38 SPECIAL PERFORM AT THE 104TH ANNUAL DURHAM FAIR – DURHAM CT
By Kat Gullage
38 Special perform at the 104th Annual Durham Fair
38 Special formed in 1974 in Jacksonville, FL and became hit makers throughout the 80s and into the 90s. They have twelve studio albums, several of which have gone gold and platinum. Their songs have appeared in many television series and films such as Teachers, Revenge of the Nerds II, Whip It, Super Troopers and Joe Dirt. Despite their stack of achievements and several Grammy nominations, the band has never won.
38 Special is southern rock even when they’re pop. They were formed by remaining original member Don Barnes (Lead Vocals/Guitar/Harmonica/Mandolin) and Donnie Van Zant (Co-Lead Vocals/Guitar). Donnie is the younger brother of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s original singer, the late Ronnie Van Zant, and the older brother of Skynyrd’s current singer, Johnny Van Zant. Donnie officially retired from 38 Special, ironically after 39 years.
Seating at the fair was fend-for-yourself in a giant open field. I had claimed a fourth row spot in the GA section earlier in the day. Marked it off with a blanket and some camping chairs. The start time was bumped up fifteen minutes, to 7:15PM, and the field was completely filled in by then.
This version of the band was made up of Bobby Capps (Keys/Backing Vocals), Gary Moffatt (Drums) – both members since 1999. Barry Dunaway (Bass/Backing Vocals) has been a member since 2014 while Jerry Riggs (Guitar) joined in 2019. They took their spots on stage before Barnes emerged with an enthusiastic flourish. The robust twenty-two song setlist included cuts from eight albums and two soundtracks as well as three cover tunes.
Title tracks “Rockin’ Into The Night” and “Wild-Eyed Southern Boys” and Tour de Force’s “Back Where You Belong” kicked it off. The sound was on point, impressive for playing in a random open field. Next up was “The Sound of Your Voice off Bone Against Steel, originally sung by Max Carl during Barnes’ four year hiatus from the band (1987-1991). Don addressed the crowd “Looks like this is the place to be on a Saturday night!”. I took in the sight of us fans squished together haphazardly on blankets and chairs on a hillside in the little town of Durham and thought “Hardly.”
Then again, watching 38 Special perform and take me back in time through music did make for an enjoyable Saturday night. “We’re gonna take you back to paradise!” which led to “Back to Paradise”, a song they wrote for the movie Revenge of the Nerds II. It was followed up with “Honky Tonk Dancer”. A handful of fans contorted their bodies and created enough space to dance a bit. “Durham Connecticut, How ya feelin tonight?!” The spectators responded gleefully with Woo Hoos and Hell Yeahs.
Barnes added harmonica to his resume of talents for “Rough Housin” off of Special Forces. Afterwards, he tossed it quickly and accurately to a crew member. “We’re gonna take you back in time.” I was already there. Don listed a bunch of films they’ve contributed to. “Here’s one you might remember. This goes to all the teachers out there.” Of course this was the intro to “Teacher Teacher”, a hit from the soundtrack to the movie “Teachers” and one of the crowd’s favorites.
38 Special continued with “You Keep Runnin’ Away” and a cut from Strength In Numbers with “Somebody Like You”. Bobby Capps takes over lead vocals for another Max Carl era tune “Second Chance”. The band continued the jams with “Like No Other Night”. Don proclaimed “Whatta beautiful night Connecticut!” And it was. Comfy weather and a 38 Special gig. “Thank you for taking the ride with us through the years.” They shot out “Heart’s on Fire”.
Barnes introduced their guitarist, “Jerry RIggs is the best thing to come outta Tennessee next to the I-40. He is a guitar legend. This fields gonna get trippy cuz this song is from a weird movie, so it’s a weird start to the song.” They ripped a cover of “Radar Rider”, originally performed by the band Riggs for the 1981 adult animated flick Heavy Metal. Riggs followed it up with a ripping guitar solo, holy shit the guy is really good! He got well deserved applause and love from the fans.
The band reunited on stage for “If I’d Been the One”. Don addressed us again, “We still remember right?! Just like yesterday right?!” “Fantasy Girl” really riled the audience up. “Good Times”, an Easybeats’ cover, was on deck. I’m not usually a fan of covers, but they have fun with this jaunt from 1968. A track from their most recent LP, 2004’s Drivetrain, “Trooper With an Attitude” was the prelude to a decent drum solo from Moffatt, who Barnes referred to as “The Warrior”.
The main set wrapped with “Caught Up In You”. The fans gave up an acceptable amount of admiration and 38 Special fed them a three song encore. Smoke and lighting that resembled a thunderstorm gave way to “Chain Lightnin’”. The smoke was so thick you couldn’t see the band members for half of the song. Fans got another hit with “Hold On Loosely”. Barnes thanked the crowd for coming out and for all the years of support. The concert ended with one last cover, Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Travelin’
Band”.
38 Special is a tight, synchronized group of veteran musicians that sound great and Barnes still presents enthusiastic showmanship. Take a trip back and add em to your playlist. Even I had forgotten all of the hits that made their mark on our youth. You won’t be disappointed with their live show, so shoot your shot and get an injection of southern rock!
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