Did Hootie and the Blowfish reunite?!

Alright, so last night I was at the Hamlin Pub in Rochester, MI so that I could go see the Dave Hamilton Band. Now, this was the first time I had ever heard of this group so I decided to go literally knowing nothing about the group.

I mean, for all I knew they could have been a mariachi band!

Luckily......they weren't.

However, I was pleasantly surprised for the most part. For those of you, who like me had never heard of the group before, I would sum them up as a mellow coffee shop type of band. While, generally I'm not thrilled to go see these types of groups in a bar setting, for some reason it worked for them. The crowd at the bar wasn't looking to sit down and watch a band perform.  They wanted some good music to be playing in the background of their conversations, and that's what the Dave Hamilton Band provided.

Their style and sound are very similar to that of Hootie and the Blowfish. It was actually slightly bizarre how similar the lead singer sounded like Darius Rucker. As for the music played, they played a little bit of Hootie (probably to make the cynical people like me happy) along with some other 90's rock with some country tossed in every now and then. The best way I can sum them up stylistically would be to say this:

If you were listening to the Matchbox 20 station on Pandora, you might hear them.

One of the only things that annoyed me about the set that I heard is that it wasn't really fun. Now, let me explain that remark, before I get hate letters from the Dave Hamilton Band's fans. I was looking to get out and let loose a little bit. I wanted to hear some more songs that EVERYONE knows, ya know?

So, to sum it up, if you want to sit at your table with a nice Bud Light draft, or a nice glass of Pinot, and have a conversation with some friends and hear some good music while you do it, then this is the group for you. If you are looking to watch a good show, and get up and dance with some of your friends, then I would recommend you go elsewhere!

Music:  ****
Performance:   ***
Talent:   ****
Entertainment Value:   **


Also, for all of you Foursquare users, for checking in for the first time at the Hamlin Pub, you receive 15% off of your entire bar tab. That one DEFINITELY came in handy!

And remember, If you're happy and you know it, go ahead and clap your hands.......unless you're in an elevator with a complete stranger, that just might make for one awkward ride.

Over and out!