Hootie & the Blowfish’ Summer Camp with Trucks Tour Feels like Old Friends Around the Campfire at Pine Knob Amphitheatre
Carkston,Michigan(June 6,2024)-It was a picture perfect night in the suburbs of the Motor City for a concert at the legendary Pine Knob Amphitheatre when Hootie and the Blowfish rolled its Summer Camp with Trucks Tour into town. A near capacity crowd of more than 14,000 packed into the venue ready to enjoy a trip back through time with two of the biggest rock outfits from the 90’s, Hootie & the Blowfish and special guest, rockers Collective Soul.
Hootie & the Blowfish took the stage just after 9pm, with frontman Darius Rucker making his customary appearance in his trademark ball cap and t-shirt while Michigan native drummer Jim Sonefeld, stood out on his kit wearing a custom made green and yellow Pine Knob baseball jersey. The original quartet, started off strong with “I Go Blind,” “Wishing” and “I Will Wait” in succession before guitarist Mark Bryan took time to thank the fans for 29 years of support as he slowly strummed the familiar opening notes of “Time,” one of the singles from the group’s multi-platinum 1994 album Cracked Rear View.
Darius Rucker, a little worn with very little rest between major tours, was his usual self as his vocal prowess was distinct as ever, although the separation on a few of the more powerful cuts did get lost in a bad sound mix. In a poignant moment, think campfire with a few thousand of your closet friends huddled in close by, the band moved stage front for a seated acoustic performance that provided an appropriate setting for the early 20th century hymn “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” and “Desert Mountain Showdown.” A fiddle and accordion breakout during the acoustic segment showcased the brilliant individual abilities of the three additional musicians along on the tour, as Gary Greene, Garry Murray and Lee Turner all took turns in the spotlight showcasing their incredible talent on assorted percussion, keyboards, fiddle and strings based instruments.
Their Old Crow Medicine Show-like versatility shown through nicely with a cover of that group’s “Wagon Wheel,” a staple and fan favorite during Hootie performances since Rucker released his own version of the song in his country catalog during 2013. It was one of several entertaining covers played during the 100-minute, 21-song set which included the Tom Waits cover and Hootie tour staple,”I hope I Don’t Fall in Love With You.” The group’s recently re-recorded version of the Buffalo Springfield classic “For What It’s Worth” went over well early in the set with the age diverse fans, many who could have been high school or college aged when the original was cut, many years ago.
As Hootie & the Blowfish worked through the well designed setlist, it was amazing to watch the sharp contrast between Rucker and guitarist Mark Bryan. Rucker was calm and general like all night long, handling the frontman mellow party vibe in a way only he can while Bryan was all high-energy with his signature guitar riffs and barefoot jumps around the stage, which became more frequent as the momentum built.
The rest of the fan friendly set was sprinkled with numerous cover songs, including Led Zepplin’s “Hey, Hey, What Can I Do”, and “Interstate Love Song” from Stone Temple Pilots. Edwin McCain,who had the honor of opening the show, once again returned to the stage to help cover his song “Solitude,” while a few select cuts from Rucker’s solo country work found their way into the set, like his mega hit “Alright.” Of course, the big hits were all present and accounted for, as well. “Let Her Cry,” “Time,” and “Go and Tell Him (Soup Song)” filled out the set.
The night of summer nostalgia started to wind down with the funky, blusey “Go and Tell Him(Soup Song)” that had Rucker full of smiles and laughing along with the rest of the band. Thursday nights performance at historic Pine Knob ended on a high note with Hootie & the Blowfish’ biggest hit “Only Wanna Be With You,” giving fans a good dose of Hootie and the Blowfish’s particular brand of solid songwriting, with a tinge of folksy blues and memorable hooks that were made popular from a bunch of friends who started off playing frat parties..
Even though just about every fan who packed into venue were Hootie fans, the real rockers of the night turned out to be special guests Collective Soul. Taking the middle slot on the bill, the Georgia band stormed the stage in full-rock star mode. Frontman Ed Roland, shirtless under his shimmery gunmetal grey suit and with his silver locks flowing, channeled a delightful combination of Iggy Pop and and the legendary Peter Wolf with his renown stage moves. Axeman Jesse Triplett jammed through guitar solos with flamboyant precision , especially during “December” and “Heavy.” Roland was also in top form lyrically; his performances of the monster hit “Shine” and the set-ending “Run” were particularly impressive.
The name of the tour, “Summer Camp with Trucks,” is an apt description. It’s not much of a stretch to imagine singing any number of these songs around a campfire, even when it’s thousands of your closest friends singing along with you.
Hootie & the Blowfish
Collective Soul