Memorial Coliseum

March 21, 1975

Skynyrd’s setlist for the evening was predictable, chock full of hits and a series of deeper album cuts that fans knew all too well.  The band kicked it off with “Whiskey Rock-a-Roller,” then proceeded to tear through “I Ain’t the One,” “I’m a Country Boy,” “Saturday Night Special” and “Don’t Ask Me No Questions,” plus Oklahoma guitarist J.J. Cale’s “Call Me the Breeze,” a huge hit for the band, followed by “Sweet Home Alabama,” and “Free Bird.” Dubbed the “Nuthin’ Fancy Tour” it featured a tight ensemble at their best fronted by singer Ronnie Van Zant and a band that featured guitarists Ed King, Allen Collins, and Gary Rossington, pianist Billy Powell, bassist Leon Wilkeson, and drummer Artemis Pyle. Later in the year the tour would head to Europe and perform a series of shows in Germany marred by the group's legendary backstage behavior, fighting, and destruction of various hotel rooms. Once a Jacksonville, FL bar band in the 1960s, the raw but talented musicians had elevated their work to be mentioned in the same breath as The Allman Brothers Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, and a handful of others on the music scene. Two years later, along with newcomers guitarist Steve Gaines, his sister, backup singer Cassie Gaines, and Van Zant would all perish in a plane crash on October 20, 1977. The supporting act for the evening’s show at Memorial Coliseum was Charlie Daniels, a kindred spirit when it came to his dedication to Southern rock. Graphic artist Patrick Covert’s poster for the UA show was an inventive mash-up of conventional Old South themes, with a few contemporary twists connecting to the band’s raucous reputation. Tickets for $3.00 for students, and twice as much for general admission