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MTB Rocks Wolf's Den!
By ?ÄúThe Rev.?Äù
?ÄúTuckerized?Äù member of the clergy since 1973

¬Ý

February, 24, 2006
Mohegan Sun Casino - Uncasville, CT

Guest Musicians:

Clay Cook ?Äì Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar and Lead Vocals
Jimmy Cyr ?Äì Lead Vocal ?ÄúFire On The Mountain?Äù
Tommy Portera - Tambourine and Background Vocals
¬Ý

The Marshall Tucker Band took the stage at the Wolf?Äôs Den in front of a packed house of friends, fans and a few family members for good measure. ¬ÝDoug Gray spoke to the crowd about his serious throat surgery some 3 weeks prior and being unable to sing for at least another month. He thanked folks for the prayers and well wishes for his continued recovery. He introduced his nephew Clay Cooke, who was sitting in on Vocals and Guitar. Clay had done short stint with the band in 2001-2002 while David Muse was on a hiatus with ?ÄúFirefall?Äù. He also co-wrote the title track for ?ÄúBeyond the Horizon?Äù with ?ÄúUncle?Äù Doug. (Check out claycook.com for the 411 on Clay) Doug proved that you can?Äôt keep a good man down as he stepped in playing his trusty tambourine and introducing each song. He continually thanked the crowd for helping to keep the MTB around for 33 years.

The night began with ?ÄúThis Ol' Cowboy?Äù. Chris Hicks took over on lead vocals and sent the evening into the stratosphere putting his own edge on a fine tune. Stuart Swanlund was next to take the reigns and did some fine chickin?Äô pickin?Äô and singin?Äô on ?ÄùHillbilly Band?Äù. He left a smile on all our faces when he was done.

With a special dedication to a Tuckerhead in the back of the Wolf?Äôs Den, ?ÄùSearchin?Äô for a Rainbow?Äù was next on the list with Chris back on lead vocals. ¬ÝAccording to Doug?Äôs intro Searchin?Äô had been off of the set-list fo r a while. If crowd reaction has any bearing on setting up the list it ought to stay in the line up for good!

Doug brought out two members of the Highland Rovers Band to share ?ÄúFire On The Mountain?Äù. Jimmy Cyr; known for his fiery mandolin work with the Rovers; sang up a storm while band mate Tammy Portera added Tambourine and backing vocals with the rest of the band. (The Rovers are a local CT band with Irish roots and have opened for the MTB at dates around New England. Check out them out of the web at highlandroversband.com. You won?Äôt be disappointed!!!).

Things switched back to Chris Hicks for his personally penned ?ÄùThe Rain?Äù from the ?ÄúBeyond ¬Ýthe Horizon?Äù CD. His stellar vocals and guitar work slowed things down as his soul poured out the blues. David Muse wove his sax in and around the song so you could almost feel the rain falling from the rafters of the Wolf?Äôs Den.

With the tempo slowed, Clay Cook moved into bluesy rendition of ¬Ý?ÄùRamblin'?Äù and just when you thought it was over -- he switched gears and cranked the song up to tear the roof off of the Wolf?Äôs Den. Everyone joined in trading licks and sharing in an absolute romp throug h the rafters.

Keeping us all glued to ceiling Chris and Clay took off on a l-o-n-g version of ?ÄùTake the Highway?Äù. It was a bare boned old school improv with EVERYONE in on the act with their solos. Stuart, Chris and Clay dueled with their guitars. Doug got into the act filling in on keyboards while Dave soloed on Sax. Pat Elwood, who had been laying down the bottom end all night, stepped out of the shadows and cut loose with a sweet thumb pickin?Äô solo on his Fender Bass. (You could see Tommy Caldwell smiling down.) BB pounded his way into the mix with the steady hands of a journeyman drummer that had laid down the foundation all night long. David wove his own magic and helped tie it all up.

Just when we were about out of breath, Dave brought out his flute and with Chris on lead guitar, the whole stage filled for ?ÄùCan't You See?Äù. Clay, Chris, Stuart, Pat, Tommy, & Jimmy shared the vocals with the crowd singing right along. During one chorus, Doug made a perfect toss of his tambourine across the whole Wolf?Äôs Den to a long time Tuckerhead and friend. The whole night was a perfect pitch from one end to the other.

