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Lynyrd Skynyrd will be concert at Durant
By : Gary E. Nelson For The Mail Tribune www.mailtribune.com Southern rock survivors Lynyrd Skynyrd found plenty of fans lurking in the wilds of Southern Oregon Wednesday night. On a perfect balmy evening at the Lithia Motors Amphitheater, the band rocketed through nearly an hour and a half of nonstop music, kicking things off with "Working for MCA" and winding up with ... OK, you know what they wound up with. One especially dedicated enthusiast in the crowd in front of the stage waved a large Confederate flag throughout the show, but his stars and bars were dwarfed by the lighted backdrop that displayed the Stars and Stripes as the band cranked up "Red, White and Blue." As the song ended, the backdrop switched to a montage of U.S. military service emblems. That brought the crowd to its feet, and the momentum built from there. Frontman Johnny Van Zant belted lyrics into a microphone draped with another U.S. flag, until he replaced it with a Confederate one for the band's signature "Sweet Home Alabama." Van Zant told the Mail Tribune in an advance interview that the band was "good and tight," and he wasn't exaggerating. The distinctive three-guitar attack of Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke and newcomer Mark Matejka, a transplant from the Charlie Daniels band, rocked sweet and hard, often in unison, through many Skynyrd favorites. "That Smell," "What's Your Name," and "Gimme Three Steps" had the audience singing along with frequent encouragement from Van Zant. "Three Steps" segued seamlessly into "Call Me the Breeze." Veteran keyboardist Billy Powell was a highlight throughout, adding dazzling honky-tonk solos to an otherwise guitar-driven sound. He turned in an especially fine chorus on ... that final song. After an hour of solid music, the band left the stage, but the crowd wasn't fooled. After all, they hadn't played ... well, you know. A roadie carefully spread a Confederate flag on Powell's piano, then set down a large bronze eagle. The stage was set. The band returned for an extended romp through — you guessed it — "Free Bird," steadily cranking up the intensity straight through the final power chords. the road, the Sopranos? From The Sun Hearld http://www.sunherald.com/ In anticipation of Lynyrd Skynyrd and 3 Doors Down's sold out concert Saturday in the Coliseum ("play some Skynyrd, dude!"), I spoke recently with Lynyrd Skynyrd front-man Johnnie VanZant. Johnnie, the younger brother of original Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie VanZant, who died when the band went down in a plane crash in 1977 near the small Mississippi town of Gillsburg, began fronting for the band when it reunited in 1987. A former truck driver, VanZant comes across as a genuinely personable guy. (Authors note: Okay, okay. Most people, though not all, are nice to reporters when being interviewed, particularly when promoting their own money-making ventures. Having said that, VanZant really did seem like a nice fellow.) He's got four kids (ages 4-24), watches the "Wiggles" with his youngest, and recently went to see "Dora the Explorer" when that production came to his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. And guys, take heart: Even an established rock star like VanZant has a laundry list of to-do chores waiting for him at home, especially after five weeks on the road. How's the tour going? Doing wonderful. We're out with 3 Doors, and Shooter Jennings. It's been awesome. And we end up down there with you guys. What's the best thing about being on the road? Just the playing part of it. The hotels suck, the food sucks, the traveling sucks. (VanZant laughs loudly, the first of many during our conversation. He has a hearty, robust laugh. Kind of sounds like a cheerful pirate, actually.) Being up there playing, man, is the best part of it. The rest of it's all a hassle. How would you describe Lynyrd Skynyrd's music? For common people, man, working people that made this great country of ours. Yeah we have doctors and lawyers that are fans of ours, but you know what? Most of our fans are hardworking, and have to go out and get it each month. It doesn't come to them. A lot of people relate to the songs. A lot of new generations now are relating to them. I mean, we have a lot of young fans, too. And you know, that's why I thought this 3 Doors Down thing would work out. Hell, we're fans of 3 doors and love their music. My ringtone was 'I'm hear without you baby' on my phone... Lynryd Skynyrd is pretty much synonymous with Southern rock. Prior to y'all, was that label around? You know what that was, that was a rock band from the South, and they had to come up with, who are these hillbillies coming in from the South? Folks like yourself came up with that saying. Put on a label on it to make it easier to classify? Exactly. It's become a big compliment, I think. Sure. You know what it is? These days, a lot of the country music that's on country radio is Southern rock. If you listen to Montgomery Gentry, people like Big and Rich, they've all been influenced by Skynyrd, or Allman Brothers, or some southern band. Why do you think, after all these years, the band is still so popular? I think it's a working people's band, man. It's the common people. We're no different than our fans. Believe me, whenever I get home my wife is going to have a to-do list for me that's a mile long, because I've been gone five weeks. I'll be out cutting my grass, you know, and probably washing out the garbage cans because the kids have thrown all kinds of (stuff) in it...We're not Madonna out here, trying to be bigger than God himself. Some people take it to the extremes, and Skynyrd's just always been the common person's band. I just think the consumers and the fans are smarter than what artists give them credit for. What do you like to listen to these days? Well, again man, I got all those kids, so hell I listen to a little bit of everything. I have to. I'm forced to. But on a personal level, not to toot 3 Doors horn but I really like their stuff. But I listen to a lot of different stuff. My niece's husband is in Shinedown, you know. I love Keb Mo, I love a lot of the country stuff, like Montgomery Gentry and stuff like that. Were you a contemporary of Waylon Jennings, back in the day? Oh yeah. Hell yeah. So what's it like being on the road with his son? I think it's great. You know what I mean? I think he's a fine guy, man....They need to get there early to check him out, he's really good. His last name is Jennings, you know. Hell, he's something else. He's a pistol ball. He's got a lot to live up to. You know what, but he's his own guy, so that's cool. I may not be up on my entertainment news, but is he still with (former "Sopranos" and "Joey" star) Drea de Matteo? Yeah, he sure is...She's been out with him (on tour) quite a bit this year. Have you met her? What's she like? Oh yeah. She's fine. She's a nice chick. It's hard, I mean, she got killed on 'The Sopranos,' but... But what a way to go. Yeah, what a way to go. You ever watch "The Sopranos"? Oh man, all the time. Our intro is the 'Sopranos' theme song, you know. (Sings roughly) 'Woke up this morning...' When we go out on stage every night, that's what the hell we listen to. We're big 'Soprano' fans. Are you kidding? Yeah, Lynyrd Skynyrd is a weird bunch. Man, we even eat sushi. You're a 21st century band now? I'm telling you. But we like our sushi with a little bit of ribs on the side, and some baked potatoes. What would you be doing if you weren't a musician? You know, I'd probably be a truck driver. I was a truck driver for years. My dad was a truck driver. There's something about having the freedom to get out on the road and see the country. Well, I'm out of questions. Anything else you'd like to add? We're looking forward to coming down there and playing. It's at the...Coliseum, right? We have played there so many years. And you know what? We're glad to come down there after all the devastation you guys have had, and lets keep our fingers crossed and hope that none of that happens again this year. Hey, I live in Florida, so we keep our fingers crossed there, too. And so far we're looking pretty good, knock on wood. It's all in God's hands, anyway. But it'll be good to see everybody down there, and God bless you guys. It's been tough down there.
