Bringing some Hootie magic to the solo sounds of guitarist Mark Bryan

He still claims the Orioles and the Washington football team as his “home teams” and guitarist Mark Bryan of Hootie and The Blowfish always plays back in the DMV when he rolls solo. But as he tells Nestor, this time it’s something more special and a cool, bigger band coming to The Atlantis in D.C. on Friday night to play some Hootie songs and a wide array of music and influences that keep him off the golf course and jamming.

Nestor Aparicio interviews Mark Bryan, guitarist of Hootie and the Blowfish, about his upcoming solo gig at The Atlantis in DC. Mark discusses his golf game, mentioning a recent 86 score, and his love for challenging courses like Oakmont. He talks about his new music, which includes a mix of genres like reggae and Latin pop, and his band, The Screaming Trojans. Mark also shares his excitement for the upcoming Super Bowl and his long-standing support for the Redskins. He plans to perform at four shows this year, including DC, Greenville, and Myrtle Beach.

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Mark Bryan, Hootie and the Blowfish, solo gig, Atlantis, golf game, Oakmont, bucket list courses, music genres, Screaming Trojans, live shows, songwriting, Redskins, Orioles, Super Bowl.

SPEAKERS

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Nestor Aparicio, Mark Bryan

Nestor Aparicio  00:01

Welcome home. We are W, N, S, T am 1570 task Baltimore. We are Baltimore positive. We’re positively into the summer months. Luke has been covering mini camp that’s now over with. We’re trying to get back into this pennant race. We’re covering all that and rock and rolls out on the road. And you know every summer that hooting the blowfish does not go on tour, a little little of my blood is spill but, but I did get a text, and I was listening to Tucker’s town on my iPod. Yes, I have an iPod with a freaking cord. It’s a classic in it. I had a playlist going and stuff, and literally, my phone went off, and I looked down, and I’m like, How is it that Mark Bryan texts me in the middle of listening to Tucker’s down, and he said, I’m in town Friday. Come see the show. Mark Bryan joins us now. Is it okay to call you mark Bryan of Hootie and the Blowfish that that’s not a solo artist, and you got screaming Trojans, but you’ll always be of Hootie to me,

Mark Bryan  01:00

Mark, it’s only accurate is what it is.

Nestor Aparicio  01:02

Well, how are you how’s your golf game? Forget the band and all. Let’s get to the important stuff. How’s your golf

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Mark Bryan  01:08

game? I’m well, and I shot 86 today.

Nestor Aparicio  01:11

That good or bad for you? I’m just asking, I don’t know. Yeah, that’s, uh, average. Okay, all right. I’m just like, par down. So you were not inspired on Father’s Day by anything that happened at Oakmont. It didn’t raise your game for a few days like it does for

Mark Bryan  01:25

some No, it raised my love for the game, that’s for sure. It was spectacular to watch and and, and I watch enough golf to know that that was the hardest golf course that those guys play at on any given week. That’s the hardest one of the year for sure. Have you played Oakmont? I haven’t. I got a good buddy. It’s a member. I plan to but I have yet to which I as I saw this last week. I’m not in any hurry.

Nestor Aparicio  01:51

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Well, hang on, man, you know, like you’re known for the Masters and throwing parties and just all that stuff. I You guys shouted me out on and Jacksonville with the Super Bowl 20 years ago on the golf course on 17 and Ponte Vedra and all that. Do you have bucket list places left? I mean, I would think if you wanted to play St Andrews, you’ve done

Mark Bryan  02:11

it by now, would be one of them, for sure. I think it’s something I wanted, would want to play a lot of times, based on what I saw. It’s kind of course, that somebody like me, who’s this little bit higher handicapper, is going to eat you up. So I don’t want to do too much of that to myself. I want to enjoy the game. But that said, I want to go around the world and play the world’s most challenging and famous courses, because there’s a reason there. Everyone loves them so much. You know, they’re on a piece of land that can only be done that way, and that kind of thing. And so there’s some there’s art to it, and I love that part of the game.

