Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top, two of the Midwest’s favorite bands, teamed up to rock the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas as they kicked off the opening date of their Rebels & Bandolerous Tour.

Opening night for new tours usually has a few issues and tonight was no exception. Lynyrd Skynyrd had audio issues early on. Truth be told, the sound was poor. Guitarist Rickey Medlocke was playing his rear end off but unless you had six-string experience, you wouldn’t have known it because his guitar was low in the mix. That said, the band soldiered on and ended up performing well. Skynyrd has always been a great rock n’ roll show, both musically and visually. There is a lot going on with this band, from the guitar solos, to the various other musicians to Johnny Van Zant to the background singers, there is never a dull moment.

No band has suffered as much tragedy in the history of rock n’ roll as much as Lynyrd Skynyrd. Its a miracle they have been able survive the sheer amount of death that has surrounded them. Ronnie Van Zant, Cassie and Steve Gaines were all killed in the infamous plane crash in 1977. Since then, Allen Collins, Leon Wilkeson and Billy Powell have also passed away. The famous 70’s lineup is not alone in its tragedy, as members of the modern day Skynyrd have also suffered the same fate. Both Hughie Thomasson and Ean Evans have gone to the great gig in the sky.

The current lineup includes only Gary Rossington from the classic Skynyrd era; however, Jacksonville alum Rickey Medlocke is also onboard as one of the band’s lead guitarists. Medlocke, ironically, was one of Skynyrd’s first drummers and actually recorded with the band in an early incarnation. Johnny Van Zant, Ronnie’s little brother, handles the vocals and is the emcee for he audience. He does his job well and, while he is not a clone, vocally, of Ronnie, he does the job needed, and pays homage to his fallen band members. Michael Cartellone has pounded the skins for Skynyrd since 1999 and the band has been wise to keep him onboard, as he is an energetic and passionate musician. Mark Matejka has been with the group on guitar for five years while bass player Robert Kearns and keyboardist Peter Pisarczyk are the newest members, coming onboard in 2009.

Rossington acts as the elder statesmen of Southern Rock while onstage. He has lost some playing ability but he still has the love and passion for all things Lynyrd Skynyrd. He does a fine job of making sure the band, whoever is in the lineup, understands the importance of being on stage representing the legacy of this band.

Rossington is a rough cut, no nonsense musician who is hell bent on making sure every note is right. A tip of the hat is due to guitarist Rickey Medlocke, as it is his energy, and raw determination, that makes songs like “Free Bird,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Give Me Three Steps” and “Skynyrd Nation” come off so well live. His playing, at age 61, has not diminished and has, in fact, blossomed. Rickey is no stranger to Southern Rock success, as he has sold over a million records with the band Blackfoot. His Jacksonville roots help give credibility to the band and his love of the music helps keep putting butts in the seats, year after year.

Skynyrd is the opening act on this co-headlining tour; therefore their set was a tad shorter than when they are the main event. For diehard fans, that means some classics, and newer songs, had to be removed from the setlist. What remained, however, included the best of the bunch, and a welcome addition in “T For Texas.” This is a band that can close a show by playing “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird” back-to-back. That pretty much says it all. The members of Lynyrd Skynyrd are comfortable on stage and are very conscious of the past legacy of the band, yet are not afraid to push forward into the modern day. The common naysayer may not like the fact that Skynyrd is out there without the classic lineup, but when the other choice is to go home and have no Skynyrd at all, we should be grateful Rossington and company are still on the road. The band has released many new albums that are worthy of the moniker, including 2009’s God & Guns on Roadrunner Records and will likely continue to write and record music until they can no longer pick up a guitar.

When their set ended, it was clear that Skynyrd did much more than warm up the crowd for ZZ Top. They were like the first half of a doubleheader baseball game. The crowd was left satisfied but still looking forward to that little old band from Texas, coming up next.

After a short break, ZZ Top took the stage. Unlike Skynyrd, it’s the same three guys in the band that have been there since day one. Reverend Billy Gibbons, the star of the show, plays a mean guitar and his gruff vocals only get better as time erodes his vocal chords. Dusty Hill shares lead vocals and plays the bass like he is the second lead guitarist in the band, while the beardless one, Frank Beard, sits behind the drum kit, often closing his eyes while keeping the groove.

ZZ’s two bearded banditos took the stage wearing FFA jackets, yes, Future Farmers of America. On the back it said “Hollywood.” Reverend Billy said, “People say that there are no farmers in Hollywood. Let’s just say we know a lot of farmers in Hollywood.” With that he raised his right arm and put his index finger and thumb together and put them to his mouth. The crowd roared at the marijuana joke.

ZZ played only songs from Eliminator and backwards in their career, skipping the poppy tunes, much to the joy of the hardcore Toppers in the audience. Fans of Eliminator were in hog heaven as the band performed “Got Me Under Pressure,” “Gimmie All Your Lovin’,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs” and “I Need You Tonight.” The latter was one of the highlights of the show as Gibbon’s played a long solo with only one hand. As he hammered, and slid, his fret hand up and down the neck of his guitar, he looked at the crowd, gave a cocky nod of his head and rested his pick hand on his hip.

The band played a blues number, in which Gibbons demanded a blues hat be brought on stage so that he could look cool, like Dusty did in his blues hat. A good-looking lady dressed in red brought the hat out to him. The show ended with “La Grange” and “Tush” as the band left Wichita without an encore, much to the dismay of the crowd.

Opening night of the Rebels and Bandoleros Tour was a success as both bands played a good set. The only true negatives of the night were Skynyrd’s sound issues, and the fact that both bands cut back on their set list due to the time restraints of having two headliners on one stage.

Both bands are true icons of a time when music mattered more than video games, wars, the economy and the Internet. Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top belong to a special time in the history of American Music. For ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd are two examples of bands that were always larger than life. Their music is magical and they still weave that magic today, no matter who is in the band, in Skynyrd’s case, or how long the members have been together, in ZZ’s.

At the end of the day all that’s left to say is that cool hats, long beards, God, guns, and guitars rock. ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd rule!

www.zztop.com
www.lynyrdskynyrd.com