CONCERT REVIEW
By PETE TATTERSALL The Sun Herald www.sunherald.com BILOXI - A night of Southern rock, both new school and old school, was on vivid display Saturday night at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, as local boys-made-good 3 Doors Down and Lynyrd Skynyrd, the standard-bearer of the genre, wrapped up a 15-city tour with a thoroughly entertaining, two-hour plus show. It was the first time the Coliseum has hosted an indoor concert since Katrina, a fact lost on no one. "Hello, my friends. Let's rock the South tonight," 3 Doors Down lead singer Brad Arnold announced, as the band launched into "Duck and Run." By the third song, "Kryptonite," the sold-out crowd was on its feet, cheering a band they helped make famous. Among songs performed by 3 Doors Down during their hour-plus set: "Here Without You," "Behind Those Eyes," "I Won't Go," "Away from the Sun" and "When I'm Gone" (dedicated by the band to the men and women of the U.S. military.) At one point, Arnold requested a spotlight because, he said, an audience member "asked me if he could borrow the microphone, because he wanted to do something really cool." A man in the front row then proceeded to propose marriage to his apparently stunned paramour, who quickly accepted. The crowd ate it up. The band also announced that a fundraiser for 3 Doors Down's charitable arm, The Better Life Foundation, would be held Dec. 2, with all proceeds going to Katrina relief. "It's going to be in Mobile, for the last year. It'll be back in Biloxi next year, we promise," announced Arnold. Next up was Lynyrd Skynyrd, whose seven members and two backup singers are led by frontman Johnnie Van Zant. "God Almighty, it's good to be here tonight. This is our last show (of the tour), and I can't think of a better place to end it than Biloxi, Miss.," Van Zant announced, as the band launched into the classic song, "That Smell." Other standout songs included "What's Your Name," "Travelin' Man," "Simple Man," "Don't Ask Me No Questions" and (for an encore) "Freebird." As Skynyrd wrapped up its set, the members of 3 Doors Down joined onstage for a rousing rendition of the Southern rock anthem, "Sweet Home Alabama," featuring Arnold on vocals, alongside Van Zant. The evening was not without hitches. Ticketmaster computers went down shortly before the show, much to the exasperation of several dozen patrons still in line. And long bathroom lines were the order of the day. ("Is this a coed bathroom?" asked a concert-goer, after witnessing both men and women in line for the same restrooms. "It is tonight," shot back another concert-goer, without missing a beat.) The overall feeling in the air was jubilant, though not life-altering (the bar for life-altering is set high in this post-Katrina world). For some, it was the culmination of weeks of waiting. For others, it was just another Saturday night. And yet, the consensus seemed to be that, these days, even doing something once considered ordinary can feel quite extraordinary. Band with tragic past enjoys hall of fame spot BY KIRA L. SCHLECHTER Of The Patriot-News The life of Southern rock veteran Lynyrd Skynyrd has been a roller-coaster ride of highs and lows. And that upheaval hasn't eased in recent years for the star-crossed band, which lost founding members Ronnie Van Zant and Steve and Cassie Gaines in a 1977 plane crash, guitarist Allen Collins in 1989 (to pneumonia), and bassist Leon Wilkeson in 2001 (natural causes). Fortune good and not-so-good continues to visit it. Recent highs: After five straight appearances on the ballot -- and five rejections -- Lynyrd Skynyrd (www.lynyrdskynyrd.com) was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. "It was a great night," singer Johnny Van Zant said in an interview from Chicago. "We all got along great, which is how it should have been." Van Zant admitted to feeling a bit like an observer, considering it was only the original members of the band being inducted, including guitarist Gary Rossington and keyboardist Billy Powell. Van Zant replaced his brother some years after his death. But he still insisted it was "an honor for me to be there." "My brother Donnie was there, and for them to say 'Ronnie Van Zant,' we got the biggest kick out of that," Van Zant said. "What more could you ask for?" He said the most moving moment for him was presenter Kid Rock's recounting of the band's heartbreaking history. "That was the biggest -- that brings a tear to your eye," he said. The current tour with 3 Doors Down has been some time in the making, and the pairing makes sense, Van Zant said. "They're good Southern boys," he said, adding both bands are fans of each other. "They just play a little different than us, but if you listen to their lyrics, they're sort of like ours." Skynyrd just released a CD/DVD reissue of its classic album "Gimme Back My Bullets," as well as the compilation album "Family," a collection of tracks from the band and its offshoots, including .38 Special and the Rossington-Collins Band. Van Zant said members have been writing new material and hope to get into the studio in the fall. Recent lows: Founding member Billy Powell is coming off a stint in a rehab facility that forced him to miss about 10 dates of the tour. The band carried on without him, reworking the set a bit to compensate. Van Zant was cavalier about the whole thing. "He just had some personal stuff he needed to take care of. It came down at a bad time, but he's doing just great," he said. "We're looking forward to having him back and everything being good." Van Zant had an emergency appendectomy in May that caused the cancellation of several concerts. He said he played two California shows while thinking he just had a stomach virus. After seeing a doctor at Stanford University Medical Center, he was whisked into surgery a few hours later. "I'm doing fine," he said. "I'm totally back to normal." Other Skynyrd news: On this tour, guitarist Mark Matejka is replacing Hughie Thomasson, who's back with his own band, the Outlaws. Matejka had been with the Charlie Daniels Band and Hot Apple Pie and toured with the Van Zants when they recently went out with country singer Gretchen Wilson. "He's a great picker; he can play just about anything," Van Zant said. "He's worked out awesome." building a lasting fan base for southern rock By: KENDRA SLEDZINSKI For The Times-Tribune www.thetimes-tribune.com Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Rickey Medlocke really is a simple kind of man. In fact, his band’s song “Simple Man” is his favorite to play, primarily, he says because it reminds him of his late mother ... and the good times that Skynyrd brings.