LYNYRD SKYNYRD / ZZ TOP LIVE AT XFINITY THEATER – HARTFORD
Joe Perus
Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ top and The Outlaws @ XFINITY Theater in Hartford
XFINITY Theater became a fond memory of my high school keg parties in the woods and became three staples of my youth, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ top The Outlaws take the stage on “The Sharp Dressed Simple Man” tour.
Leading the night, outlaw Played a short set of 4 songs, included in the hit list. “Another Love Song,” “Riders in the Sky,” and “Hurry Up Sunset” take up the first 15 minutes, and then “Green Grass” takes up the other 15 minutes. The harmonies and guitar riffs are on point and the whole scene seems to fly by. Although the original members are no longer around, Henry Paul (vocals, guitar), who has been with the band since 1972, mentioned that he remembers playing on a ski hill in Connecticut in 1975. Joining Paul on stage are Dave Robbins (keys), Randy Threet (bass), Jeff Aulich (guitar), Jimmy Dormire (guitar) and Mike Bailey (drums).
Next is ZZ top They became hits with songs like “Keep Me Under Pressure,” “I Thank You,” and Sam and Dave’s cover of “Waiting for the Bus.” Billy Gibbons (vocals, guitar) then performed the obligatory Connecticut shout-out. “Jesus Just Left Chicago” and “Give Me All the Love” followed, and Gibbons checked in on the crowd. “Pearl Necklace” is followed by the band’s introduction, ironically with Frank Beard (drums) being the only member without a beard and Elwood Francis (bass) being the band’s long-time guitar technician. Former bassist Dusty Hill, who died in 2021, had hoped Francis would replace him.
Gibbons and Frances do a little boogie to the guitars on “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide.” Next up are Merle Travis’ covers of “I Gotsta Get Paid,” “My Head’s in Mississippi” and “Sixteen Tons.” Francis brought out the double neck on “Just Got Paid” and the crowd was treated to “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs”, which featured a hairy guitar to close out the main set. Returning in a stark purple blazer, “Brown Sugar” opens the debut album, followed by “Tube Snake Boggie.” The band ended with “La Grange,” releasing bubbles throughout the venue.
The night ended with Lynyrd Skynyrdthe second band of the night did not retain their original members, but this did not affect the performance at all. Johnny Van Zandt (lead vocals) opened the set with “Workin’ for MCA,” welcoming Hartford with an opening smoke show. let everyone know Skynyrd Right in the house where “Skynyrd Nation” follows. After “What’s Your Name,” Van Zant thanked the opening band and mentioned Skynyrd50th anniversary.
The crowd cheered to “That Smell,” “I Know a Little,” “Down South Jukin'” and “Saturday Night Special,” with Van Zant noting that this was their third show of the week and that Hartford was outstanding. Song of Tis Loew” is dedicated to Loew and Shorty Medlock. Dedicated to Gary Rossington, the last original member who passed away in 2023, “Tuesday’s Gone” features videos of Rossington’s playing over the years. “Simple Life” was dedicated to first responders and the military, and lit up cell phone lights in the crowd.
Van Zant played a contest of which side of the venue was the loudest before playing “Gimme Three Steps,” which included a great solo from touring guitarist Damon Johnson. Keys took off his red clown nose and Billy Gibbons returned to the stage to join the band for a cover of JJ Cale’s “Call Me the Breeze.” The main episode ends with the fan favorite “Sweet Home Alabama.”
The song’s encore could be shouted out at shows across the country. Which song do you want to listen to? Opening with a video of original singer Ronnie Van Zant describing a free bird, Ronnie comes back via video to sing the final verse and Johnny Van Zant puts his hat in the ring On the mic stand and off stage. There are also names and candles of former band members in the background to pay tribute to them. Also on stage are Ricky Medlocke (guitar, mandolin), Michael Cartellone (drums), Mark Matejka (guitar), Keith Christopher (bass) and touring backing vocalists Carol Chase and Stacy Michelle.
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