Darius Rucker to headline music festival in South Carolina
Earlier this month, Darius Rucker announced plans for an upcoming U.S. tour, but it did not include any shows in South Carolina.
But the Hootie & the Blowfish frontman turned country music star might have been holding back details about a special event in the Palmetto State, where he was born.
On Wednesday, Rucker revealed he will play in South Carolina after all. He will headline a two-day music festival in the Charleston area that he helped curate.
Rucker is topping the bill for the Riverfront Revival, which will be held at Riverfront Park in North Charleston on Oct. 8-9.
“For years now, I’ve had this bucket list dream of bringing together a bunch of friends to perform in a way that also showcases Charleston,” Rucker said on Twitter. “I can’t wait to see it become a reality.”
In addition to Rucker, the two-day music festival will include performances by Brothers Osborne, Trampled By Turtles, Jimmie Allen, Charley Crockett, SUSTO and more across two stages from 1-11 p.m. daily, according to dariusrucker.com.
Tickets will go on sale to the public on May 4, and general admission passes range from $124.50 (and fees) to $174.50 (and fees).
There is also a VIP weekend pass available for $399.50 (and fees), that includes a merchandise package, as well as access to a dedicated VIP entrance lane, priority and up-close VIP viewing areas at both stages, VIP lounge area and bar, and premium restrooms, according to the event’s website.
There will be a ticket presale for members of the Darius Rucker Fan Club on May 2, and another festival presale the following day.
“Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Charleston,” Rucker said in a news release. “I hope the fans are as excited as we are!”
Prior to the announcement about the Riverfront Revival, two concerts in North Carolina were the closest Rucker was going to come to the Palmetto State.
On Aug. 25, Rucker will play in the border town of Tryon, North Carolina. The following night, he’s scheduled to play in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Technically, Rucker did play a show in South Carolina Sunday. But that concert at Colonial Life Arena was not open to the public. That Columbia show, in celebration of the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team winning the NCAA Tournament championship, was exclusively for an audience of USC system students.
“Riverfront Revival will be the perfect culmination of feel-good music across genres set against the beautiful backdrop of the Cooper River,” Rob Lamble, one of the event’s promoters, said in the release. “We’re thrilled to bring a new fall music tradition to the Holy City, and are honored to be doing so with Darius Rucker and his team.”
Rucker is a three-time Grammy-winning singer.
The Charleston native and bandmates formed Hootie & the Blowfish while they were students at the University of South Carolina in the 1980s. When they were getting started, the band played gigs at frat houses and were staples in Five Points bars and restaurants in Columbia.
Their album “Cracked Rear View” has gone platinum 20-plus times and was the best-selling album of 1995. It remains one of the best-selling albums of all time and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1995.
In the early 2000s, the group went on hiatus, and Rucker became an award-winning country music star and a member of the Grand Ole Opry, earning a new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums on the Billboard country chart.
In 2019, Rucker and the other members of Hootie & the Blowfish put on a major stadium tour in support of “Cracked Rear View’s” 25th anniversary. The tour concluded its U.S. leg with three nights of shows in Columbia.
Since that reunion tour, Rucker has continued his solo career, releasing more songs and recently completing a theater tour.
“Darius is a home-grown star with a genuine love for his state, making him an incredible ambassador for South Carolina,” Duane Parrish, director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, said in the release. “We are all looking forward to celebrating South Carolina’s Lowcountry and welcoming thousands of visitors to this one-of-kind music festival in October.”
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This story was originally published April 27, 2022 at 10:01 AM.