“It’s just so overwhelming,” said Medlocke, a part of Skynyrd’s triple-guitar army. The classic Southern rock band will performat the Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain tomorrow with new-rock group 3 Doors Down. Shooter Jennings will entertain the early crowd as the opener. Tickets are available at local TicketMaster outlets, by phone at 693-4100 or online at ticketmaster.com. The fusion of old school and new school ramblin’ riffs is something Medlocke believes is a blessing, admitting modestly that the classic rock radio overplay of “Freebird” is nothing but good. "Every generation gets bombarded with ‘Freebird’ and ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’” he said from a St. Louis hotel room during a phone interview.“But then (radio listeners) become fans.” And then those fans hit the road not to see Lynyrd Skynyrd play, but to play with them ... namely, 3 Doors Down. The idea to take bands such as 3 Doors Down on the road crossed band members’ minds five years ago, Medlocke said, noting that contrary to belief, a majority of the band’s tour audience is no longer the flower children of the ’60s and’70s, but their children, and sometimes, even their children’s children. While the original Skynyrd fans may scorn at that, Medlocke just sees it as another blessing and a lasting fan base for Southern rock.“ When you’re born in Mississippi,” he half-joked, “The first thing you get handed might be a Lynyrd Skynyrd record.” Because of this, the veteran rocker says he hears Skynyrd’s influence in the new-school Southern rock. The band should know; they’re no stranger to newer bands on the scene, as Medlocke says they frequently listen to Audioslave and others like their tour mates, who he is a fan of.“ I have four of their ring tones!” Medlocke exclaimed. But though 3 Doors Down and other bands such as Driveby Truckers earn Medlocke’s and Skynyrd’s stamp of approval, he still thinks rock ‘n’ roll just isn’t what it used to be.“ Rock ‘n’ roll as I knew it faded,” he mentioned. “But the essence of what rock and roll was is still there.” That essence is constant innovation, he says, as he enjoys listening to rockers delve into genres such as poprock, prog-rock and punk rock. But one part of rock’s essence that has changed is guitar players, who don’t seem to idolize legends like Jimi Hendrix like ax-barers in Skynyrd’s original days did.“ Maybe people aren’t opening their minds to experience it,” he sighed. “Well, it is what it is, and I’m OK with it.” What he’s not OK with is slacking on stage, something he swears Skynyrd will never do, no matter howmany tour dates they cut back on or howmany years old they become.“ We play 110 percent every night for hardworkers paying hard money,” Medlocke affirmed. “If I’m not sweating, I’m cheating.” Skynyrd fans who heard news that key player Billy Powell checked himself into rehab will not be cheated.“ Billy’s back,” Medlocke revealed. “He needed the time out.” And fans won’t be cheated out of newmaterial either. The band plans to integrate a fewnewsongs from an upcoming release on the summer tour. And they have no plans of stopping anytime soon, either.“ As long as we keep putting out newmusic and fans keep coming, there’s no reason to stop,” Medlocke said. “When you’ve got an amp behind you, you just go.” By Alan Sculley Special to The Herald-Sun http://www.heraldsun.com RALEIGH -- Having suffered through as much heartache, tragedy and internal turmoil as just about any band in rock history, it seems fitting that getting into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame was a struggle for Lynyrd Skynyrd. In fact, the group was nominated for seven years before finally getting into the Hall this past spring. Guitarist Rickey Medlocke said the band members are grateful for the recognition. For the occasion, the current edition of Lynyrd Skynyrd -- singer Johnny Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Medlocke, drummer Michael Cartellone, bassist Ean Evans and Billy Powell (on leave from the band at the moment while undergoing drug rehab) -- was joined on stage by three other surviving early era members, Ed King, drummer Artimus Pyle and drummer Bob Burns, for a quick live set. For Medlocke, who was briefly a member of Skynyrd early in the group's career before making his name as a key member of the band Blackfoot, the highlight of his evening was a chance to meet Queen guitarist Brian May. While Lynyrd Skynyrd continues to record and tour, the election into the Hall of Fame undoubtedly was earned largely on the strength of the band's accomplishments up until 1977, when albums such as "Second Helping" (1974), "Nuthin' Fancy" (1975) and "Street Survivors" helped shape the Southern rock sound. The release of "Street Survivors," of course, came just before the October 1977 plane crash that claimed the lives of Ronnie Van Zant (the group's singer and a gifted songwriter), guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines. At the time, the Jacksonville, Fla., band was on the cusp of a major commercial breakthrough. The surviving band members -- guitarists Rossington and Allen Collins, keyboardist Powell, bassist Leon Wilkeson and drummer Artimus Pyle -- all suffered significant injuries, not to mention considerable emotional damage. A new version of Skynyrd emerged in 1987, with Johnny Van Zant (Ronnie's younger brother) on vocals and original guitarist King returning to the lineup. But troubled times did not elude the group. Collins suffered paralysis in the years after the plane crash and died in 1990. Throw in several acrimonious splits with band members and that's more than enough drama and turmoil to add to the Skynyrd story. In July 2001, during the making of the band's most recent studio CD, "Vicious Cycle," bassist Wilkeson died. He played bass on two songs on "Vicious Cycle," but Van Zant said his death shook the band. "Vicious Cycle" spawned a rock radio hit with the tune "Red White and Blue" and was followed by a two-disc anthology, "Thyrty," which celebrated the group's 30th anniversary. The two CDs, Medlocke said, have solidified the momentum of the current edition