.38 Special brand of Southern Rock fired up the crowd at Club Regent.
If the excited crowd response to .38 Special at Club Regent was any indication, these southern rockers’ brand of music is still very popular.
.38 Special started off in Jacksonville, Florida in 1974, releasing their first album in 1977. The band was formed by current guitarist and vocalist Don Barnes and friend Donnie Van Zandt. While the band has gone through many line-up changes over the years, they’ve still managed to maintain their down and dirty Southern Rock sound.
Van Zandt left the band in 2013 due to medical reasons. Guitarist Danny Chauncey has been with the band since 1987 while keyboardist Bobby Capps joined the group in 1991. Drummer Gary Moffat has been with the band since 1997 and Barry Dunaway took over bass duties in 2014 when the original bassist left the band.
Starting off with the song Rockin’ Into The Night was a bit of an understatement, as the band was smokin’ right from the first few notes and proceeded to rock hard throughout the night.
After four of their big hits, they did a 10-song medley which included something from Canada’s wild west. The Bryan Adams / Jim Vallance song Teacher Teacher was a huge hit for the band after it was featured on the soundtrack for the 1984 film Teachers.
Keyboardist Bobby Capps helped with the vocals once in a while, taking the lead on Second Chance.
Great harmonies and a dual guitar sound made for a great evening.
The band did a rousing version of ZZ Top’s Just Got Paid after which lead vocalist / guitarist Don Barnes broke into a rousing guitar solo.
Next, they performed Trooper With An Attitude from the 2001 film Super Troopers. Gary Moffat followed this with a drum solo that was as solid as a rock.
Ending the set off with Caught Up In You, the dual guitar sounds of Don Barnes and Danny Chauncey blazed through the room with the clarity and finesse of a gunslinger shooting his opponents gun out of his hand at 50 paces.
Making great use of the lighting and smoke machines, it seemed like a storm was brewing on stage when the band came back for a three song encore which ended with the CCR classic Travellin’ Band.
Club Regent is a great venue to see a band. The room has only been open less than a year after being renovated. Always great sound and no matter where you sit you get a pretty good view of the stage.
My only complaint was that they didn’t have ‘The Pit’ for this show. ‘The Pit’ is the area in front of the stage where the first 10 or so rows of seats are removed so that fans can move around and really get down.
All photos by Doug Kretchmer
Don Barnes still has the chops and pipes after all those years.
SET LIST
Rockin’ into the Night
Rough-Housin’
Back Where You Belong
Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
Medley:
Live for the Music / 20th Century Fox /
Back to Paradise / The Sound of Your Voice /
Somebody Like You / Honky Tonk Dancer /
Teacher Teacher / You Keep Runnin’ Away /
Second Chance / Like No Other Night
Last Thing I Ever Do
Fantasy Girl
If I’d Been the One
Good Times (The Easybeats cover)
Just Got Paid (ZZ Top cover)
Don Barnes Guitar Solo
Trooper With an Attitude
Gary Moffatt Drum Solo
Caught Up in You
ENCORE:
Chain Lightning
Hold On Loosely
Travelin’ Band (CCR cover)
