LYNYRD SKYNYRD’S TWO-YEAR FAREWELL TOUR OFFICIALLY UNDERWAY
West Palm Beach Brings Friends Jamey Johnson, Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot
Rocking a Packed Coral Sky Amphitheatre Opening Night
|
|
|
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Southern Rock icons, Lynyrd Skynyrd, kicked off their Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour,
presented by SiriusXM and produced by Live Nation, last night in West
Palm Beach, Florida at the Coral Sky Amphitheatre, the fourth time since
the 90s the band has started a tour at the seasoned outdoor shed if you
ask guitarist Rickey Medlocke (his first show reunited with the band
was on this very stage in 1995). The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s,
joined by friends Jamey Johnson, Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot,
started their two-year farewell tour with a resounding downbeat rocking
the packed crowd that extended to the furthest boundaries of the grassy
lawn.
In a walk-up to the show, The Tampa Bay Times interviewed Gary
Rossington, Johnny Van Zant and Medlocke during a recent fans-only
SiriusXM show in Atlanta around their “Free Bird” Southern Rock
Pop-up Channel affirming Lynyrd Skynyrd has solidified their place in
history as “one of the biggest bands ever to come out of Florida.” With a
90+ minute set encompassing timeless hits like “Simple Man,”
“Gimme Three Steps,” “What’s Your Name,” and rarity “The Ballad of
Curtis Lowe,” the evening wind picked up in sync with the set list’s
tempo as they transitioned seamlessly into “Sweet Home Alabama” before a
13+ minute “Free Bird,” reminding the audience why Rolling Stone magazine calls them one of the 100 Greatest Bands of All Time.
The Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour marks a big
moment for generations of fans, as the band has been touring
consistently since the 90s. After a career that has spanned more than 40
years and includes a catalog of more than 60 albums with more than 30
million units sold, the band, that USA Today called the
“whiskey-soaked genre’s most popular and influential crew,” is ready to
rock one last time. The farewell tour will take original member
Rossington joined by Van Zant, Medlocke, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael
Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Dale Krantz Rossington, Carol
Chase and special guest Jim Horn across the country over the next two
years.
Stay tuned for the announcement of additional dates for the second leg of the farewell tour.
Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour presented by SiriusXM
Announced Dates – First Leg
Saturday, May 5 – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, Florida
Friday, May 11 – Starplex Pavilion, Dallas, Texas
Saturday, May 12 – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Presented by Huntsman, Houston, Texas
Friday, May 18 – Ak-Chin Pavilion, Phoenix, Arizona
Saturday, May 19 – Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, California
Friday, May 25 – Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, California
Saturday, May 26 – Glen Helen Amphitheater, San Bernadino, California
Friday, June 22 – PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, New Jersey
Saturday, June 23 – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theatre, Wantagh, New York
Friday, June 29 – Coastal Credit Union Music Park, Raleigh, North Carolina
Saturday, June 30 – PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte, North Carolina
Friday, July 6 – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Saturday, July 7 – Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, Virginia
Friday, July 13 – Darien Lake Amphitheater, Darien, New York
Saturday, July 14 – Xfinity Theatre, Hartford, Connecticut
Friday, July 20 – Xfinity Center, Mansfield, Massachusetts
Saturday, July 21 – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Bethel, New York
Friday, July 27 – Blossom Music Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Saturday, July 28 – Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Friday, August 3 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, Illinois
Saturday, August 4 – Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center, Noblesville, Indiana
Friday, August 10 – DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, Michigan
Saturday, August 11 – Budweiser Stage, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Friday, August 17 – Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Saturday, August 18 – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, St. Louis, Missouri
Friday, August 24 – Lakeview Amphitheatre, Syracuse, New York
Saturday, August 25 – KeyBank Pavilion, Burgettstown, Pennsylvania
Friday, August 31 – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, Pelham, AL
Saturday, September 1 – Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta, Georgia
VIP Packages will be available for all dates. Details available at lynyrdskynyrd.com.
About Lynyrd Skynyrd
Original members Ronnie Van Zant, Bob Burns, Allen Collins, Gary
Rossington, and Larry Junstrom formed the band in 1964, originally known
as My Backyard, the band changed to its famous name in the early 1970s,
and became popular in the Jacksonville, FL area, where the original
members were from. They signed with Sounds of the South Records in 1972,
and released their self-titled disc the following year. The album that
featured “Free Bird,” arguably the most-recognized single in the
Southern Rock genre, has sold more than 2 million units since its
release. Later down the road the band recorded iconic tracks “Sweet Home
Alabama” and “What’s Your Name.”
The band’s story took a tragic turn in October 1977 when a plane crash
took the lives of Van Zant, Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines,
and several of their road crew. The band took a decade-long hiatus
before reuniting for a tour and live album, Southern by the Grace of God. Since then, the band has toured and recorded extensively, with their most recent release being Last Of A Dyin’ Breed.
The band’s current line-up includes original member Rossington, Johnny
Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone,
Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Dale Krantz Rossington and Carol Chase.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
Photo by Doltyn Snedden