Nestor Aparicio  02:43

How many five days a week for you? How many

Mark Bryan  02:45

for you? Know, maybe once a week. Oh, okay. I thought

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Nestor Aparicio  02:49

you were just, I thought this was beyond like when you weren’t playing, that’s what you guys were doing, because you were doing that adult tour with your guys. One of

Mark Bryan  02:55

my main hobbies, for sure, but I don’t play. I only play about one day a week. I’m just, I’ve been busy lately with shows, and I’m always making music and and that’s kind of always just, I find myself that being my priority. You know, we do what we love, right? And so I The music’s first and I slipped off in there once a week or so. Mark Bryant is here. He

Nestor Aparicio  03:15

will be at the Atlantis, which is a venue I haven’t been to yet. They reopened it in the last couple of years. It was a lot of big bands playing. It was hard to get tickets and whatnot. Give me where you are, because I went to your website when I heard I listen to, who do you all the time? You know that I’m that guy and I want to listen to solo music, and I’m like, this has got, like, a little scar thing going on. This is a little different, maybe even than what I remember you doing 20

Mark Bryan  03:42

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years ago, that one song to you, my friend, is definitely in that direction of Scott. And then there’s another one that keeps the light on that’s kind of a reggae vibe. And then there’s don’t change, a thing that’s got a Latin pop feel to it. And then there’s, you know, place on the dark side that’s as hard of a rock song as I’ve ever made. And then there’s a few other little directions on there, and it’s because I’m following the songs now. I don’t. I’m not trying to make something that this for this certain genre of radio or anything like that. It’s just not thinking like that, and not that I ever was, but I just had the ability now as a musician, to kind of follow the song anywhere it takes me. And it’s really fun. Nestor

Nestor Aparicio  04:19

was it, I don’t want to go behind the music on you, but back when things were pressure packed, and there were arenas full and labels with money and all that, did you have to write hits, was that, was that like imperative,

Mark Bryan  04:31

I think the band was, it felt like we were, we did and or felt like we were. It’s not that we didn’t feel like we had to. It’s like we were trying to, instead of just letting them come. I think that happened after a while, and I think it happens to anyone in our position. And that doesn’t mean we didn’t still make great records, but I think we did feel a little bit of that pressure, like it has to be a hit here there. That doesn’t mean we didn’t still go deep on our albums and right from our hearts, and like we did, you know, you just, you just never know how it’s going to go. You know, it’s crazy. It’s a crazy. The industry? Well, yeah,

Nestor Aparicio  05:01

and within your band, and obviously with Darius, his departure toward the countryside and whatnot, you guys have explored a lot of genres of music, even just going back to what things you would cover on any given night, from, you know, from gospel songs to disco songs to rap songs, you would you were pretty good at mixing different things, like you throw a Commodore song in there if you want to. You guys had a wide variety of music. Maybe I shouldn’t be shocked by you playing the whole phone book of early MTV 80s. You know?

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Mark Bryan  05:34

Yeah. I mean, I don’t know. I just I go back to following the song, and the song tells me what into whether it’s the lyrics I’m writing or that particular musical groove that I come with, come up with, it’ll tell me where to go. And I’m having fun with that as an artist. And I still, I think ultimately I’m making more the music I’m making is more timeless for that, rather than trying to make something that’s going to fit in now, especially as a 58 year old, it’s like, you know, I’ve realized several years ago that there’s no at this age, there’s not like it’s not like the pop world is looking for an artist like me. So I’m able to expand my horizons a little bit and take what I do. This is my gift that I’ve been given man, and I get to take it and express it in a way that can can try to make people feel something. And that’s my goal with this. I want people to be affected by my music the same way I’m affected by all my favorite music that affects me and helps me through life, you know. And so I’m trying to do my part with that, and I’m not, I don’t feel limited to any genre

Nestor Aparicio  06:32

with that. Mark Bryan is the guitar player for Hootie and the Blowfish. He’s also a leading his troops into the Atlantis, and we plant down to South Carolina as well. If you find this out on the internet, you can always find the work he does at Mark Bryan musik.com screaming Trojans and playing the Atlantis. And people say, Why is he playing up here? Well, a lot of folks don’t they think of you South Carolina guys. You’ve been branded that way over like, three decades now, but a lot of folks don’t know about you. Don’t know about Dean and background at Silver Spring and, and I even have a little piece of Terps trivia I’ll throw in. But the local part of this is, you’re coming up here to play for your people, as you say, right?

