I’ve heard the Dave Matthews Band and Hootie and the Blowfish referred to as “frat boy bands.” As a corollary, everybody I know who was a member of a collegiate fraternity or sorority is a huge fan of those bands.
Why is Hootie the quintessential Greek system favorite?
I’m not in a frat, but I am a college student, and I haven’t heard Hootie mentioned at all since maybe 1995, except for seeing a little bit of their performance on Austin City Limits.
[utter speculation]
The Hootie songs I’ve heard are pleasant but masculine pop, almost rock, with catchy, sing-along choruses, perfect for drunken bingeing, although Already in Use is right - they’re over. Dave Matthews I have more trouble explaining… he reminds me of Bela Fleck.
[/utter speculation]
hrh
I am a fraternity member who was in college when Hootie first hit – although most of their singles are catchy, I am by no means a fan.
–Cliffy
Well, I live in a small college city. The home of Darius Rucker, the lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish, incidentally. I always got the impression that they are a “frat band” because they used to play a lot of frat parties, which begat frat boys going to their shows.
Their live show is entertaining; Og knows I’ve seen them a zillion times. (The Music Farm used to be the only decent club to see a band, therefore if Hootie was playing, your choices were limited.) But then again, my musical taste ranges from Social Distortion to Barry Manilow, so I’m no great judge. 