On a Casino abbreviated night, the show came to quick end with all of us wanting MORE! With crowd thundering its appreciation, Doug raised his hand and gave us one more for the road. With the ups and downs of life he concluded that the song ?ÄùRide of Your Life?Äù from ?ÄúBeyond the Horizon?Äù pretty much sum med things up. Chris Hicks took a final turn at the wheel and tore the rest of what was left of the Wolf?Äôs Den d-o-w-n!

It was truly one of best shows I have seen and with Doug healing from the surgery on his vocal chords and the current line up as solid as ever we can all look forward to many, many more!!!

Ride in Peace, Tuckerhead friends,

?ÄúThe Rev?Äù

.38 Rocks Turlock!

    I've been a fan of .38 Special since their 1977 debut and have bought every album since.  First saw 'em live in 1984, then again ten years later with MTB and the Outlaws on the Southern Spirit Tour.  On Friday night (July 30, '04) they kicked of the Stanislaus County Fair, held in my hometown of Turlock, CA.  Several thousand fans were treated to over 90 minutes of vintage .38 along with a few new tunes from their just released CD Driverain.  The only bummer was that Donnie Van Zant was AWOL.  Still don't know why.... None-the-less Don Barnes and company threw down as good as ever, kickin' of the set with Rockin' into the Night.  The reeled through all the classics; Wild Eyed Southern Boys, Hold on Loosely, Fantasy Girl, Caught Up in You, Back Where You Belong, Twentieth Century Fox, and Chained Lightening.  They also did a medley of Somebody Like You, Like No Other Night, Second Chance, Back to Paradise, and Teacher, Teacher.  From the New CD they played three tunes - the single, Hurts Like Love, The Squeeze and a third I can't recall.  All fit in the set just fine.  Anytime you see a band you've loved for almost 30 years there's always gonna be some songs you would've liked to hear... for me it would've been something off the first two CDs but with Donnie's absence that wasn't possible.  I think it'd be cool to hear Don Barnes sing Little Sheba - but it was a great night of music... and all at a cost of the $8.00 fair admission!  The band offered a nice array of merchandise; several t-shirts, a baby doll top for the ladies and CDs, including Drivetrain which was sold at the bargain price of $15.00 which I thought was cool.  Too many bands gouge fans by selling CDs for twenty bucks... but not .38 - and if you bought the new CD it entitled you to a meet & greet autograph session backstage.  I bought the CD but passed the autograph session but about  200 other fans took advantage of the opportunity.  I don't think anyone could have left the show less than pleased!  I certainly enjoyed it and highly recommend you catch 'em next time they're near by.  I also recommend Drivetrain.  Like Resolution there's several fine songs...

Craig Cumberland 

MTB Rocks Coral Springs

After driving 5 hours along the Gulf Coast and across Alligator Alley from Tampa, the city of Coral Springs was a welcome sight. We came in early on Thursday to enjoy the area and get ready for our second MTB concert in 7 days! As luck would have it we just happened to stay at the same hotel as the boys and got to see Doug and Renee on their way to the bus on Friday night for the Rotary Club sponsored show to benefit SOS Children's Village of Florida. The Rotary raffled off a dark blue guitar with a white face signed by all six MTB members and gave it away just before the show.   Here's the setlist for February 21, 2003 in Coral Springs, Florida:    THIS OL COWBOY, GOOD MUSIC, HILLBILLY BAND, THE RAIN, RAMBLIN, BOB AWAY MY BLUES, DESERT SKIES, HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG, 24 HOURS AT A TIME, FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN, CAN'T YOU SEE, MIDNIGHT PROMISES and a new/old treat-EVERY DAY I HAVE THE BLUES!  

The stage holds a new surprise, too - this is only the second time this year that they have used the long forgotten banner used for the Dedicated Tour so many years ago. It's the classic cover shot of the cowboy overlooking the multi hued sunset canyon!  After the great introduction-the customary full version of Long Hard Ride playing from the speakers, the boys were again in town! THIS OL COWBOY is a great tune to begin any show and the new lineup does it proud! GOOD MUSIC is a great tune off of Face Down In The Blues that allows us to ride into Memphis in Doug's old pickup truck down on our luck and still find that good music complements of a pretty redhead! At it's conclusion, Doug asked for a moment of silence for the Rhode Island nightclub tragedy that had happened the previous night and claimed 96 lives. HILLBILLY BAND is Stuart's moment in the spotlight and he shines in this rendition! This boy has got some fine chicken pickin' and a strong voice to back it up! THE RAIN is Chris Hick's tune and ushers us into the realm of the new CD, Beyond the Horizon. Doug hinted before the tune that there are still problems getting it out, but we'll be anxiously awaiting it's debut! Hitman's powerful voice propelled us through what will surely be the next "classic" song from Tucker! 