Mark Bryan  07:11

Yeah, man. You know, I grew up in montgomery county, and so it’s always fun to do a show up there somewhere, somehow, and, and it’s like becomes a reunion. You know, everybody gets to gets together for it, and we play songs from the past, and I get to play my new stuff too. It’s just, and we do, we do some of the hoodie hits. And, you know, I’m doing two sets of music, and within them, I’ll probably do a total of almost seven hoodie songs, you know. So

Nestor Aparicio  07:37

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people want to hear some moody, they’re gonna get that too, 100%

Mark Bryan  07:40

and, yeah, and so. And then there’s a few select covers that make the night really fun. Got some great singers with me. Got some horns this time around, which is new for me, but, well, you’re

Nestor Aparicio  07:49

pretty like a troop. How many people were in a band? Fill me up. Yeah. So

Mark Bryan  07:53

in the main band that’s been playing the Windjammer and everything we it’s, let’s see, 123405,

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Nestor Aparicio  08:00

for those of you on radio, he’s doing the math. He’s adding it up in adding it up in his head around eight

Mark Bryan  08:05

people, yeah, I’ve got a I’ve got say, uh, bass and drums and keyboard, and then I got a buddy playing some slide lead guitar with me, doing harmony leads and stuff and and then three horns.

Nestor Aparicio  08:17

So how does that work for you to envision music on your own to bring in. I’m sure at this point, you’re 58 we’ve admitted this. I’m 56 friends. You’re bringing in people you like that you want to hang out with. You’re not touring stadiums. You have a band for that,

Mark Bryan  08:32

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you know, picking really great musicians that can play the parts. And you know now that, like you said earlier, my songs are kind of all over the map stylistically. It’s nice to have guys that can, can do that, that can play, you know, anything I throw at them, cover wise or whatever, plus the horns. And we have, we have another guy that’s doing horn arrangements for me and that kind of thing. So it’s the so that’s tight, you know, and it’s, it’s a really good show. And so the whole idea is to create a really entertaining set list and and then have the guys that can pull it off and, and it’s really fun. And I’ve got, you know, I’ve been, I’m now taking it seriously as a front man. I kind of never did before, like I just it was always doing it on the side of Hootie and the Blowfish and just finding a way to play my songs. But the less that hoodie is active, you know, we’re on these, like, five year hiatuses and stuff. It’s, it’s more. I’m realizing more. Hey, this is a chance for me to go ahead and figure out how to do this as a front man and really present my songs in a cool way. And so it’s the best set of music I’ve ever played live as a solo guy before. And also my voice, it sounds better than it ever has. I’m playing guitar as well as I ever have. I have really good musicians around me. So it’s like something I could take on the road if I wanted to in the future. And this year, I’m only doing four shows, and the Windjammer and up in DC, and I’m playing Greenville the night after DC, actually, South Carolina. So, you know? And that’s it. And then I played Myrtle Beach, and that’s it, man. So we’ll see where it leads.

Nestor Aparicio  09:58

Well, where do. Doesn’t lead, I mean, for the band and for you, and you said being the front man in the band, I I would think when you were a kid, that was what it was. And I’ve seen you in, I mean, you were sniping tapes my way over 20 or 30 years. When you’re doing solo stuff, you you’ve done jumping, Java, you’ve done, you know, you’ve done little

Mark Bryan  10:18

things. I was always inspired more by Jimmy Page, Pete Townsend, you know, Mark nuffler, although he was a front man, more just the songwriting and guitar aspect. And as much as I love Springsteen, it was more about the songs. I wasn’t. Didn’t want to be like the front guy, like Bruce. I was more just like always. I love little Steven and Niels Lofgren, and so I’ve always been really comfortable in that support role. And I think I add a lot to a band with that, you know, that’s, that’s one of my true gifts. But if that band isn’t happening, which we aren’t, at this age, we’re just kind of intermittent, then I’m finding a way to present my songs. That’s what it comes down to. And and it’s fun to entertain people. It’s fun to make a really, you know, entertaining set of music that everyone comes and joins together for. And I’ve had that happen now on a couple occasions, and it’s, I’m fired up. How do you sit

Nestor Aparicio  11:10

and write these days and some of this stuff that you write, some of this 1520, years ago and find it in notebooks? Or are you that kind of

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Mark Bryan  11:17

right happens, but that’s kind of rare. When you find one that’s like that hangs out that long? Is it better? It’s probably a damn good idea if it hung out that long, but that does happen, but no more, it’s more you’re paying attention to what’s going on around you. And then that’s a lot of how I am as an artist is I feel something about things that are going on around me. It could be anything, and if it’s important to me, something will come through me that in a way that I want to convey it to you and and that’s where it starts, and that’s that kind of energy. You know,

Nestor Aparicio  11:47

Mark Bryan is here. He is the guitarist from hooting the blowfish, but for now, he is the lead guy in the band called The Screaming Trojans that go ahead. So

Mark Bryan  11:58

I’m touring as Mark Bryan, okay, in DC, the opening act is the screaming Trojans. Okay, yes. And screaming Trojans are my buddies from Maryland that I you. I’ve

Nestor Aparicio  12:08

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knew this because you told me, that’s why it’s not

Mark Bryan  12:14

new to me. What is this? I always play DC with those guys, so I’m having them do the first set. I’m doing the first set with those guys, and then I’m doing the second set with the big band, with the horns and everything. So, so none of the

Nestor Aparicio  12:24

screaming Trojan guys are in your current band.

