Country music hitmaker Darius Rucker may be known for his velvety country voice and smooth delivery, but it’s his onstage moves that often puts his adoring crowd into an all-out frenzy.
“That’s not really new,” laughs Rucker in an interview with SLM ahead of his August 12 show at Saint Louis Music Park. “That’s the way we’ve been doing it for a while now…I’m just trying to put on a show.”
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And it certainly seems like Rucker is having a good time doing it, as the accomplished singer/songwriter with a long list of hits such as “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” “Wagon Wheel,” and “Beers and Sunshine” finds himself touring the summer away on his Starting Fires Tour.
“I love (touring) so much,” explains the 57-year-old, who first hit it big as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the Grammy Award–winning band Hootie & the Blowfish. “I can’t believe I’m still getting to do it at this age, and at this level, for as long as I’ve been doing it. All I want to do is make everybody feel exactly like I’m feeling.”
What the proud Grand Ole Opry member is feeling at the moment is a sense of gratitude for even the chance to get up on that stage in front of thousands, when not so long ago, that chance dwindled over the shutdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“After not being able to go out and see bands live, I think everybody now, when they do get that opportunity, are paying attention more,” says Rucker, whose brand-new song “Have a Good Time” and current single, “Fires Don’t Start Themselves,” have already snagged a worthy spot on the dynamic singer’s current setlist. “They are there for the whole thing.”
But Rucker says St. Louis fans have always been all in.
“St. Louis has always been great,” says Rucker, whose first solo album in six years, Carolyn’s Boy, is set for release on October 6. “It’s just been one of those markets that every time I go there, it’s a blast. I remember so many shows there playing in front of the Arch and everything. It’s just one of those cities that every time we see it on the calendar, you get excited because you know it’s going to be fun.”