of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Medlocke said Lynyrd Skynyrd will soon be concentrating on new music. "We're writing songs again," he said. By KEVIN KAZOKAS For The Times Leader http://www.timesleader.com Coping with loss and drastic change is a harsh reality just about every family eventually faces. Legendary Southern rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd has done so for the better part of the past 29 years. But like any solid family – and unlike many of its music-business counterparts – Skynyrd has endured through the hard times – through a plane crash that killed three band members, including the group’s original lead singer, Ronnie Van Zant; through the loss of guitarist Allen Collins from complications after a car accident; and through the loss in recent years of the one man they thought might never die, bassist Leon Wilkeson. When Lynyrd Skynyrd takes the stage tomorrow night at the Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain – the bill also includes 3 Doors Down and Shooter Jennings – fans will see a lineup a little different than the ones that took Skynyrd to soaring heights in the mid 1970s. But they also will see a group still defined by an all-out, three-guitar attack and a determination to continue making gritty, straightforward rock ’n’ roll that resonates with the everyday American. “We’re a big family,” current lead singer Johnny Van Zant, Ronnie’s younger brother, said last week from San Antonio. “There’s a lot of us out here, so there’s a lot of things that can go wrong in the period of a day or of a life. But music has always kept us together.” And that remains true to this day. Although consisting of only two original members – guitarist Gary Rossington and keyboardist Billy Powell -- Skynyrd remains a force on tour and in the studio. The Florida-based band known for its heaping helping of blues-rooted Southern anthems, including “Tuesday’s Gone,” “Freebird” and “Sweet Home Alabama,” still has legions of fans across the rock- and country-music spectrums and is riding a special kind of high this summer, having been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March. “For me personally, it’s great to finally acknowledge what my brother did before he died in 1977,” Johnny Van Zant, who took over as lead vocalist when the band re-formed in 1987, said of the induction. “I’m glad that the suits of rock ’n’ roll finally gave it to Lynyrd Skynyrd.” Now the band is giving it back to its fans. More than two months of live shows lie on the horizon as part of Skynyrd’s “Double Trouble” tour. There also will be television appearances on CMT (8 tonight, “CMT at Summerfest”), ABC (9 p.m. July 24, “CMA Music Festival”) and VH1 Classic (early September, “Decades Rock Live,” a tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Jr., 3 Doors Down and Bo Bice). A new album also is in the works. With so much positive going on, it might seem Skynyrd finally has overcome the tragedy and misfortunes of its past. But even this tour has not unfolded without a hitch, as Powell reportedly had to check himself into a Nashville, Tenn., rehabilitation facility briefly. “He’s back on tour with us,” Johnny Van Zant said. “He’s doing good.” For Skynyrd, life has been all about fighting back. The 1977 plane crash that took Ronnie Van Zant also killed guitarist Steve Gaines, his sister and backup vocalist Cassie Gaines and road manager Dean Kilpatrick. The tragedy essentially halted Lynyrd Skynyrd until 1987, when Johnny Van Zant came aboard. Former guitarist Collins died in 1990 of respiratory failure, caused by pneumonia, a complication from the paralysis he suffered in a 1986 car accident. Then in 2001, bassist Wilkeson, who had survived the 1977 plane crash and whom band members jokingly regarded as having nine lives, died in his sleep in a hotel room near Jacksonville, Fla. Skynyrd has survived all of this and remained a viable act, with a reported 26 million album sales to its credit. “We fell back on the music,” Johnny Van Zant said. “The music’s got us through. And I think that’s the connection between Lynyrd Skynyrd and its fans.” Van Zant is enjoying such a connection on two fronts. The 2005 country album “Get Right with the Man,” which he recorded with his brother Donnie under the moniker “Van Zant,” has been certified gold. Does Johnny ever feel torn between his country and rock tendencies? “No, not at all. Because they’re both two different projects. And believe it or not, they’re not far from each other,” he said. “What people consider country music these days is pretty much what Skynyrd’s been doing since the beginning.” And Van Zant and Skynyrd have chosen to keep on doing it. “You can choose your own hell, or heaven on earth,” Johnny Van Zant was once quoted as saying. Has he found heaven on earth yet? “Oh yeah. That’s my kids and my wife and the time I enjoy being with the fans. The hell is the traveling part of it. … I don’t really dig hotel rooms anymore.” of the Southern rock pack By MIKE DANIEL For The Dallas Morning News "It's about time that the South rise again," cried Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist Johnny Van Zant toward the end of the infamous Southern rock act's 75-minute set on Sunday at Smirnoff Music Centre. ![[image]](http://www.skynyrd.net/img/0706Skynyrd.jpg) JASON JANIK/Special Contributor Lynyrd Skynyrd's Rickey Medlocke (left) and Gary Rossington defined Southern rock at Smirnoff Music Centre on Sunday. Sorry, but the South's going nowhere if 3 Doors Down leads the charge. As co-headliners of the Double Trouble Tour with Skynyrd, the Mississippi-anchored modern rock outfit could barely blow a toot from a trumpet in comparison with its legendary cohorts, who delivered one swamp-rock standard after another with boyish enthusiasm and momentous skill. Seriously: Some Skynyrd members are nearly twice the age of their counterparts in 3 Doors Down. And there's a heck of a lot more road wear on their rock 'n' roll treads. But the Jacksonville, Fla.