Lynyrd Skynyrd is playing this evening in St. Augustine. No, we're not going, but before she left for work my wife and I were discussing the likelihood of them NOT playing "Freebird" at a show and the resulting melee that would cause among the assembled groder masses. My guess is that they play it 3-4 times during any given show just to make sure they're safe.
I can imagine a scenario where they say their goodnights and announce there will be no Freebird at the evening's performance, and within minutes the floor of the arena is turned into a swirling vision of hell that no human should be witness to. The assembled riot cops decide that the best course of action is simply to bolt the doors from the outside and pray silently to themselves.
Eventually the frenzied mass breaks free from their grisly prison and the President has to make the unfortunate decision to nuke the entire town to save the rest of society.
Living in North Central Florida, it's impossible to escape the Skynyrderrian influence. No roar at a Jacksonville Jaguars game is quite as loud as when they play Skynyrd, and every single town north of Orlando claims to be the town where they played their first show.
A few years ago, Florida was toying with the idea of adopting a new state song, as we finally came to the realization that "Suwanee River" ranked right up there with most Disney movies in terms of racial sensitivity. So Florida opened it up to public voting. The Skynyrd-loving public spoke, and for a good while "Sweet Home Alabama" was actually in the running.
jg
Once, in college, i was in the pit at a bouncing souls show and I got the souls to play freebird.
I am awezomess...
I like to think of Jesus with, like, big eagle's wings, singin' lead vocals for Lynyrd Skynyrd with, like, an angel band, and I'm in the front row, and I'm hammered drunk...
Duke
SuperDork
10/23/09 8:36 a.m.
Well, at a small-venue concert in Philly in the early '90s, Jane's Addiction got POed at the crowd and left the stage about 20 minutes into the set. The crowd promptly rioted, hurled everything they could rip up onto the stage, then went directly outside and tipped over the band's tour bus. A full size bus, ya know, those big private-coach-Greyhound things.
No word on whether they had refused a request to play Freebird or not.
TJ
HalfDork
10/23/09 8:42 a.m.
I witnessed the band Survivor play at a free concert in the late 90's. It was really funny and sad at the same time. Apparently they had a new album and insisted on playing those songs. The crowd enmasse kept heckling them b y screaming "Eye of the Tiger!". After 4 or 5 songs it was more sad than funny. I sorta felt bad for the guys in the band. They eventually did play Eye of the Tiger to crowd approval. Following that most of the crowd left even though the concert wasn't over....they wanted to play a new tune from their new album....
i have found from personal experience that yelling "FREEBIRD!" in the quiet time between stage rap and song at a Sarah McLachlan show is a good way to get a bunch of dykes to throw E36 M3 at me.
Should have yelled "I kissed a girl". The rest of the audience had. I kid.
Lesley
SuperDork
10/23/09 10:39 a.m.
Who's left in that band anyway, is it even Skynyrd anymore?
I would love to see what would happen if Skynyrd started playing Southern Man right in the middle of their set.
Joe Gearin
Associate Publisher
10/23/09 10:50 a.m.
Skynyrd will be headlining Sean Hannity's "Freedom Concerts"
I hate it when bands/ actors get political, regardless of their affiliation. Just bugs me.
TJ
HalfDork
10/23/09 11:21 a.m.
aircooled wrote:
I would love to see what would happen if Skynyrd started playing Southern Man right in the middle of their set.
That would be funny, sorta like Neal Young singing Sweet Home Alabama.
AngryCorvair wrote:
i have found from personal experience that yelling "FREEBIRD!" in the quiet time between stage rap and song at a Sarah McLachlan show is a good way to get a bunch of dykes to throw E36 M3 at me.
Remeber Lilith fair? My buddy got dragged there by his girlfriend... Got in a bit of trouble when he yelled out "shave your pits...!"
Joey
Lesley wrote:
Who's left in that band anyway, is it even Skynyrd anymore?
Gary Rossington is definitely one of the few original members left. He might even be the last 'original' one but I'm not sure about that.
Went to see them during their '1991' tour, they blew the roof off. Not sure that I'd want to see them again as I might be disappointed.