Mark Bryan  12:27

Uh, no, they’re they are the my, the band that I jam with when we do the DC shows. And then we are starting to record songs. We have one song that we’ve released with as the screaming Trojans and and we’ve got a few more lined up. So it is an active band, but it’s Mark Ryan, and screaming strategies is separate from Mark Ryan as a solo artist, you know.

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Nestor Aparicio  12:46

All right. Well, Mark Ryan is a solo artist. Is what we’re here to represent today. All right, I want to finish up with music because we got to get the sports because, I mean, I’ve known you 30 years, and your football team finally has gotten like decent I want to give, give you at least a chance to to take it. Take a victory lap here. You played a week

Mark Bryan  13:01

further. Excited about our upcoming Super Bowl against the Ravens. I can’t

Nestor Aparicio  13:06

wait. Yeah, you know, so I’m, I’m in a collection period. I think I told you this. I was collecting the early, late 70s Pacifica belt buckles, like the old Zeppelin belt buckles you mentioned, you know, Jimi Hendrix, all that I have all this bell focus, but I’ve gotten into the early 70s belt buckles, and my favorite team was the Houston Oilers. So you see here. So, so I do. I did collect one of the R word. I do have one of these for you. I think it’s the only thing I have. Don’t show this on the internet if anybody sees that. I actually have this. I got one for Darius here too. A little dolphins, and then this was my childhood belt buckle. She said, ravens, I can’t wait to see this. That’s Baltimore Colts, right?

Mark Bryan  13:47

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Johnny, you. That’s classic. Okay, so how cool would it be? Scans, ravens, Super Bowl. Next, who wins? Who wins? Then, because, like, I just, like, I think that’d be class. Would be a good way for everybody to come together, and whoever wins wins, you know, but like, just, it would mean a lot to the area. I think of both teams could make it. It would be really cool. Well, you had an

Nestor Aparicio  14:12

album called fair weather Johnson, right? So fair weather, you had Orioles and you had Redskins. I mean, that’s like the Daily Double of effed up sports fandom for just chunk of your life.

Mark Bryan  14:27

Talk about a group of people that is held in there, man like this me, and anyone like me that grew up in around moco and just had the Orioles Redskins, thanks Nestor kid, and we went through some really lean years, but last year was a great year for both both teams, a really good year for both teams. And then there’s, there’s great years ahead. I don’t know what’s going on with the o’s, but we know there’s great years ahead. So it’s so much better to be in this place than it was to be 510 years ago.

Nestor Aparicio  14:57

I love that you said we’re, you know, I don’t know what’s on. With the O’s. I’m like, you know, I could bring that up. It is a little disappointing, right? We thought we had a business. You’re still, oh, you’re not Nats. Or are you split? No,

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Mark Bryan  15:08

no. I mean, I would call the NATs my NL team. But, like, you know, if they played each other in the World Series, I’d be, oh, it’s just like, I’d be scans, you know, like, but I root for the Ravens. I root for the nets. They’re in the other conference, in both situations. And I don’t, you know, we don’t have to play them much and worry about them much, and they’re kind of, they feel like home teams to me, so I don’t root against them. But, you know, I’m just owes and skins all the way through,

Nestor Aparicio  15:31

you never bottomed out and stopped watching the football team. I have

Mark Bryan  15:37

this hardcore group of friends that are just like me, that we’re never going to give up on it. So we would just laugh about it and talk, talk about, try to keep talking about the bright spots, you know, like, for a long time we were laughing about the fact that we have the best punter in the league. We do. I mean, guys amazing for the skins punter, you know, I’m talking about

Nestor Aparicio  15:54

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his name off the top. We’re trying to get a kicker here in Baltimore.