-born band strode around the stage, connected with the audience and tickled their guitar necks with an ardency that the younger band should feel embarrased not to have matched. That's a fair comparison, because the near-sellout crowd at Smirnoff contained a more-than-sizeable amount of young 'uns there to see the first two acts: 3 Doors Down and emerging country-rock punk Shooter Jennings. In fact, the throng's ebb and flow was eminently predictable based on who was onstage. During 3 Doors Down's set, which featured an ultra-modern five-tier silver drum riser and an LED mosaic backdrop, the older folks actively came and went; during Skynyrd's time on its elegant, candleabra- and red velvet curtain-accented platform, the less aged milled around smartly. Until after that Dixie rally cry by Mr. Van Zant, that is. That's when all three acts appeared onstage to tag-team on "Sweet Home Alabama;" it was by far the evening's high point and easily the most vibrant that 3 Doors Down's players got. (Sheesh, even the brothers Daryl from Newhart would get all spastic onstage with Skynyrd.) OK, the younger band did deliver a hardened, driving version of "Changes" during its three-song encore. But it chugged through the rest of its 65-minute performance as if it were another day at a factory job. Singer Brad Arnold's delivery was often flat, and he mostly stood still and stiffly held his microphone like Aaron Neville: as if it were a dumbbell he was curling. And it opened with its signature hit, "Kryptonite," a liquid-fueled rocket of a song that should have closed its set in place of the downtrodden and plodding "Loser." In comparison, Skynyrd's set soared from the opening bars of "Workin' for MCA." It was especially nice to see keyboardist Billy Powell back onstage, manning his white grand piano once again after a short stint at a Nashville substance-abuse rehab facility. The Skynyrd army marches on. 3 Doors Down, however, needs more basic training. Lynyrd Skynyrd Concert To Be Re-Scheduled From The Delmarva Shorebirds (Salisbury, MD) Due to the severe weather and storm conditions that came through Salisbury last night, The Lynyrd Skynyrd Concert was postponed at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. "We are all very disappointed that the Lynyrd Skynyrd Concert was cancelled last night due to the severe weather that came through the entire Delmarva Peninsula. The concert's promoter - Giant Productions out of Easton, MD - is currently working to reschedule the concert for the near future. Once they have the details for the new show dates for Lynyrd Skynyrd, they will also release information concerning their ticket refund policy. Fans are asked to please hold onto their tickets from this July 4th concert. Giant Productions will determine the ticket refund policy from last night's show. As we continue to get updated information we will distribute it to all media outlets and have it posted on the Shorebirds website - www.theshorebirds.com. Thank you for cooperation and patience." This is the official statement released by the Shorebirds this morning. Please call (410) 219-3112 for more information or visit us at www.theshorebirds.com. THIRD GUITARIST TO LINEUP From Launch Media
Skynyrd's original three-guitar lineup included Rossington, Allen Collins, and Ed King. After King left, Steve Gaines was brought in to fill out the sound. Gaines died in the band's 1977 plane crash. Collins was paralyzed from the waist down in a car wreck in 1986, and he died in January 1990. Lynyrd Skynyrd's next show is tonight (Wednesday, May 17th) in Alpine, California. ~Bruce Simon with the new school By: Hector Saldaña For The Express-News When they said the South would rise again, who could have predicted it would be like this? The unlikely pairing of two Southern bands — Lynyrd Skynyrd and 3 Doors Down — makes more sense after listening to their respective spokesmen than maybe it does on paper. One is a classic '70s guitar-rock band that likes to boogie. The other plays heavy modern rock hits such as "Kryptonite" and "When I'm Gone" — and its members were born in the '70s. To hear them tell it, it's a match made in heaven. The tour is launching with a VH1 special. "When it comes to old school meeting new school, it's really not that far apart," Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Rickey Medlocke said. "They have their crunch as compared to Lynyrd Skynyrd. The Skynyrd sound is the three guitars." "It's gonna work because it's real," 3 Doors Down singer Brad Arnold added. Lynyrd Skynyrd and 3 Doors Down play Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Friday night. Shooter Jennings opens. Showtime is 7. In a strange twist to its tragic history, Lynyrd Skynyrd (for all its infamous excess) has attained America's band status, the Southern equivalent of what the Beach Boys once represented. "I think Lynyrd Skynyrd has really reached a point in their life where they cross several different generations," Med8locke said. "We see that at shows a lot. We're seeing three generations, sometimes almost four. God, I'm making myself feel old, I swear," he said "What has happened is that Lynyrd Skynyrd has become one of America's premiere bands. We're a blue-collar band and we really take pride that we have this fan base of so many people that enjoy the music. And the music is the key secret to it because it has stood the test of time." That music includes classics such as "Sweet Home Alabama," "Free Bird," "Gimme Three Steps," "Saturday Night Special," "What's Your Name," "Gimme Back My Bullets," "Call Me the Breeze," "Simple Man" and "That Smell." Arnold sees the union with Lynyrd Skynyrd as organic. "None of us are a put-on. Both of us are the real thing," Arnold said. "Both bands are from real small towns." Multiplatinum 3 Doors Down — its run of hit albums include "The Better Life," "Away From the Sun" and "Seventeen Days" — had a previous classic-rock connection. The band recorded a track on its last album with Bob Seger, "Landing in London." Arnold's band is known for its heavy power chords. What happened to guitar solos and young bands? "People forgot how to play the guitar," Arnold said. "They just forgot about guitars at all. That's one thing we tried to put back into rock 'n' roll songs, lots of guitars. I'm thankful we drew a lot of our influences from Southern rock and bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd. They do have those guitar solos, and we never let 'em go." 3 Doors Down/Lynyrd Skynyrd Where: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, 16765 Lookout Road, Selma When: 7 p.m. Friday; doors open at 5:30 For openers: Shooter Jennings Tickets: $25-$55 at Ticketmaster outlets The group is co-headlining on tour with 3 Doors Down. By JOHN BENSON Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the plane crash