AngryCorvair wrote:
i have found from personal experience that yelling "FREEBIRD!" in the quiet time between stage rap and song at a Sarah McLachlan show is a good way to get a bunch of dykes to throw E36 M3 at me.
Words to live by right there.
Joe Gearin wrote:
Skynyrd will be headlining Sean Hannity's "Freedom Concerts"
I hate it when bands/ actors get political, regardless of their affiliation. Just bugs me.
Well, I probably hate Lie-nard Sky-nard as much as you hate Hannity, so really, it kind of makes sense. The solo at the end of freebird is some of the worst, unnecassarily drawn out guitar playing evar. Yes, I realize them's fightin' words. Yes, I'll be happy to kick you in the nuts if you disagree.
poopshovel wrote:
Joe Gearin wrote:
Skynyrd will be headlining Sean Hannity's "Freedom Concerts"
I hate it when bands/ actors get political, regardless of their affiliation. Just bugs me.
Well, I probably hate Lie-nard Sky-nard as much as you hate Hannity, so really, it kind of makes sense. The solo at the end of freebird is some of the worst, unnecassarily drawn out guitar playing evar. Yes, I realize them's fightin' words. Yes, I'll be happy to kick you in the nuts if you disagree.
We are in Florida, home of the drawn out guitar solo. The Allman Brothers are from down here remember?
Joe Gearin wrote:
poopshovel wrote:
Joe Gearin wrote:
Skynyrd will be headlining Sean Hannity's "Freedom Concerts"
I hate it when bands/ actors get political, regardless of their affiliation. Just bugs me.
Well, I probably hate Lie-nard Sky-nard as much as you hate Hannity, so really, it kind of makes sense. The solo at the end of freebird is some of the worst, unnecassarily drawn out guitar playing evar. Yes, I realize them's fightin' words. Yes, I'll be happy to kick you in the nuts if you disagree.
We are in Florida, home of the drawn out guitar solo. The Allman Brothers are from down here remember?
The difference being that those dudes could/can PLAY.
"Define irony: a bunch of idiots dancing on a plane to song made famous by a band that died in an airplane crash."
JG Pasterjak wrote:
as we finally came to the realization that "Suwanee River" ranked right up there with most Disney movies in terms of racial sensitivity.
Oh, like "My Old Kentucky Home" used to be ("'Tis summer, the darkies (changed to "people") are gay")?
Now it only offends ONE group...
Is there a ladies cover band for Skynyrd? I heard some members of Lez Zepplin play and them broads rocked.
oldsaw
HalfDork
10/23/09 4:20 p.m.
Joe Gearin wrote:
poopshovel wrote:
Joe Gearin wrote:
Skynyrd will be headlining Sean Hannity's "Freedom Concerts"
I hate it when bands/ actors get political, regardless of their affiliation. Just bugs me.
Well, I probably hate Lie-nard Sky-nard as much as you hate Hannity, so really, it kind of makes sense. The solo at the end of freebird is some of the worst, unnecassarily drawn out guitar playing evar. Yes, I realize them's fightin' words. Yes, I'll be happy to kick you in the nuts if you disagree.
We are in Florida, home of the drawn out guitar solo. The Allman Brothers are from down here remember?
Yeah, but they moved to Georgia where real talent was more appreciated.
But, I will say that "Simple Man" is one of my all-time favorites.
poopshovel wrote:
Joe Gearin wrote:
poopshovel wrote:
Joe Gearin wrote:
Skynyrd will be headlining Sean Hannity's "Freedom Concerts"
I hate it when bands/ actors get political, regardless of their affiliation. Just bugs me.
Well, I probably hate Lie-nard Sky-nard as much as you hate Hannity, so really, it kind of makes sense. The solo at the end of freebird is some of the worst, unnecassarily drawn out guitar playing evar. Yes, I realize them's fightin' words. Yes, I'll be happy to kick you in the nuts if you disagree.
We are in Florida, home of the drawn out guitar solo. The Allman Brothers are from down here remember?
The difference being that those dudes could/can PLAY.
+1. Live at Filmore East=one of the best live albums ever put on cd/vinyl/mp3. End thread.!