Hootie & the Blowfish Earn Double Diamond Award For 'Cracked Rear View

(EBM) With the Summer Camp with Trucks Tour marking the first full outing in five years for generation-defining band Hootie & the Blowfish, the Nashville stop at Bridgestone Arena this Saturday, July 27, was cause for extra celebration. Having recently been presented with a plaque celebrating 22x Platinum certification during their appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America," band members Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber and Jim "Soni" Sonefeld were joined by the Recording Industry Association of America's Chief Policy Officer Morna Willens ahead of this weekend's show for a special presentation of the RIAA's prestigious Double Diamond trophies. The honor solidifies the band's debut album, Cracked Rear View, among the top 10 best-selling albums in all of music history.

The celebration continued as the band took the stage later in the evening, with Forbes describing the show that followed as "a high energy celebration of a band whose music has remained timeless," raving, "the music has never been better. Rucker's voice is even richer now than ever (if that's possible) and the musicianship with each and every band member is top notch. And they're all still having fun with Mark Bryan, guitar-in-hand, singing, jumping, criss-crossing the stage, Soni jamming on the drums, and Felber better than ever on the bass."

"Hootie & the Blowfish's live set could've been Cracked Rear View, front to back, and nobody would've minded it. Instead, they, as they have often since playing more significantly together again for the past five years, endeavored to deliver more," added the Tennessean. "The band, less tethered than ever to genre delineations - partly inspired by their lead singer's 10 country chart-toppers and Grand Ole Opry membership - has a musical freedom amidst them now that adds immeasurably to their live experience."

The Summer Camp with Trucks Tour runs through the fall with special guests Collective Soul and Edwin McCain, visiting arenas, amphitheaters and select stadiums along the way, including a homecoming to Columbia, S.C.'s Colonial Life Arena for the Gamecock alumni. The band will also headline Rucker's own Riverfront Revival Music Festival in Charleston, S.C. this October.

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