MUSIC: CAN 13 MILLION HOOTIE FANS REALLY BE WRONG?

A NEW ALBUM ADDS TO THE DEBATE ABOUT THE BAND AMERICA LOVES/HATES

On a warm, bright day in Columbia, South Carolina, the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish find themselves struggling to do something they used to do with ease: keep a very low profile. The occasion is the city's annual St.Patrick's Day celebration. It's considered a big event--although, truth be told, just about anything that carries with it the promise of free music and cheap beer is considered a big event in this frat-heavy college town. The members of Hootie, hometown heroes who made it big, have decided to join the festivities unannounced. The other acts are mostly smaller, local ones with...

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