A Night With The Outlaws

I'm sorry, but there is nothing better to get you into a great mood than a little lot of good old southern rock. There's just something about a band wearing cowboy hats and playing kick ass music, that sends me to a much finer place. Last night, I was lucky enough to enjoy a double dose.

Wednesday August 1, Bergen Performing Arts Center: Crawdaddy and The Outlaws. Sweet.

This show was kind of a last minute deal, having only decided on Sunday to attend. That was a good job by us.

"We'll never know what could have been. 

We can only look back and imagine."

That quote appears on a sign hung on the piano of the night's opening act: Crawdaddy.

Crawdaddy is a Lynyrd Skynrd tribute band. This night we were treated with the drumming of Artimus Pyle, original member of Skynrd and a survivor of the horrific plane crash which killed six people including three members of the band. Artimus Pyle was one of three men who crawled out from the wreckage and walked through swampy woods in search of help, nearly ending up a victim of a local farmer who thought the men were escapees from a nearby prison.

Back to the music. When I think southern rock, I think lots of guitars, a few backup singers and a big drum kit. Check. Oh, and it needs to be loud and rockin'. Double check.

From "Gimme Two Steps" to "The Breeze" the joint was jumping. Throwing in a little "old fashioned honky tonk," "I Know a Little About Love" and of course a spot-on version of "Sweet Home Alabama," Crawdaddy set the tone for one great night of rock.

This is why you should always check out the opening act.  Otherwise you would just miss too much fun.

The Outlaws

Now in April, I did a blog post on The Outlaws called "Time To Kick It Up: Outlaw Style."  At that time, I had no idea I would be seeing them a few months later. So here are a few thoughts on seeing them live.

Thought #1: Yeah
Thought #2 Hell Yeah.

I lost count at the number of standing ovations The Outlaws received last night. The first was three songs in, after a killer rendition of "Hurry Sundown." And, that was after a wicked version of "There Goes Another Love Song."  It was hard to find anyone without a smile of their face.

This night, the band mixed in a lot of newer material along with the old classics and you know what...it was all good. It's a shame that even Sirius radio does not have a channel where classic rockers can get their newer music played (though they might be moving in that direction). Their new album "Its About Pride" will be released this September.  The title song, which they played last night, reflects what has been their reason for pushing on all these years. Pride in being in a band that has endured, and pride in the product they have produced.

I'll say one thing, these boys are having a real good time. Unlike so many bands today, where interaction between the members is limited to a nod or a glare...every member from original lead vocalist Henry Paul, original drummer Monte Yoho to veteran guitarists Billy Crain and Chris Anderson to bass player Randy Threet and Keyboardist Dave Robbins...these guys really seem to like each other. In a business where that is not always the case...it was real nice to see. No southern rock band is complete without a trio of backup singers, and these girls rocked it out all night.

At one point Henry talked about playing the old Capitol Theatre in Passaic, something like a hundred years ago. That is where this girl grew her rock & roll teeth. For me, that was a nice trip down memory lane and was much appreciated by a friendly crowd, many of whom had most likely been there too.

The set ended with a full length version of "Green Grass and High Tides." I think this was when I tweeted a picture with one word...wow.  Encore was "Ghost Riders in the Sky," Kick ass, smokin' and still a great vocal.

A killer night of music. yippee-ki-yay.


More pictures on Kat's Theory FaceBook page.

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