Blue Dogs

The Blue Dogs’ annual December show at Charleston Music Hall has become more than just a concert — it’s a beloved Lowcountry tradition. Over the years and with the help of past special guests like Darius Rucker, Hootie and the Blowfish, Edwin McCain, Radney Foster, Drivin n Cryin, Peter Holsapple and many more local and regional musicians, this night has united fans and friends while it also raised more than $500,000 for pediatric cancer research at MUSC from 2014-2023.

After a year off in 2024, the show returned in 2025 to its roots as a full-on celebration of Blue Dogs music, with a night of all your favorite songs, lots of energy and storytelling, and still with a few special guests and surprises during the evening.

Come ready for a hometown show that’s equal parts reunion, party, and holiday tradition, Tuesday, December 29 at Charleston Music Hall. General admission tickets start at $25. Limited VIP tickets are $100 and include the best seats in the house, a Blue Dogs VIP laminate, surprise merch and 1 Titos cocktail. Stay tuned for announcements about special guests on Facebook (facebook.com/thebluedogs) and Instagram (@scbluedogs).

Since 1987, South Carolina’s The Blue Dogs have been blending the genres they grew up with – bluegrass, country, rock & soul – “turning bluegrass on its ear by creating what’s now referred to as ‘Americana’ or ‘alternative country’ before those terms were commonplace” [Charlotte Observer]. More than 30 years later, The Blue Dogs continue to perform unpredictable and upbeat live shows with original songs that capture a country-rock vibe. Acoustic guitarist Bobby Houck and upright bassist Hank Futch, leaders and lead singers of the band, met in Cub Scouts and reconnected musically during their college years. Based in Charleston, their partnership with songwriter Phillip Lammonds in the 1990’s contributed significantly to The Blue Dogs’ four major studio recordings, Blue Dogs (1997), Letters from Round O (1999), Halos and Good Buys (2004), and Big Dreamers (2022), produced respectively by world class producers John Alagia (Dave Matthews, John Mayer)), David Lowery (Cracker, Counting Crows), Don Gehman (John Mellencamp, REM), and Sadler Vaden (Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit). The Blue Dogs have spent over three decades sharing the stage with a range of artists that includes Willie Nelson, Hootie & the Blowfish, Cracker, Bruce Hornsby, and Widespread Panic, and in recent years at their own annual Homecoming with guests such as Jerry Douglas, Drivin n Cryin, Radney Foster, The Connells, and many more. Along with longtime drummer Greg Walker, the band in 2023 consists of Dan Hood (guitar) and Charlie Thompson (pedal steel), often joined by a bigger lineup which includes mandolin, fiddle, keyboards, and a three-piece horn section.