Review & photos by Joe Schaeffer
It was a night of classic rock in Irvine when Lynyrd Skynyrd and Tesla gave a near sold-out crowd a heavy dose of 70s and 80s rock and roll.
Guitarist and singer Damon Johnson, who previously played with Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders, started off the night with a short acoustic set that included a couple of songs from his 2020 solo album Battle Lessons. Turns out, he’d be pulling double duty tonight, subbing for Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Gary Rossington, who’s currently off the road due to medical issues.
Shortly before 8:00, Tesla hit the stage. It’s hard to believe that 2021 marks the 35th anniversary of Tesla’s debut album Mechanical Resonance. The band hasn’t lost a beat. COVID-19- related issues have kept most bands off the road since early 2020. It also halted a few of Tesla’s 2021 dates as guitarist Frank Hannon recovered from the virus.
Singer Jeff Keith still has his trademark vocal style, and the band was in top form. Musically, guitarists Hannon and Dave Rude, bassist Brian Wheat and drummer Steve Brown seem like they have been together for ever. Brown is the touring replacement for original drummer Troy Luccketta who is taking time off. The guitar duets of Hannon and Rude simply were amazing, and Brown was phenomenal on drums. When Tesla performs, the band gives its all with every performance.
Opening up with “Modern Day Cowboy,” the band played an 11-song set on this warm Southern California evening, including “Cold Blue Steel,” a new one with a southern-rock vibe. The crowd went nuts as the band played on. “What You Give” and “Call It What You Want” had everyone singing. “Love Song” began with Rude and Hannon playing the acoustic opening. When it kicked in, everyone was on their feet for every note. The night, their final show with Lynyrd Skynyrd for this tour, concluded with the group’s breakout hit, “Signs”.
Lynyrd Skynyrd was next. As previously mentioned, Gary Rossington, the only surviving original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, had to bow out of the tour due to medical issues. As he recovers, Damon Johnson has admirably been filling in. COVID-19 is no stranger to them as well. In August, another one of the group’s guitarists, Rickey Medlocke, tested positive for the virus, causing some concerts to be postponed and rescheduled.
Though they’ve undoubtedly changed hands and evolved since forming in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964, the current Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup does its finest to pay homage to the music that so many of us fans have come to appreciate over the past 50 plus years.
As expected, they played all their hits, from “What’s Your Name” to “I Know a Little” to, of course, “Sweet Home Alabama.” Other songs from the night include “Tuesday’s Gone,” “Simple Man,” “Workin’ for MCA,” “Needle And the Spoon,” “Gimme Three Steps” and J. J. Cale’s “Call Me The Breeze.”
The evening ended with an encore of the epic “Freebird.” It featured a vocal track and video of original singer Ronnie Van Zant, who perished in the tragic plane crash of 1977, performing during the band’s heyday. Younger brother, singer Johnny Van Zant, along with Rossington and others who have come and gone or stayed, has been flying the Lynyrd Skynyrd since the band reunited in the late 80s. Whether this is truly the “Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour” remains to be seen. Hopefully, Rossington will make it back for one last round.
