Rowdy Frynds Tour

By Brandy Simpson

Freedom Hall was packed on June 15 for The Rowdy Friends Tour, featuring .38 Special, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Mr. Hank Williams Jr. The beer was flowing and the stars and bars were flying. It was a Southern rocker's dream.

The show openers, .38 Special, got the crowd started with a tight set, followed by the man himself, Hank Jr. Bocephus is definitely a country boy who has not only survived but thrived. Starting out singing the songs of his father, the late great Hank Williams Sr., he has become a man who draws a crowd of thousands with his familiar Southern-fried country rock sound

Known for getting drunk, smoking a little and playing a hell of a show (not to mention a certain string of appearances on Monday Night Football), he gave the crowd what they came for. Everyone in the crowd got rowdy when Hank started to play. All the classics were there: "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound," "All My Rowdy Friends" and "Family Tradition," just to name a very few. Hank Jr. was born to be on stage and you could tell. He was right at home with the screaming crowd.

By the end of his set, those who didn't already know why Hank drank, rolled smoke and liked to live out the songs he wrote, found out why. Here's my question: Hank, why weren't you the headliner?

Lynyrd Skynyrd closed the show, once more covering all their classics. Of course we got to hear "Sweet Home Alabama" Tuesday's Gone," "The Needle and The Spoon" and, of course, "Freebird." The crowd loved it all.

Hank Jr. and Skynyrd have teamed up before and had an overwhelming response, so it only made sense for them to do it again. All of us fans are happy they did.