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As 8 o'clock grew near, Hootie and the gang headed over to the School bus parked outside the stadium to check out the cool school supplies. Mark Bryan (lead guitar), Dean Felber (bass guitar), Darius Rucker (lead vocals), and Jim "Soni" Sonefeld (drums) looked pleased that so many from the community donated another busload of supplies. Cameras both still and moving captured the history-taking place. Inside the stadium the group Better Than Ezra took the stage. Better Than Ezra has produced 8 CD's since 1993 and their latest CD BEFORE THE ROBOTS was released in late May 2005.

Inside the stadium were signs stating that the group was filming for an up coming DVD. Three days before the concert the band released their fifth studio CD LOOKING FOR LUCKY, produced with Vanguard Records and the band's independent label, Sneaky Long Records. The group describes this August 9th release as "stylistically diverse" and promises to their fans that the twelve-track album is by far their best because it's been "thoroughly Hootified." "State Your Peace," the album's first track, has such lyrics as "You can try to change the world by showing everyone a better way."  That's exactly what the band has done with their Foundation. The Hootie and the Blowfish Foundation was created in 2000 to help improve education in South Carolina and support school music programs nationwide. The Foundation's goal is to help make a difference in the lives of young children by helping them realize their potential.

Since the group debuted their first album in 1994, the bands has played to millions of fans worldwide and have become one of the most successful music groups in the world. According to their website, CRACKED REAR VIEW remains the 12th best selling album in music business history, and all albums combined, have moved over 25 million worldwide. Hootie & The Blowfish's other albums include: FAIRWEATHER JOHNSON (1996), MUSICAL CHAIRS (1998), and a collection of rarities, SCATTERED, SMOTHERED, AND COVERED (2000) self-tilted, HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH (2003), and THE BEST OF HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH: 1993-2003 (2004). Some of the well-known hits are "Only Wanna Be With You", "Hold My Hand", "Let Her Cry", "Time".

One of the biggest misconceptions of the band is that Hootie & the Blowfish became an overnight success. What most people don't know is that the group's success came after a decade of hard work. The group started when Bryan (Lead guitar) heard dorm mate Rucker singing in the shower and was impressed with his voice. The two began playing cover tunes as The Wolf Brothers as freshmen around the University of South Carolina Columbia campus. Eventually the two hooked up with a former high school band mate of Bryan's, Felber, and "Soni." On May 9, 1986 the four became known as Hootie & The Blowfish. The name borrowed from the nicknames of two college friends. Another misconception people think is that Charleston native Darius Rucker is "Hootie" and the rest of the guys are the Blowfish. The truth is that Rucker has a habit of giving pals nicknames. "One guy had big eyes and wore glasses and looked kind of owlish so I started calling him Hootie and it caught on. His friend has these huge cheeks, so I started calling him the Blowfish. They walked into a party together one night and I was hammered and said, 'Hey look, there's Hootie and the Blowfish!' And we named the band that because we're not very bright."

CSN August 10, 2005 @ NCC

McCain, Hart & Kinney @  Windjammer August 15, 2005

You can watch a slide show by clicking this link.

In photography it's said lighting is everything... My singing friends tell me the sound man can make or break you. It takes someone who knows what they are doing to make the best sound and look perfect. So hear's praise to  Draughon Brothers from North Carolina who came down and spent 3 days working on making things perfect for this event!