“They can expect to be entertained”, said Charlie Daniels when asked about what his concert would be like. The near-capacity crowd at McCain Auditorium on Thursday night would certainly agree.
The 2015-16 McCain Performance Series is off and running after the Charlie Daniels Band opened the season with an energy-packed concert that featured classic hits, new tunes, humor, and some incredible musicianship.
“I’ve spent time in Kansas” before, remarked the iconic Charlie Daniels, who thrilled the audience with his classic “Drinking My Baby Goodbye”. He then treated the fans to a song called “Tangled Up In Blue” from his Bob Dylan tribute album “Off The Grid: Doin’ It Dylan”.
The very patriotic Daniels then took a few moments to express his gratitude to the men and women in the service. “No matter where you find ’em, they are the best we’ve got”, he said, launching into his 1980 hit “In America”.
From uptempo versions of his biggest hits “Legend of Wooley Swamp” and “South’s Gonna Do It Again” to the Spanish-infused guitars of “El Toreador”, Daniels and his five piece band were masters of entertainment. But one of the biggest ovations of the night came after a soft but stirring version of the gospel standard “How Great Thou Art”.
In the business since the late fifties, he has learned how to work the crowd. During “In America”, he changed a lyric to “Go and lay your hands on a K-State Wildcat fan”, which drew an enthusiastic response from the McCain crowd. Then, during a cover of the Johnny Cash classic “Folsom Prison Blues”, Daniels threw in a line about how he “shot a man in Manhattan”, and then added that it was a Jayhawk fan. Of course, that was in jest, but the overwhelmingly pro-Wildcat crowd howled and applauded.
“I left Wilmington, North Carolina in the summer of 1958 with a guitar and a dream”, said the now 78-year old icon. He then introduced his band, allowing each member to take a solo and show off their individual talents. Those in attendance particularly liked the drum work from Pat McDonald, and the electric guitar version of the “William Tell Overture” from Chris Wormer.
Of course, no Charlie Daniels show would be complete without his signature song “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”. The crowd was treated to a high-octane version of the song that left them roaring their approval to close the concert.
The McCain Performance Series continues with two shows next week: on Tuesday night it’s the award-winning a cappella ensemble m-pact, followed by an evening with comedian and former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno on Friday. Call 532-6428 for tickets.
