Lynyrd Skynyrd / ZZ Top at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY

Lexington, KY (March 28, 2024) – After a successful 2023 tour between the two legends of rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top expand on their Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour with an additional 36 cities in 2024 that includes Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY.

Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour @ Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY © John Reasoner

The first leg of the tour will continue till April 20th, in Corpus Christi, TX and will pick up on the second leg in August and run through September. Joining Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top on this first set of stops is Kentucky’s own Black Stone Cherry.

Just a short 100-mile drive from Lexington, KY and Rupp Arena to their hometown of Edmonton, KY, the five-member band of Black Stone Cherry has had this date marked on their calendar since the tour was announced. Many times, they have sat in the seats here and watched shows from their favorite artists on stage. This time it is their turn to be on stage and entertain the fans in the seats. Black Stone Cherry was formed in 2001 and consist of: Chris Robertson (lead vocals, lead guitar), Ben Wells (rhythm guitar, background vocals), Steve Jewel Jr. (bass guitar, background vocals), John Fred Young (drums) and Jeffrey Boggs (bongos, congas).

Black Stone Cherry @ Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY © John Reasoner

The band entertains their fans while making new ones with their high energy performance that includes their current single “When The Pain Comes” from their 8th studio album Screamin’ At The Sky, released in September of 2023 and their 2006 debut single, “Lonely Train.”

Black Stone Cherry setlist:

Me And Mary Jane / Burnin’ / Like I Roll / When The Pain Comes / Blame It On The Boom Boom / Lonely Train

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Next up on stage is the Texas trio known as ZZ Top. Sitting up atop of the duel barreled bass drums is Frank Beard, while lead vocalist and guitarist, Billy Gibbons is joined up front by the newest member in the band, bass guitarist Elwood Francis. Beard and Gibbons are co-founders of the band that originated in Houston, Texas in 1969. Francis had been the band’s long time guitar tech until jumping on stage in 2021 to play bass, upon the wishes of Dusty Hill who died after a period of declining health.

ZZ Top @ Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY © John Reasoner

Known for their own distinctive Texas rock and blues sound, ZZ Top starts their show off with “Got Me Under Pressure” from their fan popular and most successful 1983 Eliminator album. Creating more excitement with their welcome, Elwood steps out on stage with his 15-string bass that catches the attention of the crowd. From that point on, it becomes a guitar riff after guitar riff kind of set including the hits “Gimme All Your Loving,” “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide” and “My Head’s In Mississippi.” The set wraps with two more favorites off the popular Eliminator, “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs.” ZZ Top ends their evening as the crowd cheers and calls them out with an encore of “Tube Snake Boogie” and “Le Grange.”

ZZ Top setlist:

You Got Me Under Pressure / I Thank You / Waitin’ For The Bus / Jesus Just Left Chicago / Gimme All Your Lovin’ / I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide / My Head’s In Mississippi / Sixteen Ton / Just Got Paid / Sharp Dressed Man / Legs Encore: Tube Snake Boogie / Le Grange

A video begins to play on the large video screen above the stage and AC/DC song “Thunderstruck” starts to ring out, the crowd inside Rupp Arena stands on their feet with excitement for it is time for what they came for. When the video ends, Lynyrd Skynyrd takes the stage and begins their show with “Workin’ For MCA.” With fog floating across the arena and lights everywhere, Lynyrd Skynyrd was feeling good and ready to take Lexington to a whole other level. This year’s tour is in correlations with a new album, Fyfty, a 50th anniversary box set edition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s greatest 50 tracks of their entire career dating all the way back to the beginning with cuts from their time in the studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama to the last live performance of “Gimme Three Steps” by the late Gary Rossington.

Lynyrd Skynyrd @ Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY © John Reasoner

The band was created in 1964 in Jacksonville, Florida and later became Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1969 as a southern country rock band. The band was becoming a cult with it’s followers until the unfortunate airplane crash on October 20th, 1977 that killed three of them, Steve and Cassie Gaines, and lead singer, Ronnie Van Zant while seriously injuring the remaining members. After a ten year hiatus, the band reconfigured with Ronnie’s little brother Johnny Van Zant taking the mic stand. Now in 2024, the band backing Johnny’s vocals are: Rickey Medlocke (lead guitar, backing vocals), Mark Matejka (guitar, backing vocals), Darron Johnson (guitar), Keith Christopher (bass guitar), Michael Cartellone (drums) and Peter Keys (piano, keyboards). Background vocals are performed by Carol Chase and Stacy Michelle.

The show continues forward with Johnny calling out all of “Lynyrd Nation,” “What’s Your Name” and “That Smell” as he carries his worn American Flag draped mic stand with him across the stage. Not leaving it behind, he makes sure to not keep it at center stage as the show is heavily laced with guitar showcases by all three guitarist, Rickey, Mark and Darron that usually end up at center stage for all to witness and enjoy.

With the passing of Gary Rossington, the co-founder and last of the originals on March 5th, 2023, a video of his snippets is played in his memory on the main video screen above the band as the band performs “Tuesday’s Gone.”

Lynyrd Skynyrd and the crowd shows respect and dedication to all serving and their families in the military forces, policeman, firefighters and other first responders with the performance of “Simple Man.”

New to the tour, and never done together prior, ZZ Top frontman, Billy Gibbons returns to the stage and joins the Skynyrd guitar army for the JJ Cale cover, “Call Me The Breeze” before ending with the band’s classic “Sweet Home Alabama.”

Billy Gibbons & Lynyrd Skynyrd @ Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY © John Reasoner

With the arena sitting in darkness and indications of an encore, the crowd immediately begins chanting for more until the lights slowing come back up. While the band settles into their place, a golden covered statue of a bird flying appears on Key’s piano and a video of Ronnie Van Zant shown fishing talks about being as free as a bird. The crowd fires up for one last time as the guitars begin to play the notes to one of the most requested songs in music history, “Free Bird.” The crowd joins Johnny on vocals before he walks back to the drum riser and grabs a hat similar to Ronnie’s and places it at the top of the flag layered mic stand. Taking a step back from the microphone, Johnny exits the stage as Ronnie appears on the video screen singing the song’s conclusion. Rickey Medlocke goes into a monster guitar run while being joined center stage with the three other guitarist on stage.

The show ends with many teary eyes after that memorable tribute to one of the most legendary singers and bands to ever take the stage. For more than fifty years, Lynyrd Skynyrd has survived from many turmoils and have touched the hearts of millions in one fashion or another. Lynyrd Skynyrd has become a band that many have learned from and tried to emulate after. The southern rock genre and image would not be the same as it was or is today if it wasn’t from the musical masterminds that made up Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Lynyrd Skynyrd setlist:

Workin’ For MCA / Skynyrd Nation / What’s Your Name / That Smell / I Know A Little / Whiskey Rock-A-Roller / Saturday Night Special / The Ballad Of Curtis Loew / Tuesday’s Gone / Simple Man / Gimme Three Steps / Call Me The Breeze / Sweet Home Alabama Encore: Free Bird