RAMBLIN' was next on the menu and this new version is a gem to behold. Dave Muse starts us out with the first mini-solo as he wails so gracefully with his sultry sax! Dave is a welcome sight to see, making his return after a 2 year absence, and the best was yet to come! Tony "Smoke" Heatherly is next on bass. He's lost over 35 pounds recently and was telling me how the band has "turned it up a notch" since Clay's year end departure and are playing their behinds off! He's playing that bass better than ever, coaxing twangs and sounds I've never heard coming from a bass guitar before. Tommy had to be smiling down as his old guitar was caressed by Tony's style. BB is next and he too has a newer and even slicker drum solo, creating imaginative sounds from even the rims of the drumheads!. The Borden man knows how to beat those skins and has many opportunities all night to shine. Time for Dave and Stu to trade sax/guitar licks, followed by Stu, then Dave and Chris traded tunes for a bit. Mister Muse blasted into another solo and the duo of Stuart and Chris teamed up to bring us back to Earth after our musical journey! BOB AWAY MY BLUES is another classic that stands the test of time! Doug teams up with Chris on Electric Acoustic guitar to deliver this song and DESERT SKIES. Both are full length versions, and the effect is great! The rest of the boys jump in for the end of the song and we come back off the desert trail... HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG , the most popular song ever, was next as the Carolina Dream segment drew to a close...But it's only a prelude to 24 HOURS AT A TIME-the New Life  classic from the 70's , It starts again with the Sax King as Dave moves about the stage-Chris Hicks gets the first guitar licks and hands back to the Muse man. Dave goes sauntering off stage left and solos all the way across the front row, and stands on a seat to elevate from the center of the aisle! Smoke jumps into his part and again evokes a memory of that other boy, Tommy ,who used to pound those strings- Tony plays em proud and hands off to Stuart for some righteous pickin' and  sliding! Chris gets the last solo, and they don't call him Hitman for nothing! FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN was next and Slider Swanlund once again gets to demonstrate his prowess on the slide. CAN'T YOU SEE was started with a baritone style as Doug (for the first time in a while) sang the first verses. Stuart has the next verse, and if you closed your eyes, ole TC might be heard for a moment! Chris gets it next, and their voices add an extra kick to a high powered classic. Tony got a verse later in the song, and quietly dedicated it to the Caldwells before adding his voice.  MIDNIGHT PROMISES (speaking of Toy Caldwell) is another gem that Chris does with such power and grace. Macon should be proud to lay claim to Mister Hicks and dang he's good! EVERY DAY I HAVE THE BLUES is another classic from Where we All Belong and we're fortunate to have them once again share it with an audience.  Hitman is powerful again - that voice could go on and on. But the show is now over and it's time to go.  It was an enchanting and enthralling evening that I will cherish, and I only wish I could have taken some of that 80 degree weather with me back to NY when I finally had to go home!

                                                                        - Kevin Metzger

Chris Hicks Band with Clay Cook & B.B.!

    On November 21st at Riverfront Bluez in Macon the Chris Hicks Band, accompanied by fellow MTB band mates Clay Cook and B.B. Borden, sauntered through a 2 plus hour set.  There were several highlights throughout the night.  Among them Going to the Country with some wah wah guitar.  Though the song was laid back it had major attitude, along with some mighty fine harmonica playing!  Chris' band mate with MTB, Clay Cook, sat in with the band and sang his autobiographic song I'm a Country Boy from Atlanta. Chris laid down some southern  slide guitar and Clay displayed his trademark soulful voice... "raised on Lynryd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers Band..."  Too cool.  Perhaps the best song of the night was The Rain.  The great lyricsss of a gfreat song evoke emotion and take you somewhere and this one certainly does.  When Chris sings "and the sun is on the rise" I swear I squint my eyes and look to the horizon every time.  And what would a Chris Hicks show be without a little funk?  A Thing Called Love gave the whole band a chance to shine, particularly the tandem of B.B. Borden and - on drums.  A song like this must take B.B. back to his Mother's Finest days... and Basil Dixon absolutely shredded the congas.  Some country funk was offered as well with the cover of Working Man Blues, sung by guest Larry Hudson.  What would a set be without a little Tucker?  Chris delivered a rendition of This Ol Cowboy that was reminiscent of the way Toy sang it all those years ago... and his guitar riffs would make a blind man think it WAS Toy!  Very Nice.  

