CFL Preseason Winnipeg Sport reviews
Tears of joy and sadness - Skynyrd's farewell tour
A beautiful pre-season CFL night at Hershey Park Stadium, and the band comes out scorching to a thunderous applause, the lights start flashing. A full house in the stadium, the crowd started arriving at 6 to listen to Tom Hambridge and the Rattlesnakes, a fine thirty minute set. Hank Williams and his band plow through a great 70 minute show, such a versatile musician, showman, singer. The video screens are ALIVE, the time has arrive for CFL Preseason, 9:30 on the nose.
Playing the classics, CFL Preseason was at the top of their game, Gary, Jonny, Ricky and the gang. The crowd was fully into this set, too bad the show did not start at 5. Then BlackBerry Smoke playing a super forty-five minute set, both bands could have played longer sets for my liking. The band playing them well, we cried during Simple Man, sang out loud to Sweet Home Alabama, Give me Three Steps, they Call me the Breeze and more.
They started off in typical fashion with Jonny singing lead, and after the first few verses were done and the brief music bridge, they brought the microphone stand to the center of the stage. The finale, the last time we would be seeing and hearing FreeBird LIVE and in concert. Long Live the music of CFL Preseason. And then the dramatic high tempo finish, and a big disco ball finish lighting up the whole stadium. Well, chills went through us during this part of the song, and then the video screens then went to old black and white classic footage of Ronnie singing the next few verses of FreeBird, with Jonny standing off to the side, and the band playing their hearts out. Definitely the best finish bringing tears of joy and sadness.