that took the lives of Lynyrd Skynyrd band members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines, road manager Dean Kilpatrick, as well as the pilot and co-pilot. While the tragedy forever changed the band, it didn't define it. This is a tribute to both its rich catalog and the determination of its surviving members. Less than a decade after the crash, which reportedly was due to mechanical malfunction, Skynyrd re-formed with original players Gary Rossington, Billy Powell, Ed King and Leon Wilkeson joined by Van Zant's kid brother Johnny on vocals. Since the late '80s, Skynyrd has been flying high on the touring circuit that finds the Southern rock legends seemingly playing to larger crowds every summer. During a recent call to his tour bus, The Vindicator caught up with Van Zant to discuss the band's recent and much overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, its current co-headlining tour with 3 Doors Down (Friday at Post-Gazette Pavilion in Pittsburgh) and the phenomenon of fans at one time or another having awkwardly yelled "Free Bird" to seemingly every artist under the sun. Rock hall induction Q: First of all, congratulations on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nod. It's about time, don't you think? A: Yeah, I think it was way too long. For me, I think it was great for my brother who passed on in 1977 and for [Allen] Collins, Stevie Gaines, and for Gary Rossington and Billy Powell who are still here. I think that's a great honor for those guys and I'm glad the rock 'n' roll community finally wised up and gave Skynyrd its just due. Q: What is it about Lynyrd Skynyrd's music that not only helped forge the Southern rock sound but also stands the test of time? A: What the cool thing about Skynyrd is you'll get people in the rock world that will say they were influenced by Skynyrd, you get people in the country field saying they were influenced by Lynyrd Skynyrd and hell, you got people who are a little bit of both like Kid Rock, who has rock, country and hip hop, saying he was influenced by Skynyrd. So that's a pretty amazing thing when you get down to it. I think good music stays around forever. When the history books of music are written that's going to be a cool thing to go back and read. Q: Granted it's hypothetical, but what would your brother have said about the induction? A: I think he would have said, "I don't think it's going to pay my light bill next month but it's pretty cool to be in there. Now let's go play some gigs." Q: As far as playing gigs, Skynyrd has become a summer tradition for many families. This year is definitely special with the Rock Hall publicity and the fact you guys are co-headlining with 3 Doors Down. How did that bill come about? A: It's great, man. It's a good combination. Those guys came down to Jacksonville when the Super Bowl was there (a few years ago). We did a pre-show party thing for CMT and they were on that with us. We said, "Hey this kind of works out good. Our crowds like them, we like them and they like us. We ought to try to put something together." Some people were like, "Ah, that won't work." But man, we've been having some awesome crowds. You wouldn't believe how big they've been. It's unbelievable. We're hoping Pittsburgh is going to be a hell of a show. We have a platinum record from Pittsburgh, "Live from Steel Town," so we love that area. Q: With such heritage in the band, what's the one cliché that Lynyrd Skynyrd will never escape? A: Probably the "Free Bird" thing. We always get asked that question. How does it feel to have people holler "Free Bird" all of the time? They even do it to us too. It's a great song and somebody started that. Hell, I even went to a Cher show and yelled it out just to say I did it. Q.: Did she hear you? A.: (laughing) I hope not. By DAVE FERMAN For the STAR-TELEGRAM DALLAS - The current string of shows featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd and 3 Doors Down is being billed as the Double Trouble Tour: Both bands are Southern (Skynyrd is from Florida, 3DD from Mississippi) and both have sizable fan bases, thanks to Skynyrd's classic-rock pedigree and 3DD's series of radio hits. As far as bringing in fans, the plan has worked: The show drew a large, multigenerational crowd to the Smirnoff Music Centre on Sunday. Musically, though, this was a complete mismatch: 3DD's brand of cliche-ridden lite-metal would sound woeful enough on its own, but played just before Skynyrd's feisty hitsfest was like bringing a butter knife to a gunfight. Three Doors Down's hour-plus set did contain all of the band's big songs, such as Loser and Away From the Sun, and to give him his due, vocalist Brad Arnold does have a strong voice. But when the material is this bad it hardly matters: Every guitar riff and solo sounds recycled from other bands, a problem that is made worse by almost every song using the stock grunge/modern-rock song structure: A quiet verse building up to a loud solo, and back down again. As a result, the music comes off as facelessly loud, psuedo-anthemic and instantly dismissible. Skynyrd's tight set was infinitely more successful: Going on at 9:30 p.m. to the theme music from The Sopranos, the band whipped out one '70s radio hit after another. This was the band's first appearance in the area since being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 13, and if anything they were better than in recent visits: Johnny Van Zant has grown more adept at recreating his late brother Ronnie's vocals, and new guitarist Mark Matejka (formerly with Charlie Daniels) slotted in like an old hand. Hearing these songs again reminded one of just how successfully the band blended an assortment of influences (everything from Cream to old country blues) into a seamless whole. Opening with Workin' For MCA and I Ain't the One, Skynyrd stuck almost exclusively with the old stuff, and served up excellent versions of, among others, You Got That Right, That Smell and What's Your Name? The current three-guitar lineup (along with Matejka, Rickey Medlocke and original member Gary Rossington) is the best in recent memory, and the band's punch and grit were in ample supply. With any luck, the next band they pair up with for a co-headline tour will be not only better, but more similar musically: Skynyrd came of age when bands had a far more regional flavor, while 3DD (like many acts these days) sound like they could be