I've been told that the first choice for the August rock concert at Falconi Field was Lynyrd Skynyrd.
That band wasn't available, so Falconi gets the second choice. Some guy named Dylan.
Come on, now. You mean someone preferred to hire a bunch of Southern-fried hacks to the a bona fide legend?
Granted, Skynyrd has some popular tunes that aren't bad for a listen. But keep in mind, most of the guys who recorded that material are no longer with us. The co-composers of "Freebird," Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins, both are deceased. In fact, the plane crash that killed Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister Cassie Gaines effectivly put an end to the REAL Lynyrd Skynyrd, much like Lowell George's death spelled an end to the genuine Little Feat.
The remnants of both bands decided to reunite in the '80s, and both still are with us today.
That's good for fans who like to hear their material performed live. I've seen the "new" Little Feat, and the folks in that band put on a heck of a show. (And I've written an article to be published next Friday about another band, the Yardbirds, that has gotten back together withs some key members from its heyday.)
But the thought of putting the 2006 version of Lynyrd Skynyrd ahead of Bob Dylan on any list of priorities boggles the mind.
At any rate, I've heard this story secondhand, so it might not even be true.
Please let it just be a rumor!
That band wasn't available, so Falconi gets the second choice. Some guy named Dylan.
Come on, now. You mean someone preferred to hire a bunch of Southern-fried hacks to the a bona fide legend?
Granted, Skynyrd has some popular tunes that aren't bad for a listen. But keep in mind, most of the guys who recorded that material are no longer with us. The co-composers of "Freebird," Ronnie Van Zant and Allen Collins, both are deceased. In fact, the plane crash that killed Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister Cassie Gaines effectivly put an end to the REAL Lynyrd Skynyrd, much like Lowell George's death spelled an end to the genuine Little Feat.
The remnants of both bands decided to reunite in the '80s, and both still are with us today.
That's good for fans who like to hear their material performed live. I've seen the "new" Little Feat, and the folks in that band put on a heck of a show. (And I've written an article to be published next Friday about another band, the Yardbirds, that has gotten back together withs some key members from its heyday.)
But the thought of putting the 2006 version of Lynyrd Skynyrd ahead of Bob Dylan on any list of priorities boggles the mind.
At any rate, I've heard this story secondhand, so it might not even be true.
Please let it just be a rumor!
2 Comments:
Believe me, I feel your chest-clutching pain at the prospect of Bob Dylan - the greatest living American songwriter, one of the most important cultural figures of the 20th century - taking a back seat to Lynyrd Skynyrd in anybody's estimation. The unfortunate reality, though, is that Skynyrd is probably a more reliable draw on the concert circuit. Last time Dylan appeared in the Pittsburgh area, he was at the Petersen Events Center and drew about 6,000 people. Not bad, but, sadly, Lynyrd Skynyrd would have probably filled the place.
People do need to realize what a coup it is that Dylan is going to be playing at Falconi Field. Probably the last time a musician of Dylan's stature appeared in Washington was a Louis Armstrong gig at the Fairgrounds back in the late 1950s.
Yeah, they would've loved Skynyrd at Falconi Field. Just look at how many people were arrested when Skynyrd played Star Lake last week ...
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