Hootie and the Blowfish officially confirmed their reunion on Wednesday morning and it’s about Time.
The folk-rock outfit revealed the news following a performance on the Today Show. All four original members were in attendance, including frontman Darius Rucker.
They even shared their excitement in returning to the studio to record the first original Hootie music in more than 13 years.
Barenaked Ladies were announced as the main support act for the Group Therapy tour. The extensive run is slated for 44 dates across North American next summer, including a sole Canadian show in Toronto on Aug. 29. The tour will run May to September.
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On their return, Rucker admitted they wanted to do it for the diehard followers. “For us, making a record is fun,” he said.
“But we’re not doing it for us. We’re doing it for people who would plan their vacations around a Hootie & the Blowfish tour.”
Their debut album, Cracked Rear View (1994), celebrates 25 years in 2019. It spawned five hit-singles, including Let Her Cry and fan favourite Hold My Hand.
Not only can fans expect new music, but on Twitter, the group hinted that they may do something to celebrate the special anniversary of Cracked Rear View on the Group Therapy tour.
The album has been certified platinum 21 times alone, making it Hootie & the Blowfish’s most successful effort.
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Hootie & the Blowfish has won a variety of music awards, including two Grammys. They have sold more than 25 million records worldwide.
Rucker announced the initial hiatus back in 2008 before launching his highly successful solo career as a critically-acclaimed country musician. Over the last decade, the band still performed four charity gigs per year, as scheduled.
Their supporters have been pleading for their return for more than 10 years now and it has finally arrived.
Fans were left reminiscing over the magic of the ’90s since the announcement went viral. Twitter has exploded with an influx of Friends images and GIFs.
Don’t be a Phoebe, time to get yourself in the “Hootie” mood. You won’t want to pass up on this tour.
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For first access to presale tickets, you can sign up for the Hootie & the Blowfish newsletter on the official website.
General public tickets go on sale on Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. ET.
Group Therapy Tour 2019 dates
** Canadian date is bolded **
May 30 — Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, Va.
May 31 — Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, Raleigh, N.C.
June 1 — Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta, Ga.
June 6 — The Amphitheater at the Wharf, Orange Beach, Ala.
June 7 — MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, Fla.
June 8 — Coral Sky Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, Fla.
June 13 — Austin 360 Amphitheater, Austin, Tex.
June 14 — Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, The Woodlands, Tex.
June 15 — Dos Equis Pavilion, Dallas, Tex.
June 19 — Ak-Chin Pavilion, Phoenix, Ariz.
June 21 — North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, Calif.
June 22 — T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nev.
June 23 — FivePoint Amphitheatre, Irvine, Calif.
June 25 — Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, Calif.
June 28 — Toyota Ampitheatre, Wheatland, Calif.
Juny 29 — Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, Calif.
July 11 — Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Englewood, Colo.
July 13 — Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, Mo.
July 14 — Walmart Amp – Arkansas Music Pavilion, Rogers, Ark.
July 19 — Great Jones County Fair, Monticello, Iowa
July 20 — Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
July 21 — KeyBank Pavilion, Burgettstown, Pa.
July 26 — Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
July 27 — Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, Va.
July 28 — BB&T Pavilion, Camden, N.J.
Aug. 2 — Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, Gilford, N.H.
Aug. 3 — Xfinity Center, Mansfield, Mass.
Aug. 4 — Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Aug. 8 — Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Md.
Aug. 9 — Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center, Canandaigua, N.Y.
Aug. 10 — Madison Square Garden, New York City, N.Y.
Aug. 16 — DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston, Mich.
Aug. 17 — Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center, Noblesville, Ind.
Aug. 18 — Iowa State FairDes Moines, Iowa
Aug. 22 — Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St. Paul, Minn.
Aug. 23 — Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, Wis.
Aug. 24 — Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, Ill.
Aug. 29 — Budweiser Stage, Toronto, Ont.
Aug. 30 — Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, Pa.
Aug. 31 — Xfinity Theatre, Hartford, Conn.
Sep. 5 — PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte, N.C.
Sep. 6 — Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, Pelham, Ala.
Sep. 7 — Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.
Sep. 13 — Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, S.C.
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