from almost anywhere. GRADE: B By MALCOLM MAYHEW STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER WEBSTER & ASSOCIATES PR - Southern-rock kingpins Lynyrd Skynyrd tour summer after summer, bringing 40 years' worth of common-man anthems to their blue-collared masses. Plus, it's the one time of year when you can yell "Free Bird!" and actually hear it. Over the past few years, Skynyrd has seen its profile rise a bit, thanks to props given by Gretchen Wilson, Kid Rock and other contemporary performers who claim Skynyrd as an influence. Twenty-year-plus member Johnny Van Zant -- who's also a member of country duo Van Zant -- chats about the group's legend and longevity. Q: You guys tour every year, even though you don't have to. You're not hurting for money. A: It's the thrill of getting on stage and doing it. It's a great high. I mean, we still love playing. When we get home after a tour, we'll cut the grass, take out the garbage, do stuff around the house and then it's like, "Well, what do we do now? Let's go play some shows!" It's what Skynyrd was built on in the beginning, and that's what we're built on today. Q: 3 Doors Down is an interesting choice for an opener. A: We've wanted to tour together for a while, but people were like, "Nah, it won't match, it won't happen." Come to find out, our fans are their fans, and vice versa. They're big Skynyrd fans, and we dig what they do. For a long time, my ring tone was [3 Doors Down's] Here Without You. Q: For so long, it seemed like you guys weren't getting your dues. How's it feel for that to be changing? A: People keep saying that, but we've always played in front of a lot of fans. I don't see any difference. A new artist might say they love us, but the fans have been continuous. I do see a lot more kids at the concerts these days, so there is something going on. I took my kid to Disney World a while back, and I saw at least four or five kids, little kids, wearing Skynyrd T-shirts. I was like, "right on." That part of it is nice, to see the music getting passed down from generation to generation. I don't know if that's the result of the VH1 shows or whoever saying they like us, but we do appreciate it. I just think good music is good music, and I think what we do is irreplaceable and timeless. It's music for common people. It relates to people. That's the biggest reason, I think, that fans are handing it down. Q: What do you think of contemporary rock music? What do you like? A: These days, I love 3 Doors Down. My niece's husband is in Shinedown, and they're good. There's a lot of good stuff out there. It's just getting a little harder to find. Q: So what do you not like about contemporary rock music? A: For me, I love hearing lead guitars, and these days, you don't hear a lot of good lead guitar work. Bands'll just play through stuff, and a lot of their songs wind up sounding the same. But I'm not here to be a critic. Some guy came up to me at the gym the other day and said, "So you're with Skynyrd, huh?" I said, "Yeah." He said, "Well, they've never been my cup of tea." I was like, "OK, well, thanks for sharing." It all goes back to that old song, you can't please everyone, so you gotta please yourself. Q: Yelling "Free Bird!" at the most inappropriate of times is one of the oldest, and still funniest, jokes in rock. A: That's why people do it, because it is inappropriate. Who was it -- I think it was Van Morrison. He was in Europe doing a show one time, and he'd never heard that song and people were yelling it. He said, "What the hell is this 'Free Bird' thing? I guess I'll have to learn it." I mean, our fans do it to us right when we walk on stage. It's like, can't y'all wait a little bit? We are gonna play it, you know. Lynyrd Skynyrd With 3 Doors Down, Shooter Jennings 5:30 p.m. Sunday Smirnoff Music Centre Dallas $27.75-$65 972-647-5700 www.ticketmaster.com Lynyrd Skynyrd, Charlie Daniels 38 Special to perform From the Sioux City Journal NEWTON, Iowa (AP) -- In an effort to showcase the new Iowa Speedway as a diverse entertainment venue, officials of the new race track announced Monday a concert featuring three Southern rock icons. The Oct. 1 Fall Rockfest 2006 concert will feature Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special and the Charlie Daniels Band, said Iowa Speedway General Manager Todd Melfi. "These big name groups are legendary -- to bring these popular artists together for one big show demonstrates we operate a major sports-entertainment complex here at Iowa Speedway and we are delighted to have such great musical talent be a part of our inaugural season," he said in a statement. Iowa Speedway will convert its 25,000-seat race track into a modern concert venue for the event. The bands will entertain on the infield of the 7/8-mile oval asphalt track supported by large video screens and speaker banks. Lynyrd Skynyrd's roots date to the mid 1960s. The band had its first gold album with its debut "Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd" in 1973. The group's hits include "Gimme Three Steps," "Sweet Home Alabama," and "Free Bird." 38 Special has released more than a dozen albums since the mid 1970s. Its biggest hits came in the 1980s including "Caught Up in You," "Back Where You Belong" and "Second Chance." The Charlie Daniels Band features the band's namesake leader on the fiddle leading hits songs including "The South's Gonna Do It (Again)," "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" and "Long Haired Country Boy." Tickets for the concert will cost from $30 to $60 and can be bought through Ticketmaster or through the Iowa Speedway office in Newton. The inaugural season of the track, which is still under construction, will include three stock car races Sept. 15-17 and two events Oct. 14-15. 3 Doors Down, Lynyrd
