The Boys Were Back In Town

By Rob Greenwell

Remember the line in the song " the boys are back in town?" They were on Wednesday, September 26 at Coyote's as Phil, Bobby and the boys of Molly Hatchet rocked into Louisville to give the city another taste of it's hard-driving Southern rock sound. Playing to a raucous crowd is what this band is all about. From "Whiskey Man" to "Gator Country" to the most famous Hatchet song, "Flirtin' with Disaster," these guys rocked all night long.

In this age of politically correct people who don't want to make anybody mad, the people at a Hatchet show are Southern by nature, with a bit of crimson shade on their necks, the kind of people who literally "flip the bird" at political correctness. Molly Hatchet is the personification of that "Southern" way of life; it's almost as if their philosophy of life came from Charlie Daniels' "Longhaired Country Boy," particularly the part that says "If you don't like the way I'm living, you just leave this longhaired country boy alone." That's Molly Hatchet, shotgun-loud rock `n' roll, long hair, and good-ole boys who like to have a little fun.

Molly Hatchet (the music) is pretty much the same as Molly Hatchet (the band). The members have changed over the years, but the sound has stayed the same: no flash, just ATTITUDE. From the start, the guitar amps were turned up, so Bobby's great guitar licks and Phil's southern, raspy vocals grabbed the crowd, as always. They romped through all of the favorite Hatchet songs, ending with the infamous "Flirting with Disaster."

If you have never gone to a Molly Hatchet show, it's an American rite you should witness at least one time in your life, and, in spite of their `Southern Reb' image, they will leave you definitely feeling proud and very patriotic.