    The band, minus the other Tucker boys, performed an acoustic set on Halloween at the Downtown Tavern in Macon.  The launch into a very cool cover of James Taylor's Shower the People.  Performed acoustically with the assistance of guest Terry Rogers (of the Byrds) on guitar, it displays Chris' virtuosity.  Not only can the man howl with the great such as Gregg Allman but he can mellow out with the best of them.  Ain't No Love (In the Heart of the City) is also performed acoustically and it absolutely oozes with soul, just like a BBQ sandwich from Memphis. Tasty!  The acoustic set continues with infectious effect as Terry Rogers hammers out Love the One Your With.   Smokin' Joe Anderson highlighted on piano as well as vocals, singing his evocative Never Again.  This Is Now again demonstrates Chris' writing prowess.  This is one of his most moving songs and I wish the country had the opportunity to hear it.  I've said it before and I'll say it again... had he come along in the early 70's he'd have been a legend by now.  It's a shame the record companies don't give his style of music a break.  The man is incredible.  That being said, I think this song could be a huge hit if given the chance by someone.

    Chris is an important piece of the new Tucker puzzle - and a treat to hear on his own.  I hope his talents are nurtured in MTB and he is given adequate chance to shine.  It would be a real treat if Tucker expanded their live show to 3 hours and let Chris do a few more songs.  Together, I think they can accomplish something special - and in the process enhance the Tucker legacy.  

                                                                                        - Craig Cumberland

Tucker Paints the Desert!

Bob Mitchell, of radio station KRWG-FM in Las Cruces, New Mexico, caught MTB in the act (twice!) on August 5 at Casino Arizona in Scottsdale.  Here's his reflections on both shows!

At 7:30, the lights dimmed in the casino and the crowd of between 250 and 275 started cheering.  The thundering sounds of "Long Hard Ride" came over the loudspeakers as the band members took the stage.  Diehard fans recognized all the band members and everyone recognized Doug Gray.  He still has that "hand in the cookie jar" smile.

The band kicked off the 7:30 set with "Fire on the Mountain."  Doug capably handled the lead vocals and Stuart Swanlund played a terrific solo on slide guitar.  B. B. Borden played the skins in his usual style, with his left foot popping up and down so high whether or not he was hitting the high-hat that his left knee was nearly as high as his head.  I belong to the Outlaws chatlist and one of the diehard Outlaws fans said the difference between ex-Outlaws drummer David Dix and B. B. Borden was that B. B. "pounded" the drums while Dix "seduced" them.  Well, B. B., pound away, my friend.  Bands such as Mother's Finest as well as later incarnations of the Outlaws and Molly Hatchet would not have been as good if it wasn't for your "pounding."  Chris Hicks filled in on guitar, Doug's nephew (the amazing 24-year-old Clay Cook) was on keyboard, and Tony Heatherly played bass (he told me later it was Tommy Caldwell's bass, a bass that had been around since 1977).

The band then launched into "I Like Good Music" from their underrated "Face Down in the Blues" album.  Only Doug Gray can pull off a line like "I pulled into Memphis in my ole pickup truck" with such panache!  Clay switched from keys to guitar for this tune, Chris switched from guitar to harmonica, and this tune was full of solos - Stu on slide, Chris on harp, Clay on guitar, and then Chris on guitar. This tune is a real crowd pleaser and the band looked like they were having an especially good time (this current incarnation of the band always looks like they're having a lot of fun on stage; that's part of this new combination's appeal).

"This Old Cowboy" was the third song in the set list.  Clay played a flute intro and then switched to keys.  Chris had a very long solo on guitar, Stu also did a solo, and Doug stayed on vocals.  Tucker fans throughout the room knew that Toy and Tommy were looking down on them.

Then came Stu's turn to shine on vocals.  Stu sang "Hillbilly Band" with Clay handling both flute and keys. This is a good time to point out that the airlines had lost some of the band's luggage, including the sax. Nevertheless, Clay handled the instruments he played more than admirably.  Doug finally got a vocal rest during "Hillbilly Band."

Time to slow down now.  Doug took the lead vocal chores again with "Try One More Time."  While a lot of the women and some of the men in the audience appreciated Doug's handling of the tune, there are always those who have had a bit of "imbibing of the spirits" and who did not want to hear a slow tune.  Tough.  The slow tunes help show off the Marshall Tucker Band's versatility.  Chris and Stu did solos on guitar and slide respectively.  Clay was on keys for this one.

After "Try One More Time," Doug told the crowd, "I don't like set lists. What do you want to hear?"  Various people yelled out names of songs, but one audience member's response that rung out loud and clear was "Desert Skies." Of course, such a great song would be a hit in Arizona!  So the song began with Doug on vocals and Clay on background vocals as well as keys.  Slowly the rest of the band came in and helped finish the song.  Chris had a solo in this one.

Then came one of the nice surprises of the night.  Clay and Doug both handled "Ramblin'."  The song started out very slowly with a slide solo by Stu and then a guitar solo by Chris.  Doug sang the first several lines of the tune in a very bluesy voice, like the version that's on "Face Down in the Blues."  As the tempo picked up to an incredibly frenetic pace, Clay took over on vocals and Doug moved to keys.  Chris did another guiar solo and then Clay did the same, slowing the song down again to a bluesy instrumental and then slowly picking it back up.  Interestingly, Clay picked out his notes with his fingers, without a pick!  Stu added some great slide to this.  And the "engine" of the band - Tony and B. B. - kept this Marshall Tucker locomotive chugging away.  The audience gave the band a standing ovation after this song.  Besides being versatile on a number of different instruments, Clay belted out his part with incredible control of his voice.  If the band ever records a concert video, this song has to be on it!

After "Ramblin'," the band took a much-deserved, albeit short, break while Doug told the crowd that WEA would be releasing *all* of the band's 24 albums after the first of the year.  Also, the band's new album "Beyond the Horizon" would be released then.  On that record would be a new song by Chris Hicks, a very pretty tune called "The Rain."  I first had the chance to hear the tune on Chris' "Live 'n' Kickin'" CD and I'm positive this song will go over very well with Marshall Tucker fans.  Chris handled the vocals, Clay was on keys, and Stu contributed a slide solo.

Then it was time to pick up the tempo again.  When Clay took the flute and played some familiar notes, the audience knew it was time to "Take the Highway."  Not only did Clay give the crowd a flute solo, he also belted out the vocals. Chris contributed a guitar solo, then Tony shined with a bass solo, then B. B. was in the spotlight with his solo. After that, it was just B. B. on drums and Clay on keys. Eventually the rest of the band came in to polish off the song.

The band's last song, of course, was "Can't You See."  Doug and Clay alternated on vocals and then Doug would thrust the microphone out toward the crowd wanting them to help sing along.  Clay also handled flute on this one.  Several people got up to dance by their tables or in the aisles.  I never thought of "Can't You See" as a dancing song, but as long as the folks were having a great time, it didn't matter.

The band played from 7:30 until 9 p.m. with the second show slated to start at 9:30 p.m.  This, of course, was not going to happen.  But the fans who went to the first show got their money's worth.  I realize there are those people who say this is not the Marshall Tucker Band, not with Toy and Tommy gone, not with Jerry, Paul, and George no longer in the band, that it's just Doug Gray with a bunch of other guys.  As long as Doug and the other guys continue to enjoy themselves on stage and continue to introduce the Marshall Tucker Band's tunes to newer and/or younger audiences, I don't care what the name of the band is - as long as they continue.  And for those of you who have not seen this current incarnation - Doug, Stu, Chris, B. B., Tony, and Clay - you really should see them when they come to your area.  Such incredible musicians, such camaraderie among band members... that's hard to find nowadays.

There was no way the showroom folks would be able to clear us out, clean up the place, let people back in, and have them seated by 9:30.  But they did their best.  When my wife and I left the showroom to find comfort (i.e., restrooms), we saw that the line waiting to get in for the second show had stretched from the showroom doors, along the walls, to the restrooms, and back up the walls on the other side of the hallway.  But it was a fairly patient crowd.  The relative calmness of the crowd helped the showroom workers clean up the place pretty quickly and by the time they let everyone in and the band started playing, it was only 9:45.

As always, "Long Hard Ride" blared over the loudspeakers and the band took the stage.  In the Marshall Tucker Band's "Then and Now" video, the original band actually acts in a segment that's put to the music of "Long Hard Ride."  While some of them look like pretty mean hombres, others try their best not to smile or laugh (Doug, are you reading this?) It's ham and cheese at its best - ham acting and cheesy facial expressions.  But it's one of the many highlights of the video.  I bring this up because I cannot help but think of that video whenever I hear "Long Hard Ride."

