Hootie & the Blowfish Announce 30th Anniversary Digital Deluxe Edition of 'Fairweather Johnson'

(EBM) Hootie & the Blowfish will mark the 30th anniversary of their multi-Platinum sophomore album, Fairweather Johnson, with a digital deluxe edition arriving October 16.

The release includes the band's MTV Unplugged concert, available on digital audio for the first time. The live acoustic version of "Let Her Cry" from the Unplugged set is available across digital platforms today, September 30, alongside the album pre-order. Listen to "Let Her Cry" from the unplugged concert here and pre-save the digital deluxe set here.

Released in 1996, multi-platinum Fairweather Johnson was Hootie & the Blowfish's second studio album. The album, which followed Cracked Rear View, the best-selling debut album in U.S. history and one of the top 10 best-selling albums of all time, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and featured fan favorites including "Old Man & Me," "Tucker's Town" and "Sad Caper."

The upcoming digital deluxe edition expands the album with rare archival material. A centerpiece of the release is the band's April 19, 1996 MTV Unplugged performance, recorded live on the Horseshoe at the University of South Carolina where the band members first met. Marking MTV's first outdoor Unplugged episode, the homecoming concert features guest appearances by Nanci Griffith and Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman Glen Phillips - a performance long considered by the band as a career highlight. The collection is further rounded out by unreleased studio outtakes, track commentary, b-sides and recordings captured live at Academic Community Hall in Kowloon, Hong Kong, on March 4, 1997.

This anniversary release arrives as Hootie & the Blowfish wrap a summer of headlining festival appearances and the band experiences a surge in engagement among a new generation of listeners. Streaming among audiences under the age of 28 is up 70% year-to-date, demonstrating how the band's catalog continues to find traction with younger audiences alongside long-time fans.

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