I Went to a Rock Concert!

The last time I went to a rock concert was waaaaay back in 1981. I saw Pat Benatar in the Providence Civic Center. Billy Squier opened for her. Needless to say, the concert was awesome!

Since then, I've been to many shows on cruise ships, and even went to an Elvis tribute show in Tullahoma, Tennessee. However, those don't really count as rock concerts to me because the ship's band isn't a band in the traditional touring sense, and the tribute show used live singers but prerecorded music.

No. I haven't been to a real rock concert until this past Saturday night, when I drove to Hawkinsville, Georgia, to watch the band Second Helping play at the Hawkinsville Opera House. They're a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band based out of Kinston, North Carolina.

Now, you're probably thinking to yourselves, Why would Stad drive all the way to Hawkinsville to watch a live show? I'll tell you why: one of my best friends in the world (known him for 60 years) plays bass guitar in the band.

I got to Hawkinsville around 2 o'clock, checked into the motel, then texted my friend. He told me to come on over to the venue, so I did. But first, here are shots of the opera house and another of the evening's show:

I was let in the side door by one of the band's crew and given an all-access pass. I took a seat and listened as the band practiced.

It was fascinating to watch the band rehearse. Every once in a while, a guy would stop them in the middle of a song, someone would run onstage and make adjustments to the equipment, then the band would take it again from the top. When they finally stopped, I approached the stage and chatted with my old friend, Rick. He introduced me to the band members, some of whom I'd already met at his daughter's wedding years before. I also learned some fun facts about the band:

1. The regular lead singer was sick, so the backup lead singer sang the concert. If this guy was the backup, I can't imagine how good the regular singer is.
2. One of the backup singers had laryngitis, but the other two ladies did a great job without their pal.
3. The oldest guy in the band is 71—like me, but I'm almost 3 months older. Rick wasn't sure who the youngest member was, but he did think he (or she) was in their early 40s.
4. Many of the musicians can play other instruments. All the guitarists can play all the different guitar parts. And that oldest guy I told you about? He's the Swiss Army Knife of the band. He can play guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards—and he sings. Band members often fill in for one another if they can't make a show, or get sick (as happened here).
5. Many band members or their crew are related by blood or marriage.
6. Second Helping is the oldest Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band there is.

After rehearsal, the band settled down to have a catered dinner. Since there wasn't a plate for me, I walked over to a local eatery called The Grill.

I had the Cowboy Burger and homemade fries, and they were incredibly delicious! You can't see it because of the shadow, but the sign now says, "Voted best burger in Georgia." That's an official title thanks to a contest held a while back when The Grill's "Full Monty" burger won, according to a framed newspaper article on the wall. After eating, I went back to the opera house to hang out with the band before the show. The concert was a blast! It was like listening to the original band.

Afterward, the band hung out in the lobby to sign autographs, sell merchandise, and chat with those audience members who also stuck around after the show. Here's a pic of me with my old friend, Rick (why do I look like I sucked on a lemon?):

Anyway, I had a hard time getting to sleep that night because I kept hearing Lynyrd Skynyrd songs rattle through my head. I drove home the next morning. Sadly, neutral observer couldn't go with me because she wasn't feeling well. However, she was fine when I got home. My absence = wife feeling better. Hmmmm...

Here are some souvenirs I returned with. The song list:

A T-shirt:

And finally, my all-access pass (good for future concerts!):

Anyone who wants to know more about the band or the opera house can check out these links:

I highly recommend that anyone who loves good music and Lynyrd Skynyrd see the band if they come to a place near you! And if you get a chance to talk to their bass player, tell Rick that "Stad told me to say 'Hi.'"

And rock on!