little Help From My Friends (with BNL)”
“Goodbye”
“Go and Tell Him (Soup Song)”
“Only Wanna Be With You (Get Down On it interlude)”