to Sunday,” “Let Me Help You,” and “Like I Am.” It never ceases to amaze me that almost the entire audience sings along on most every song. Charlie Starr, Brit Turner, Paul Jack- son, Brandon Still, and Richard Turner were laying it down hard and heavy, just the way we like it, and the set just got better and bet- ter. From “Crimson Moon,” to the melodic favorite “Pretty Little Lie,” and the rocking “Fire in the Hole” to “Rock and Roll Again,” everyone in the place was rocking. I had been in the balcony for the Headhunters because I have a hard time standing on a concrete floor for four or five hours. After a big, drunk red- neck started giving me a hard time in the bal- cony, resulting in me being drenched in his beer, I made my way down to the floor for Smoke’s show. What I didn’t count on though was just how “sold out” the show really was. There was virtually no place to stand without being shoulder to shoulder with everyone. About the time they started in on “I Feel a Good One Comin’ On,” as irony would have it, I got a snoot full of second hand smoke. Two words: contact high. If the music was good before, and it was, it went up another couple of levels as I stood there and breathed in the music. “Let a Sleeping Dog Lie” segued into the
beautiful “Whippoorwill,” on which Charlie played Duane Allman’s old Les Paul gold top that was brought over from The Big House Museum by Richard Brent and Rob Schneck. Richard and the owner of the guitar have been extremely kind to allow some of music’s greatest to play this fine guitar. I have seen everyone play it from Derek Trucks to Tommy Talton, Billy Gibbons, Warren Haynes, so many. Even I myself played it, although un- plugged while visiting the Museum. Next time I rock in Macon plan to beg Richard for a chance to pick it for real. Charlie made it sound sweet as could be. Following the song, there was a presenta-
tion of two checks for $15,000 each for child- hood cancer research. The money came from
fans paying for special meet and greets throughout the year. So far the Blackberry Smoke Brothers & Sisters have raised over $100,000. Something to be proud of, and an- other reason to respect this amazing band. Right after the presentation, the boys
kicked it back off with “Up In Smoke,” and brought out friend Benji Shanks to play some guitar. They covered the Black Crowes “Wiser Time”and boy howdy did it ever sound great. The show continued with “Lay it All On Me,” and the crowd “sing along” “I Ain’t Got the Blues Anymore,” before a smoking cover of Tom Petty’s “American Girl.” Wow. Next up was one of my personal favorites,
“One Horse Town.” I can identify with the words, as most guys I grew up did indeed fol- low their dads career path. I didn’t say I did that myself, mind you, but I saw it happening all around me in Spartanburg, SC. “I Wanna Know Who Invented The Wheel”
was next, followed by “Holding All the Roses” and “Payback’s a Bitch.” The pre-encore show ended with another personal favorite, “Ain’t Much Left of Me.” The guys left the stage, only to be cheered
back on fairly quickly. They played “Too High” with Levi Lowry and then Charlie called everyone out onstage, including The Headhunters, Levi and Benji for an amazing rendition of “The Night They Drove Ol’ Dixie Down” tat wowed everyone in the building. After the other guys left the stage, Smoke wrapped it all up in a Christmas bow with “Freedom Song.” When the lights came up, everyone was standing around like they had just had a religious experience. In fact, we mighta did. Scott and I got in the line for those of us
with backstage after show passes, and soon we made our way through that catacombs, up ten steps, down ten steps, up ten steps, around the curve past the loading doc into the elaborate maze of rooms. Fans were standing around talking to band members. It was a re- laxed, yet crowded environment. I made my
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