Blackberry Smoke Bishop Gunn Florida Theater Jacksonville, Florida December 30. 2019o9
ONSTAGE
with a virtual who’s who of Southern rock mu- sicians hailing from there, a town that's steeped in that musical history. Or maybe it was all that plus the moon and stars lining up just right that lead me to experience what was to date the best show ever. The evening started off a small Italian
restaurant next door to the theater for a gather- ing of the brothers and sisters of Blackberry Smoke. These times of fellowship are a huge part of every smoke show, and the bonds that grow from this time spent together is hard to describe. If you have never experienced it first hand, it’s pretty hard to comprehend, but trust me, you will enter a fan of the band and leave a part of the family. The staff at the theater was the best, and
This review maybe the hardest review I
have ever attempted to do, not because the show or artists were bad- in fact it was the com- plete opposite! This was (and I am not sure what word
to use that can adequately describe it) the best rock and roll show I have ever witnessed and that's saying a lot since I am 58 years old and have been going to shows since I was a pre- teen. I am not sure what made this show so special, since I have seen Bishop Gunn before, and Blackberry Smoke well over 60 times. Maybe it was the venue, since the Florida The- atre is a historic hall, having opened its doors on April 8,1927 and is listed as a historic the- ater, and has hosted a assortment of acts over its history. Maybe it was seeing my favorite band, Blackberry Smoke, play the town where I grew up and developed my love for music. Maybe it was the gathering of friends (or should I say family, as the fan base of Black- berry Smoke is much more family then friends) that takes place before each and every Smoke show. Maybe the bands understood the musi- cally sacred ground that is Jacksonville, Florida
when they saw the line getting too long they opened up another set of doors and it flowed perfectly and with ease. Once inside I was struck by how beautiful the venue was (I had been there before in my youth but that was many years and brain cells ago). The staff was
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91
