Summary
Amid his own gems, such as a heartfelt rendition of liis ballad 'Time Marches On," [Lawrence] engaged in a bit of cover-tune showmanship, throwing in melodic references to Dave Matthews' "Ants Marching" and other pop morsels. After baiting the crowd by noting "You guys aren't going to let me go without singing 'Paint Me a Birmingham,' are you?," Lawrence finished his set with the wistful tune that describes the white-house-with-a-picket-fence dream to which the artist surely must be holding dear after such a long string of dramatic personal struggles.
When house music that sounded like the theme song to a 1960s TV Western boomed through the front-end speakers, it was clear that Lawrence's thumb-twiddling, emotionally warming tunes would soon be overshadowed by the raucous electric guitars of Skynyrd. The 1970s rockers launched into 'Traveling Man," the road-worn story of a rogue adventurer. During the opener, Johnny Van Zant replicated the gusty voice of his brother, Ronnie Van Zant, who passed away during a 1977 plane crash that killed the original lead singer plus several original members of the band. As if to invoke the ghost of his elder sibling, black-and-white photos and home movies of Skynyrd's 1970s tours synched up to the song on a projection screen behind the stage, an artistic choice that illustrated the history of the band while eliciting an emotional response from dedicated fans.For the more hardcore Skynyrd fans, the group paraded a medley that included "The Ballad of Curtis Loew," with its civil rights overtones that likely still sit a httle funny in the minds of those who come to Skynyrd concerts with Union Jack apparel, and "Tuesday's Gone," the song that brought out one of Ronnie Van Zant's most honest, serene melodies.See the full content of this document
Extract
Southern Exposure
Southern Exposure
It's certainly hard to tell how Lynyrd Skynyrd has maintained such a consistent fan following since forming in the mid-1970s. After all, the band's changing roster has included the likes of Ed King, guitarist for the 1960s psychedelic group Strawberry Alar...See the full content of this document
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