“Gimme Three Steps,” “What’s Your Name,” “Saturday Night Special,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Freebird” and, of course, “Statesboro Blues.”
The New Year begins with some old-school rock as Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band Skynfolks performs at the Emma Kelly Theater on January 8.
If you missed this bunch of talented musicians when they first appeared on the Jan Brown Anderson stage in late 2019, you definitely don’t want to miss them now because they have only gotten better.
Brought together by luck, fate, devotion and drive, the members of this Atlanta-based tribute band pledged to create a sound that would reproduce the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd. No improvisation allowed — every part had to be played exactly like the original recordings. Constant practice honed the music like a razor. What emerged when they finished has never been done since the days of the original Skynyrd lineup: totally authentic, accurate renditions of the music on the first five Lynyrd Skynyrd albums.
The band brings the look, feel and sound of the iconic Southern rock legends to the EKT stage at 7:30 p.m. Sponsored by Dabbs, Hickman, Hill and Cannon CPAs and Business Advisors, Skynfolks brings the energy and musicianship of the original band.
Reserved-seat tickets are $30 and can be purchased by visiting the Averitt Center’s Main Gallery, open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Dec. 17, and beginning again on Jan. 3. You can also call 912-212-2787 or go online at www.averittcenterforthearts.org/skynfolks.
The members of Skynfolks are seasoned professional musicians who have played with national acts like Leon Russell, the Allman Brothers Band, KISS, Collective Soul and many others. However, from the very beginning, every member of Skynfolks knew that this was something different from anything they’d done before. They work tirelessly to craft, with the utmost discrimination, exact replications of the music of Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Ed King and Leon Wilkerson. Every part is played exactly like the original recordings.
Skynfolks’ material is drawn from the first five original studio recordings from 1973-77. The band plays all of the hits including “That Smell,” “The Ballad of Curtis Lowe,” “Call Me The Breeze,” “Simple Man,” “Workin’ for MCA,” “I Know A Little,” “You Got That Right” and many more.
In the last several years, Skynfolks has played in venues of all sizes, including festivals, theaters, clubs, private parties and concert halls. These performances helped the band build a rapidly-growing, enthusiastic fan base, many of whom have followed their performances to venues across the Southeast. It's been a labor of love for Skynfolks to provide the kind of high-quality, authentic experience that honors the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd.