Check out Showtime’s Lynyrd Skynyrd documentary, “If I Leave Here Tomorrow” (trailer below). It’s excellent. It’s remarkably close to a complete representation of Skynyrd, no small feat in 95 minutes.
Skynyrd is on a farewell tour, and will play what’s supposed to be its last Pittsburgh-area show tomorrow night at KeyBank Pavilion.
The Skynyrd story is special: It’s an American tragedy in many ways, with the 1977 plane crash and many deaths after that. The glory-days members are mostly deceased, and some of their replacements are also dead.
But Skynyrd is also an American success story: A tale of perseverance, and of friends and family sticking together.
The songbook compiled over the original band’s five studio albums is brilliant, almost unparalleled. The style and sound are unique. Unmistakable. It’s like The Allman Brothers Band dipped in Led Zeppelin.
The performance level is still excellent. Singer Johnny Van Zant isn’t brother Ronnie, but he wears it well. Good on guitarist Gary Rossington. Rossington is the last man standing, but Lynyrd Skynyrd hasn’t changed. That’s some good old-fashioned Southern comfort food right there.