The Outlaws Ride Again in Irwin.
Frank Harrington
Photos: shootstothrill.com
What’s the difference between Outlaws and In-laws? Outlaws are wanted!
Saturday night the Irwin Cultural District was buzzing for the second of two sold out concerts by Southern Rock’s Bad Boys “The Outlaws.” This was the second year in a row that The Outlaws have played Irwin’s Lamp Theatre and by the crowd reaction, The Outlaws will be wanted for many more years to come.
Generally, Frank Harrington does not like concert T-Shirts ever since they broke the $7 mark at a 1980 Charlie Daniels concert, but it was hard to pass up a concert T-Shirt that has the city of Irwin on the reverse side city listings… twice.
Bands evolve with personal changes and everyone brings something to the table. This year’s Outlaws consists of Vocalist/guitarist Henry Paul, drummer Monte Yoho, keyboardist Dave Robbins, Randy Threet on bass, Steve Grisham on lead guitar and the latest addition Dale Oliver also on lead guitar.
The 100 minute set contained classic as well as three tracks from their last 2012 studio release “It’s About Pride.” Between performance dates, the band is working on a new release and treated us to an unreleased 3 minute seventeen second instrumental called “Showdown” track that mixes a slick guitar sound echoing a Joe Satriani influence with a splash of Southern Comfort.
No Outlaws show is complete without “Grey Ghost” from Henry Paul’s 1979 self-titled “Grey Ghost.” Best way to describe “Grey Ghost” to a rock n roll fan is to imagine Iron Maiden’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and its guitar harmonizing glory performed for eleven minutes at a beer soaked roadhouse.
Closing the main set was their 70’s classic “Green Grass and High Tides,” with Oliver and Grisham slicing and dicing the solos back n forth to an exhausting guitar army frenzy.
Returning to the stage the band ended with “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky” with another guitar assault that led us happy cowboys chanting “Yippie Yi Ooh, Yippie Yi Yay” onto the streets of Irwin. A much wanted night indeed.
Set List:
There Goes Another Love Song
Hurry Sundown
Hidin’ Out in Tennessee
Song in the Breeze
Freeborn Man
So Long
Showdown (unreleased)
Grey Ghost
Holiday
Gunsmoke
It’s About Pride
Waterhole
Knoxville Girl
Green Grass and High Tides Forever
(Ghost) Riders in the Sky