On August 9, 2007, my wife and son went to Gatlinburg on vacation. Looking for something to do, JoAnn saw the Outlaws were playing at the Dick Clark Museum (now closed). She was really excited to find a band from her youth was touring again. She was once again a fan. Unfortunately, Hughie Thomasson, one of the founding members of the band and ex-guitarist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, died just one month later. It looked like the Outlaws’ rebirth might be short- lived. Luckily, a former Outlaw, Henry Paul, stepped in for Hughie, albeit with some controversy. More than two years later, the dispute rages on but not over the music itself. And isn’t that what it should be all about?

The first time JoAnn and I saw the Outlaws together, now fronted by Henry Paul, was at Birchmere in Alexandria, VA. Even though I was never a big Outlaw fan - that honor goes to my wife - I really enjoyed the show. They moved quickly from one song to the next and I found myself drawn into the performance. Two songs still stick in my mind; Ghost Rider in the Sky and You Are The Show. Yeah, I know (at least I do now) Green Grass and High Tides is their anthem and I have grown to like it more and more.

Somehow JoAnn managed to get us back stage. I’d never been backstage before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. If I had to come up with one word to describe what I was expecting, something like hedonism comes to mind. What I found was a group of really friendly guys. We sat around and talked not only about the music and life on the road, we talked about the wives and family they missed so much. They even offered to share their pizza and beer. I felt like I was partying with old friends, not wild and crazy rockers.

I’ve seen the Outlaws 4 times now, my wife easily doubles that. We saw them soon after Birchmere in Nashville at the Wild Horse Salon and then again this past winter at Turning Stone in New York. The last time was just a couple of weeks ago when they opened for Styx and REO in Columbus, Ohio. Not having seen them as often as JoAnn, my perspective may be a bit different than hers because when I pointed out that the band seemed more together than the first time we saw them she didn’t really agree. Ok, it was a short set but, like before, they moved quickly from one song to the next, the guitars were tight and they definitely know how to put on a show. What I think I noticed this time more so than before were the vocals. Henry still sang lead most of the time but the others sang harmony/backups through many of the songs. They just sounded bigger, fuller and just plain better.

Based on the crowd’s initial reaction (their age may have been a clue too) I feel confident in saying that for many it was their first time seeing or even hearing of the band. But, after just a few songs, they had the crowd rocking. I love watch and hearing Billy Crain and Chris Anderson trade licks. I know JoAnn loves Billy, and so do I, but Chris can definitely hold his own and then some. Randy Threet’s a great bass player and just fun to watch. It’s not hard to spot the songs he really likes, Ghost Rider is certainly one of them, or is it just me. When Henry brought Jon Coleman into the band there were those who said that there was no room in the Outlaws for a keyboard. Jon may be the new guy but you couldn’t tell when watching the band; he’s an Outlaw. Be sure to check out http://www.myspace.com/joncolemanmusic.

The Last of the Original Outlaws, Henry and Monte Yoho, complete the band. JoAnn talks about seeing them the first time and how cool it was when they had two drummers on stage at the same time. I wish I had seen that but, since I’m pretty much a newbie when it comes to the Outlaws, I can’t say I notice anything missing. Monte rocks. I’m sure Henry plays a mean guitar but I don’t think anyone could compete with both Billy and Chris on the same stage. It’s a good thing Henry can sing and sing he does. While it’s nice to hear one of the others sing lead on a song or two and the harmonies are awesome, Henry is the voice of these Outlaws.

~Michael Nagel~