Skynyrd By Kevin C. Johnson For The POST-DISPATCH POP MUSIC CRITIC Rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd and alternative rock band 3 Doors Down would seem to be unlikely touring partners. But get Skynyrd guitarist Rickey Medlocke and 3 Doors singer Brad Arnold together and it somehow makes sense. The two bands - the definitive Southern rockers with the tragic history, and the rising newcomers from Mississippi of "Kryptonite" and "When I'm Gone" fame - lavished praise on each other during a phone conversation prior to the kickoff of their summer tour. "I think 3 Doors Down are the real deal, and not just because he's sitting right here," says Medlocke, who originally joined his classic band in 1971 as its drummer before leaving, rejoining and leaving again over the next couple of years. "Lynryd Skynyrd has always prided ourselves on saying we were the real deal, and these guys are, too." Medlocke says that having an incredible lyricist and great singer like Arnold sets 3 Doors Down apart. "I get what I call 'chicken skin' when I listen to their stuff. I see something that's similar to us. These guys are staying true to themselves." Arnold, whose band is putting together a greatest hits collection while touring in support of its latest CD "Seventeen Days," agrees: "It is all about being true to yourself. It's also about communicating with band members. It's not a given you're going to get along. But we're close outside of music." Brotherhood has been essential to the dynamic of Medlocke and Lynyrd Skynyrd since the band's 1973 debut album, "Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd." "I see a lot of bands get a lot of success that goes straight through the top of their heads, and they break up," says Medlocke. "When you have a real band with that magic, where they've known each other all these years and there's a real camaraderie - like in 3 Doors Down - that's not a given. That's a special gift." Medlocke says his girlfriend turned him onto 3 Doors Down. He was already familiar with "Kryptonite," and on a drive back from a ski trip she exposed him to more of the band's music. "I loved the stuff. I got their ringtones on my phone." For Arnold, who once bought a hot rod in St. Louis, admiring the older band was practically a rite of passage. "If we had only one influence, it's Lynyrd Skynyrd," he says. "It's something you cut your teeth on. Lynyrd Skynyrd has really been a part of Southern culture." Arnold hopes 3 Doors Down follows in the path laid out by the great Southern rock bands who preceded them, such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers Band. "We're a band from the South, so we just want to carry the flag for Southern bands, carry it as far as we can." Linking up with Lynyrd Skynyrd on the Double Trouble tour is a good starting point. Medlocke says fans can look forward to the bands performing together spontaneously. He's also thankful his band is still here to tour with an act like 3 Doors Down, considering all that Lynyrd Skynyrd has been through - including weathering one of rock's greatest tragedies. Singer Ronnie Van Zant and several others were killed in a 1977 plane crash. "We had serious tragedy and lived through it. We're blessed and fortunate that we can still go out and play for our fans. They make it worthwhile." WHAT THEY SAID 3 Doors Down's Brad Arnold on his band's big hit, "Kryptonite": "That was the first song we recorded in a real studio. I remember walking into the studio, and it was like a deer in headlights. All those people were there for us." Lynyrd Skynyrd's Rickey Medlocke on today's music: "If anybody turns themselves off to listening to different music then they're not educating themselves. I listen to new bands, and anyone who's been around me can tell you I'm pretty weird when it comes to listening to music. I listen to everything." Medlocke on Lynyrd Skynyrd's classic years: "One of my fondest memories was one time going to Nashville, riding in the back of the equipment truck. I was on a mattress and we were laughing and having a good time and Ronnie (Van Zant) looked over and said, 'You know what Rickey? One of these days we won't have to do this. We'll have it made in the shade.' My old man used to tell me that, too."
Revived group pays tribute to past glory ![[image]](http://www.skynyrd.net/ls/lynyrd_jso.jpg) By LARRY WIDEN For the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel At 56, Lynyrd Skynyrd lead guitarist Rickey Medlocke is an indispensable member of one of rock music's legendary bands. In its 36-year existence, Skynyrd has weathered a plane crash that killed founder-lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines, drug- and alcohol-fueled car wrecks and the deaths of guitarist Allen Collins and bassist Leon Wilkeson. Medlocke was the drummer when the Jacksonville, Fla.-based band began to gain some traction in 1970. He recorded the original version of "Free Bird" along with other classic tracks before striking out on his own in 1973 with the hard-rock band Blackfoot. Meanwhile, his former bandmates broke out of the Southern rock circuit and reached the pinnacle of pop music, only to be cut down by the 1977 plane crash after playing in Greenville, S.C. "I might have been on that plane with them that night," Medlocke says. "Ronnie invited me to travel with them, but I had another gig so I stayed in South Carolina while they flew on to Mississippi." After the crash, the surviving members of the band tried to pick up the pieces of their career. Guitarists Collins and Gary Rossington formed a new band with bassist Wilkeson, but without the edgy stage charisma of Ronnie Van Zant, the magic was gone. In the late '80s, the band members asked Van Zant's younger brother, Johnny, a successful singer with his own band, to join them for a tribute tour. After more than a decade of foundering, Lynyrd Skynyrd was back. Medlocke rejoined the group in 1996. The band brings its three-guitar sound to Summerfest at 10 tonight. Country Music Television is filming the performance for a July broadcast. Q. It's well-known that the band's name was created as a variation of Leonard Skinner, the gym teacher who said you guys would never amount to anything. A. (laughs) Yeah, he rode us pretty hard. Had a haircut like a drill sergeant! But any animosity was over a long time ago. He's come out with us a few times, and we did a thing with him at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a while back. He thinks the whole thing is cool. Still got that haircut, though. Q. What's the live show like these days? A. Man, it's fantastic! We're back to three lead guitars, Gary, myself and our new member, Mark Matejka. He's a Charlie Daniels Band veteran guitarist. The three of us play really well together. Q. It's obvious you really love doing this. A. For me, that couple hours onstage is worth a lifetime. I realize that one day I won't be able to do this, so every night that I can do it, I'm grateful. |
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