Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it seemed like South Carolina was going to become the Next Big Thing in the music industry. Thanks to the success of Columbia’s Hootie & The Blowfish, whose debut album, “Cracked Rear View,” sold an astounding 21 million copies, record labels took a good long look at the other bands making waves in S.C.

Some of those artists made the big time, most notably Edwin McCain, who went platinum off of singles like “I’ll Be” and “I Could Not Ask For More,” but other acts like Greenville’s Cravin Melon and Charleston rockers The Blue Dogs ultimately remained regional favorites.

Which is actually great news for both those bands and our region in general. Rather than worrying about album sales and marketing campaigns, The Blue Dogs, founded in 1987 and still led by singer/guitarist Bobby Houck and upright bassist Hank Futch, can simply choose a place in S.C. to play, walk out onstage and play their infectious brand of roots-rock (their genre would probably be Americana nowadays) to a raucous, passionate crowd.

In fact, The Blue Dogs, who perform at Lexington’s Icehouse Amphitheater this Friday night, are still popular enough to pack the Charleston Music Hall each year for their annual homecoming show, which often includes appearances from their peers like Doug Jones of Cravin’ Melon, Kevn Kinney of Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ and even Darius Rucker, who moved on to country superstardom after he left Hootie & The Blowfish.

The band still inspires that loyalty from both fans and contemporary musicians because after all these years, The Blue Dogs are still inescapably themselves. Those acoustic guitars still blend with the electric riffs perfectly. Houck’s passionate vocal twang still resonates, and albums like 1991’s “Music For Dog People” and 1999’s “Letters From Round O” still feel like musical comfort food for those who love that spot where country and rock blend perfectly.

In fact, if you take a listen to the Dogs’ most recent album, 2022’s “Big Dreamers,” you’ll still hear the basic elements of that addictive sound in place.

The fact is that even though they never tasted national fame or got to hang platinum albums on their walls, The Blue Dogs might be better off now than if they had hit the national scene. They’re still a functioning band after nearly 30 years, and their loyal fans still love that classic Blue Dogs sound.

“We’re doing this to follow that dream of playing music and sharing our sound with whoever wants to listen,” bassist Hank Futch said. “We’ve probably been Americana before that became a term, but we didn’t feel like we had to be anything other than ourselves to write songs.”

Showtime at Icehouse Amphitheater is 7 p.m., with Finnegan Bell opening the show. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is $25.