Hootie and the Blowfish rocked Daniel Island this weekend, and the South Carolina Music Guide was there! The annual concert raises money for the Hootie Foundation who runs a campaign for local underserved children to get ready for school. This year, they were able to help over 5,000 children get checkups, haircuts, eye exams and attain school supplies for the upcoming year. The event sells out within hours after ticket sales go up, and this year was no different. Friday and Saturday nights were packed with fans totaling 8,000+. Guest stars included Corey Smith, who opened Friday evening. Drivin' N Cryin' opened with Edwin McCain on Saturday. Hootie and the Blowfish knocked the ball out of the park on both nights, with fans cheering the newly designed T-stage area.
According to one fan, the open pit area has solved some issues with the original seating design. With seats nestling close to the stage, ticket brokers would purchase all of the prime seating and re-sell at ridiculous prices. Having a general admission surrounding the stage prevents this problem, and people can get up close and personal with their favorite stars. Darius Rucker, lead singer for Hootie and country star, took advantage of this and often frequented the end of the stage. You can see the result in the photo below.
It's no surprise that the Foundation does so well with their outreach program. Combining efforts with Mark Bryan's Carolina Studios and Student Transportation, Inc., the trio host a Stuff the Bus program throughout the event. Concertgoers are invited to provide school supplies to pass on to the children. The public responds to the invitation eagerly, and the bus, provided by Student Transportation, is filled with notebooks, paper, pencils, and other needed items. In total, the Hootie Foundation donates tens of thousands of dollars in cash or supplies towards setting up kids for the school year.
Now, that's something to be proud of. Congrats, guys, on another great year!
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