Mark Bryan  15:57

We’ve had the best punter in the league for the last three years. And we that we go off on that, we just stay positive, like your

Nestor Aparicio  16:05

golf game. You know, I was thinking at this point right Mark, Ryan is here. He’s playing at the Atlantis on Friday night. Everybody should go see him. He threw me a text, and I said, once come on the show, we’ll talk a little Sports Talk, a little bit of this, little bit of that. So what happens with this project? You’re in this town, you know, people can go see the music. The music’s out on your website. I can, I can be a part of the what? What do you envision? Where’s the band? I’d be unfair for you say these long hiatuses and whatnot, but I hope you’re going to go out as Hootie again, maybe next year, year after whenever. But the band’s not done, right? A band just next time around, right?

Mark Bryan  16:37

No. I mean, we’re not, not planning on being done in any way. But we also don’t have any new album or tour on the horizon. The next thing that I think we’re actively going to do is try to put the put something out for the fair, the 30th anniversary of fair weather Johnson, which is next April. And so we’ll put, we’re putting together a nice little collection for that, and conferring about that, which is kind of fun, you know. And we just had Monday after the Masters last April, which was fun. So, you know, we’re always getting together for something here or there, and when the timing is right, we’ll make another. I mean, Darius is living over in England now, so I don’t know that there’s a new album coming anytime soon, but you never know, man, you just never know.

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Nestor Aparicio  17:18

Well, the last couple times you guys have gone out, it’s been big and done right and done well, I saw, I mean, both times I you went out for real. I saw you several times, and that’s a tribute. My wife saw you last year. Hershey on crutches, like she, she, I remember, broke her ankle and came up. I mean, she’s on a wheelie at Hershey Park Stadium. Let’s see you. And then two weeks later we went back down to Mary, whether she was walking. So it was good. But you know, when you do go out, there is a thing about, like, all in, all out summer camp McCain’s, there you I mean, it really was memorable. And I’ll say that as a fan

Mark Bryan  17:54

of yours, I totally agree we, you know, and we had collective soul too last time. And all those bands, including Hootie, we sound as good as we did in the 90s. Or I really honestly feel like hooties is good or better than we were in the 90s. I know I’m a better player than I was back then, not that I was bad back then. It’s just I know more. I’m better at it now. I know I’m a better singer. So it’s kind of cool. It’s like we’re in a really good place where we can still do our thing, and maybe it sounds as good or better than ever?

Nestor Aparicio  18:21

Well, I’m glad your things at the Atlantis on Friday night. Mark Bryant, off duty and the Blowfish off Mark Bryan supported by the screaming Trojans. You keep mentioning

Mark Bryan  18:29

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that I texted you, but I haven’t heard if you can make it to the show yet. Here’s

Nestor Aparicio  18:34

where I am on Friday. I had a soft commitment that I am trying to remove myself from including a Keith Urban show on Thursday night as well, with my wife. And I’m going to remove myself. And I’ll tell you this, it won’t be because the Orioles are playing the Yankees and Yankees they I will not be there. Okay, so I will not use the Orioles as excuse

Mark Bryan  18:54

that one. But if you need to bring, bring the friends. Bring the people. Although you were like, bring them all. Come on. Let’s make it a party.

Nestor Aparicio  19:02

Bring the people. Bring the people. For some songs of hoodie and the Blowfish, some ska, some reggae, some rocks, some soul,

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Mark Bryan  19:09

some old hoodie, some it’s all feel good. All of it’s feel good. And

Nestor Aparicio  19:13

a big band on stage that I you know what? I haven’t been to Atlantis. I got to get down to DC. I got a little restaurant I want to check out down there, especially a little bit of pizza as well. Mark Bryant can be found out of Mark Bryan music or on a golf course once a week. And if there’s a guy at a at a commander’s Raven Super Bowl next year, where is the Super Bowl man? Where it is? If there’s a guy there wearing a full Joe Gibbs kind of John Riggins headdress, it’s probably Mark Brian, because you’re never giving them up. I’ve, I’ve tried to lure you onto this side of the thing forever, but

Mark Bryan  19:48

respect, but I’m hanging with the scans baby. Mark

Nestor Aparicio  19:50

Bryant of hooting the blowfish. The song was Tucker’s town. The text came in the shows at the Atlantis on Friday night, get out and see the band. You’ll be happy you did. I. Investor, crab cakes up for you next time in here the Maryland crab cakes down next week. All are brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery. I’ll have the Back to the Future scratch offs when we are at readers next week, and we’re going to the new cost this up in Timonium on July 10. I’m back for more. We are W N st am 1570 Towson, Baltimore, and we never stop talking Baltimore positive and hooting the blowfish. You.