When a band such as Skynyrd embarks on its final tour, even a casual fan may regret not going. Before that day, all I knew was ""Sweet Home Alabama," "Simple Man," how to pronounce the band's name, and that my friend, Joe, was a big fan. I also knew that the running joke of yelling "Freebird," over any other Synyrd song, at concerts where they aren't even playing has lost its appeal; which may be why I hadn't heard it pronounced aloud. I familiarized myself with some more of their music before the show, and heard almost all of their Innyrds.
I would be remiss to not mention The Marshall Tucker Band and how their set converted me into a fan, without knowing any songs. It may sound like I am sensationalizing their set, but I am just recording how it made me feel. The only song I know the title of is "Dog Eat Dog World," the rest of the songs I will have to find by playing their albums in full. "Can't You See?" Sometimes it only takes one listen for great music to connect with an outsider of the fan base; great music transcends time and generational gaps, and doesn't necessarily require familiarity to move someone new to its sound. I did see why the band has been at it for so long, and given the ability to, and they were appreciative of every year they were able to do what they love and expressed that during the set.
The same thing occurred when I heard the Charlie Daniels Band playing live, the only song I knew was their biggest hit, but never made the connection, until another fan told me what it was before I had seen their set. Their sound also took me by surprise, but only knowing one song out of their cannon or discography, I could not begin to conceptualize.
If these two bands revved you up Skynyrd Nation for the main reason they most likely came for, Johnson tempered that energy and slowed it down a bit with his brand of country; I cannot exactly describe the difference between Southern Rock and Country, but you could tell the difference in their styles.
Out of all the performers, it was Johnson that I was most familiar with, yet that's not saying much because I was mainly out of my element, but it was a pleasant surprise to see him live. He played at least four covers, one of which was the patriotic "This Land is My Land." Johnson made the set a family affair with his sons performing a song, as well as his daughter and her friend singing another. while I cannot recall the majority of titles aside from "That Lonesome Song" or "In Color," I do remember that he made his billing worthwhile.
When it came to the last of the street survivors, they sounded as energetic as they had when these songs were recorded; they opened with a gigantic record screen and went right to "Workin' for the MCA." They addressed the "Skynyrd Nation" before playing that decent song, but it doesn't compare to "Travelin' Man" or "That Smell." I'm aware the band was not the same coming into the aughties, but their last few albums did not reek of limburger cheese; this commentary might, but to be honest, they meant business when they set their feet on stage, and I could see Johnny a little perturbed at times when the crowd went mannequin.
I understand that many of the concertgoers may have already seen the band before, and that "final tours" don't usually include many surprises, because when most people come to see a live performance they come for their favorites, which may not align with all of the bands' hits, so it would make sense to play the most recognizable on the last stint. Although it was Friday, they gave us a "Saturday Night Special" and presented "The Ballad of Curtis Loew." One of my friend's favorites followed, "Tuesday's Gone," and "Gimme Three Steps" was one of mine. They paid tribute to JJ Cale and other "heroes" via photo compilation as their sound interjected "Call Me The Breeze." "Simple Man," "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Freebird" all graced the ears of the venue patrons, and the latter was preceded by a few minutes of an empty stage for dramatic effect, and included video of Johnny Van Zant singing some of Freebird toward the second half, if I remember correctly, but it is only natural that they do so.
While this was a concert I would not have chosen to see if it were only myself to consider, It would have been a regret later on, after acquainting myself with the music of some of these legends. Passion can serve as a youthanizer, these artists and their passion for the music, and this concert was a testament to that statement
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