BY BENJAMIN LAWLER, STAFF WRITER
On Oct. 8, Alabama and The Charlie Daniels Band took the stage for a three-hour show. Both are icons in the country music genre, and both of them playing at the same place was an opportunity not to be missed. Alabama is a top-rated country band with more than 40 songs that have hit No. 1 on a number of charts throughout their 47-year career, and they have been called the most popular country band of all time. Charlie Daniels has had an illustrious career for almost 60 years and is known for his skills with the fiddle.
Daniels opened the packed concert with a mix of older songs and some songs from his more recent albums, such as “Nightrider,” released in 1975, and “America, I Believe in You,” released in 1993.
At 79 years of age, Charles Daniels was a quite capable performer, and his skills with the fiddle during his most famous song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” brought the crowd to its feet. He left the stage to the classic Western song “Magnificent Seven” by Elmer Bernstein. This song capped an excellent performance from a man whose career is still going strong.
After the intermission, Alabama arrived on stage and played for the rest of the night. The band had a more extensive set piece than Charlie Daniels, and they had rock ’n’ roll themes to highlight their country and bluegrass roots. During Charlie Daniels’ performance, a spotlight was the only light provided. However, Alabama had the full rock-concert experience, with strobes, flashing colors and a huge banner.
Bandmates Randy Owen, Jeff Cook and Teddy Gentry were in high spirits and interacted with the crowd throughout their performance, instructing the crowd to sing along as well as clap and stomp along with the music. The band played older hits, such as “Dixieland Delight” and “Song of the South.” The band also played songs from the early ‘80s such as “Close Enough to Perfect” and “The Closer You Get.”
Alabama also performed songs from their recently released album “Southern Drawl,” the first album they have released in 14 years. Songs from the newest album include “American Farmer” and “Back to the Country.”
All in all, it was a fantastic show.