"Running Like the Wind" was the first tune the band did. Even though they had a 45-minute break since the end of their first show, the band did not look tired at all.  In fact, they looked rejuvenated!  Doug handled vocals on "Running," Clay played the keys and flute, and Stu did a slide solo.  The big surprise came when the band slowed the song down to a reggae beat.  Tucker fans knew that Bob Marley was with Toy and Tommy above, smiling down on the band.  It just goes to show the band's versatility.

"Hillbilly Band" was the second song of the second show. While Doug likes to change the set list to keep the band from getting bored, "Hillbilly Band" is a constant with the MTB.  It give Stu a chance to shine on lead vocals and to do "a little chicken pickin'" solo on slide.  Chris also popped out a solo.  Clay was on flute.

Song #3?  Love song time.  "Try One More Time" was once again done by the band.  Doug handled vocals, Chris and Stu did solos, and Clay contributed a solo on keys.

"Fire on the Mountain" was next.  Stu played slide while Clay slid to pedal steel guitar.  After that, Doug introduced the band.

Any diehard Tucker fan knows that, despite altering the set list from show to show, there are some constants:  "Can't You See," "Hillbilly Band," and, of course, "Ramblin'."  In the second show's version of "Ramblin'," the entire band started out the song slowly with Doug, once again, on vocals.  It was the calm before the storm.  When the song worked its way up and exploded, Doug had switched to keys, Clay took over on vocals and guitar, and both Clay and Chris contributed solos.  Just like in the first show, Clay picked out his notes with his fingers, slowing the song down to a bluesy number and then building it back up again to a crescendo.

From there, the band delved into another longtime crowd pleaser - "24 Hours at a Time."  Even though Charlie Daniels wasn't there to contribute on fiddle, the band's version of "24 Hours" this night blew the crowd away.  It was a l-o-n-n-n-n-n-g-g-g-g-g version of the song.  After the normal beginning, the band slowed down the song so Chris could pick out a solo.  Clay played keys on this tune and then switched to pedal steel guitar.  The band segued from "24 Hours" to a few lines from "In My Own Way."  Then Tony and B. B. did their solos, Stu did his, Chris did his, and the band finished off the song.  I don't know how long the band played "24 Hours" but they could have gone on with this tune all night long and nobody would have complained.

After "24 Hours," it was audience participation time.  The band moved into "Heard It In a Love Song."  Clay handled flute.  While this may have been the band's highest-charting hit, the Marshall Tucker Band is perhaps best known for their long jams.  "Heard It In a Love Song" was played because it's a crowd pleaser, but it looked as if the band really enjoyed themselves the most when they were playing long, long jams.

The band picked up the tempo for "I'll Be Loving You."  Clay handled vocals (yes, he still had a voice after two rousing renditions of "Ramblin'") and flute.  Chris did a killer solo (as always).

Doug introduced the next song as "a ballad that Toy wrote "ASking Too Much of You."  Of course, by now, some of the audience that had added several bottles of beer or other spirits to their body chemistry yelled "Rock and roll!!!!!" But for those of us who like the slow along with the fast, "Asking Too Much" was pleasing to hear.  Doug and Clay shared the vocals (first Doug, then Clay) and Clay played guitar.  

Time for one more song.  As you know, the band dived into "Can't You See."  Clay handled the flute and then keys. People wanted the band to come back for an encore, but they had just played three hours of nonstop music with the exception of the 45-minute break in between shows.  Just like the first show, the second show's crowd went home pleased.

So what's appealing about the Marshall Tucker Band in this day and age?  Where do I start?

1.  Doug and the guys are exposing the music to new audiences.

2.  The entire band looks like they really enjoy what they're doing.

3.  The entire band looks like they really get along well with each other.

4.  The audiences are definitely getting their money's worth.

5.  These guys are professional musicians.  They're not like so many of today's musicians who cannot sing a note or play more than three chords.

I could go on and on, but I'll close with these thoughts:

1.  I hope the guys record a new video.  I think it would sell well.

2.  I'm very excited about the new album that will be released after the first of the year.

3.  If the Marshall Tucker Band is scheduled to play anywhere near you, do yourself a huge favor and go see them!

    zzy horns, and the stories their songs always told.  So when Mike handed me the tickets for the show, I went crazy!  Did we care that it was 160 miles away?  NO!  Did we know where we were going to stay?  NO!  It didnNormal">    God Bless the Marshall Tucker Band. I hope to see you again soon!