Lynyrd Skynyrd
Comcast Theatre
Hartford, Connecticut
August 22, 2009
Tony Pijar
Skynyrd made another triumphant return to Connecticut, always a hotspot for the band. The band was playing, once again, under duress. I don’t know how Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke and Johnny Van Vant continue to press on in the face of apparently regular misfortune and tribulations, but they do. And thank God for that! With both Billy Powell and Ean Evans both passing on recently, the Skynyrd guys dealt with their hardships head on – a cracking new album, “God and Guns”, and a massive tour that is taking them across the US as you read this review.
Opening with the next great Skynyrd anthem, the band came out of the gates with “Skynyrd Nation” from “God and Guns.” This song, like many of the new ones, has the requisite hooks, riff, and chorus that will bring the band to even greater heights. After an all too brief taste of the new album, the boys opened the vault and belted out the likes of “Gimme Back my Bullets”, “What’s your Name”, and “That Smell”. “Simple Man” still sent shivers up the ol’ spine, especially during the chorus when the 15,000 strong sang it in unison. “Still Unbroken”, from the new release, was aired and would make a fine choice for a single. It reminds me of “That’s how I Like it” – a punchy, gruff southern rocker with the band’s typical killer, trademark chorus. “Down South Jukin” and “Whiskey Rock N Roller” followed, and were lapped up by the eager crowd. “Needle and the Spoon”, “Gimme Three Steps”, “Tuesday’s Gone”, and “Call me the Breeze” blitzed on by thus forging the undeniable fact that these guys are not only the progenitors of the sub-genre, but deserve their righteous place among rock’s elite! Then, of course, the southern rock anthem of them all, “Sweet Home Alabama” followed with Mark Matejka’s solos ricocheting across the large venue. Ed King eat your heart out! “Freebird” was introduced by the newest member of the band Peter Keys – Billy would be proud! Medlocke brought the song to an energizing climax with some stellar fret-burning!
These guys epitomize southern life: perseverance, grit, down-to-earth, and faith-driven. And in the seemingly continual face of adversity, Skynyrd has always come out swinging. And as fans, we must continue to support the ongoing legacy that is Lynyrd Skynyrd – the greatest southern rock band…nah…institution ever!