Homecoming 2023 really does have Everything!

Decals with their logo were everywhere up and down the mid-Atlantic and beyond. The popular band Everything — known for their hit “Hooch” — formed in a JMU residence hall in 1989 and would go on to become one of the biggest bands of the ’90s. 

In an exciting collaboration, Everything will return to campus to play their hits with the Marching Royal Dukes at the 2023 Homecoming halftime show Oct. 28! 

Lead singer Craig Honeycutt described Everything’s humble beginnings: “Our first rehearsals and our first concert was up at White Hall. We would rehearse in the basement, and when we rehearsed enough to think that we wouldn’t hurt people, we told everybody in the dorm we were having a free show. People came downstairs into the White Hall basement and had a party with us.” That was March 1989.

The band then played every party at JMU that would have them. “It was very JMU-centric at first. Because even though we were a band on our way to some awesome accomplishments, in the beginning we were college students playing music around other students who were partying, and we were all in it together.”

After graduating, the band hit the road in a 1977 Ford Econoline van and released three albums independently. Touring relentlessly, they moved up to a tour bus and ranged across the country. Bigger success came after recording their album “Super Natural,” which was picked up by Sire Records, giving the band the radio and distribution muscle it needed to get the album’s single, "Hooch," on top radio stations around the world. 

Their peak of popularity came in 1998, when “Hooch” was featured in Adam Sandler's movie “The Waterboy.” From 1998 to 2000, it charted in the top 10 on Billboard's Pop and Hot AC charts, as well as the top 20 on the Modern Rock charts. The band capitalized on their newfound popularity, playing radio shows and festival crowds around the country. “Hooch” can be heard in episodes of “My Name Is Earl,” “Raising Hope,” “Yes, Dear,” and “Clueless,” and was featured on the soundtrack of the first season of the show “Scrubs.”

About the Homecoming collaboration with the MRDs, Honeycutt said, “First of all, I hope we all have a lot of fun. And I hope we all relish in the power of the Marching Royal Dukes. They’re not only a great marching band, but they are super cool for their willingness to do something creative with us.”

Honeycutt added, “I hope that we can amplify the message we all learned as JMU students, which was: Be cool, make cool stuff, build community.”

If you don’t have tickets to the sold-out Homecoming game, don’t worry! The halftime show will be livestreamed above.