From the iconic opening guitar riff to that opening line — “Big wheels keep on turning / Carry me home to see my kin” — we all wish we were from ’Bama.
And, yes, you can hear everyone from Garth Brooks to Alabama cover Lynyrd Skynyrd’s iconic “Sweet Home Alabama” in their concerts. But there is no comparison to the real deal.
On Thursday, July 13, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers will no doubt hold that song in their hip pocket until that moment when the crowd at the AVA at Casino del Sol Resort and Casino are just about ready to go bat-crazy.
Then we’ll hear the opening strains — the signature trio made famous by former member Ed King that will no doubt be met by thunderous applause and screams from Thursday’s audience — and the amphitheater will be filled with a chorus so loud you can hear it at the blackjack tables.
Thursday’s concert is the band’s first in Tucson since they brought their 2015 “One Last Time” tour to the AVA. (No, that wasn’t a farewell concert, but it did mark their 40th anniversary.)
Here are six other Skynyrd songs we never tire of hearing and we’re pretty confident we will hear Thursday night:
- “Free Bird”: Hello, what would a night with Skynyrd be sans “Free Bird”? We’re guessing there would be some unhappy folks.
- “What’s Your Name”: See “Free Bird.” This is one of the band’s funnest songs to sing along to.
- “Call Me the Breeze”: Aside from “Sweet Home Alabama,” this song for us defined Southern rock.
- “Workin’ For MCA”: This is an oldie but great-y. And we love that the revolt against the major labels had its roots in the early 1970s, not the 2000s.
- “Gimme Three Steps”: The ultimate cheating/it-wasn’t-me/forgive-me song ever. “Gimme three steps, gimme three steps, mister / Gimme three steps toward the door / Gimme three steps, gimme three steps, mister / And you’ll never see me no more.”
- “Double Trouble”: Not so sure they will dig this deep back into their catalogue, but this is one of our favorites. There’s a great YouTube clip of the late Ronnie Van Zant performing the song live.
