Today, tickets go on-sale for the The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour, the first co-headlining tour featuring ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Over twenty-two cities in North America will stage the event this summer, with special guest Uncle Kracker.
Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicks off on Friday, July 21 at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, FL, and continues with stops in Fort Worth, Phoenix, Chicago, and more before wrapping up in Camden, NJ at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on Sunday, September 17.
Tickets and VIP packages go on sale today Friday, December 16 at 10am local time on the band’s site. The Ultimate VIP Experience features a premium reserves seat, meet & greet with Rickey Medlocke & Johnny Van Zant, a Lynyrd Skynyrd limited edition coffee table book, commemorative print and an enamel pin & patch set. The Gold VIP Package includes a premium reserved seat, limited edition coffee table book, commemorative print and the enamel pin & patch set. Availability is limited.
After attending one of two recent Lynyrd Skynyrd performances in Las Vegas, host of Sirius / XM Radio’s Trunk Nation Eddie Trunk offered opinion on-air. His thoughts captured the core of the current incarnation of the band. He stated:
“So, I went to Skynyrd and I have to tell you I was blown away. They are still so good, and those songs are still so great. And they are so real. The way Rock n Roll is supposed to be that I cannot speak more highly about Lynyrd Skynyrd. They were incredible, and sounded incredible. And, much like when you see real live bands, 100% live bands, the way rock music supposed to be done live. There is nothing like it. Nothing. No bullshit, no computers, no fake vocals, no click tracks, no nothing. A real band, warts and all, plugged in to real amps bringing you great songs. Nothing like it. The vibe, the feel in the music, the performances, nothing like it. And I will go to my grave believing that…
It re-installs your faith in what real rock music is supposed to sound like live…They are the real deal. Songs are incredible. Place was packed two nights in a row. Did amazing business. A huge cross-section of fans that are there. And, just so relatable, so cool in the way they are on stage, their messaging, and the way they pay tribute to all the people who have been the band that died….I am fully aware the way Lynyrd Skynyrd are constituted right now, there are no original members technically in that band. I understand that, and I am not going to be hypocritical here. I’ve said many, many times that I do believe that a band has to have a couple core key members to be the band. You’ve got to. Otherwise, you are not really seeing the band. But, there is one exception in this this, and its Skynyrd. They tell you they are a tribute band….
Here is why I say to me the one asterisks that I can completely get behind and support in this incarnation is Skynyrd, and here are the reasons why: all real, all love, all great, they admit they are a tribute band. Johnny Van Zant says to the audience two, three songs in, first time he talks to the audience – ‘We are here tonight to pay tribute to the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd.’ Then you’ve got Medlocke, who’s been there forever, and technically is an original member because when he was like 16 he played drums on the first record. Then you’ve got a phenomenal band. You’ve got real human beings singing backing vocals. No bullshit. And it sounds amazing. And, of course you’ve got the family connection from Ronnie Van Zant to his brother who’s been singing out front forever with Johnny. And lastly, they admit that this is a tribute. They sell it as such.
A lot of bands should end because they are making a mockery of their legacy. Skynyrd, to me, is the one exception with no original members that I feel can easily go ten years. And is not only not making a mockery of their legacy but is the one band that I’ve seen in this situation that is actually celebrating it the right way. When they do ‘Freebird,’ they put up these candles on the screen every person who’s been in that band who died, whether it was in the plane crash or since, it’s so moving. I mean they know how to do it. It’s sincere, its real and its legit. So, can’t speak more highly about how great Skynyrd still is.
Skynyrd, that’s my asterisks. Because I’ve yet to see a band do it like that. Be so deferential to where they came from, their history, and the connection to the fans, and the greatness of the songs. To me the whole key to how much longer Skynyrd can go really comes down to Johnny Van Zant. Because Johnny of course Ronnie’s brother. Johnny is so great on stage. He sings so well. He’s still only like early, mid-Sixties. As long as Johnny’s there and can do it like he’s been doing it, they could easily go another 5, 7 years in my opinion and they are still so great. To see Skynyrd was awesome.
“The Sharp Dressed Simple Man” tour dates:
Jul. 21 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Jul. 23 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Jul. 28 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
Jul. 29 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
Jul. 30 – Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
Aug. 07 – Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre*
Aug. 10 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Aug. 11 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
Aug. 13 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
Aug. 17 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis, MO
Aug. 19 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago, IL
Aug. 20 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Aug. 25 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Aug. 26 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Aug. 27 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Sep. 01 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Sep. 02 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion
Sep. 03 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
Sep. 08 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Sep. 09 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium
Sep. 10 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Sep. 15 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Sep. 17 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
