ALTON - Not with a fizzle, but with a bang.
That was exactly how the Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater decided to end their season; with a performance of none other than classic southern rock superstars Lynyrd Skynyrd, beginning at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4.
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Crowds began heading to the amphitheater early to get the best spots available on the hill overlooking beautiful venue. Before the show had even begun, lines were wrapped around the box office in hopes to purchase one of the last remaining tickets for the night’s show. The unlucky ones who hadn’t received tickets for the show did what any dedicated Skynyrd fan would do; set up camp outside the amphitheater and enjoy the show from a far.
After everyone had grabbed their cold beverages and headed to their seats, opening act Clayton Anderson got the night started with some modern country music. Anderson, a singer-songwriter from Indiana, has been inching closer and closer to superstardom after reaching the number two spot on the iTunes Country Music charts.
Anderson kept true to his country roots and played some fan favorite covers, including “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty and “Small Town” by John Mellencamp, as well as some of his original songs. The tunes definitely had the crowd off their feet. Anderson’s on-stage charisma had some of the ladies walking by the stage batting their eyelashes.
Finally, the moment the packed Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater crowd had been waiting for; Lynyrd Skynyrd headed out on stage and rocked the socks off of every single person in the vicinity.
The energy at the amphitheater was electrifying, with possibly one of the most responsive and dedicated crowds all summer.
One would think that a band that has been in the business since 1967, with the present incarnation entering the industry in 1977, they may be a little “tired” or “too old” for performances nowadays. This is simply not true for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Their ability to walk on the stage and put on that magnitude of a concert is something for the record books.
After the plane crash that took three of the band’s original members’ lives in 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd is no stranger to tragedy. Guitarist Gary Rossington has been in Skynyrd since its inception in 1964 and remains in the band to this day. After the loss of his brother and the first lead singer of Skynyrd, Ronnie Van Zant, Johnny Van Zant has led the band since their comeback tour.
The participation of the crowd made for an even more enjoyable experience. Everyone seemed to know all of the words to Skynyrd’s hit songs, including “That Smell,” “What’s Your Name,” “Tuesday’s Gone,” and of course, fan favorite “Sweet Home Alabama.”
Anyone who has ever been to a Skynyrd concert knows that it is tradition for the band to close out the night with their heartfelt hit “Freebird.” With the sweet guitar riffs and somber lyrics, the crowd swayed and sang along.
In the song, Van Zant sings, “If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?” It is clear that on that night, Lynyrd Skynyrd gave the city of Alton a performance of a lifetime that no one will ever forget.
CLICK HERE OR LOOK BELOW FOR A PHOTO GALLERY OF THE CONCERT!
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