Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird (WHAT A CONCERT!) 

The greatest southern rock band of all. God Bless them and thank you for helping keep it alive. I grew up with them. American by birth southern by the grace of God 🇺🇸🙏

This literally was one of the greatest moments in rock history. This was their gift to mankind right before their plane crashed

I was there! Jul 2 1977- im sure you’ve learned by now that the singer, one of the guitarists, and a back up singer and some of the crew were killed later that year in a fateful plane crash. That was stellar performance that day- they were always great live- Jeff Cassinelli- Roseville CA

Allen Collins (guitar player in all white) was just amazing. Unreal talent

*TRIVIA :* In the South after the plane crash, you could go into any Bar or Club that had a Live Band and before the night was through, there would always be somebody who would stand up on a chair or table and yell at the band, --- " Play Free Bird !"

Love watching people watch Lynyrd Skynyrd for the first time. I’m old, so I grew up on this, and love seeing people introduced to their greatness

An anthem from the 70’s! Long live Skynyrd!🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

RIP Gary Rossington. Haunting to know all the guys on the front of that stage, hair flowing in the wind, in their prime are now all freebirds. Thanks for all the great music. Also, legend has it, that the guitar solo at the end, goes on and on, across the Universe, forever and ever!

They prided themselves to sound the same on stage as they did in the studio. They practiced so hard that each member recorded their portion in one take. Very disciplined.

the crowd reaction when the song goes from slow to fast is awesome..

My favorite band & song of ALL time. Unmatched songwriting & guitar skills, 47 yrs later....

In my opinion this was one of the best guitar trios every. Lynyrd Skynyrd still has some of the best guitar players

The band learned piano-playing roadie Billy Powell had written an introduction to the song; upon hearing it, they included it as the finishing touch and had him formally join as their keyboardist. Great song and reaction!!

The grand masters of Southern Rock. These guys hail from Florida. "if I leave here tomorrow - would you still remember me". These guys are more remembered and more sorely missed than they could ever have known. R.I.P. to all of the freebirds in Skynyrd, including Bob Burns and Eddie King.

This was a Day On The Green concert Bill Graham would put on a few time in the summer that featured a few big acts in one day. This lineup consisted on The Outlaws, Santana, Lynyrd Skynyrd and then Peter Frampton. What a great show this one was. I was in high school at the time and stood behind the stage area for this show. I recognize a couple class mates in this video. The coolest part was that the tickets were only like $8 for all this talent. They are from Jacksonville Florida

Best rock song ever! 2 lead dueling lead guitars killing it

My brother lives in Jacksonville and his kids play in Ronnie Van Zant Memorial Park. We all grew up in the 70s/80s listening to LS - such an amazingly talented band, up with the Allmans and CCR as the best bands in American history. And notice the crowd - no tats, piercings, gauges, cell phones, etc. Just normal kids rocking out to fantastic music.

This is a classic for many reasons. I'll say this, Maddie. Many of us wish you were there in the 7o's with us to enjoy the music, movies, bell bottoms, and more open attitude of the times we lived. The summer of 1977 was hard enough as we lost Elvis in August not long after this concert. And then the tragic plane crash took members of Lynyrd Skynyrd in October. The last original member of the group, Gary Rossington, just passed away not long ago. May he rest in peace. The glasses are a good look on you. The next song by Skynyrd, you should react to is either CALL ME THE BREEZE or GIMME THREE STEPS. Peter Frampton has a live performance on the Midnight Special of his chart-topping song, DO YOU FEEL LIKE I DO. It is so chill and so good. Enjoy

I was there and the energy was insane! Watching this video never gets old.

This is the greatest live performance in all of history.

This was released in 1973 when I am 13 years old. I am in 9th grade at Lee Burneson Jr High in Westlake Ohio. Our social studies teacher Mr. Campell had us write reports on what the song meant to us. We listened to it several times in class. I wish I still had that paper. It became the anthem of our generation. It reminds me so much of a great friend we lost that year. later on, Mr. Camble caught us out back behind the boiler chimney smoking weed. He took it and my pipe but never turned us in. I got to see live them 3 times, twice at Cleveland Stadium. It was exactly like the video.

One of the most technically gifted bands that ever existed, period.

YA, I was there. I'm 68 years old now, but back then a somewhat handsome man of about 20/21 years old, who lived about 40 minutes away from Oakland, CA. And "Day on the Green" concerts were a big event for anyone my age to go to. Most everyone I know did, as one could see 3 or4 big name groups in an outdoor stadium for under $10 a ticket. Between the music and the women of that era, the mid 70s truly was a great time to be alive if you were my age.

One of the greatest live rock videos ever made .

What a time to be a teen!!!!! Maddy, sorry you missed it girl! Great reaction!!!!

1977 was a big year for music. The disco phase was starting to wind down, Elvis announced more tour dates and this band was just getting started in showing off their great musicians. This concert being on July 2nd in Oakland with many more dates to come. On August 16th Elvis would suddenly pass away. Then just two months later on October 20th their plane crashed in Mississippi that killed lead singer Ronnie Vanzant, guitarist Steve Gaines (white shirt, red pants) and his sister Cassie Gaines backup vocals. They wouldn’t perform again until 1987, however guitarist Alan Collins white shirt and pants was involved in a car crash that would paralyze him from his waist down which would cause him to never perform again. so this crowd one of the last biggest crowds got to see all of the original band. The fact it is on video allows us all to see how magical it was that day.

Freebird!!! One of the great anthems of the era. Glad they got this video when they did. I was lucky enough to see them at Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA on August 27, 1977 about the same time. About a month later was the Plane crash. 6 died including 3 band members. Lead singer and founder Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and his sister, backup singer Cassie Gaines,. Steve is too close to the camera to see much of until the end . Beard, white shirt, and dark pants. He was new to the band replacing Ed King. His sister Cassie wanted to go with the equipment busses and trucks but was talked into flying. RIP Also the 2 pilots and the assistant road manger.

This is how we rock 😎

Hometown band! They were our pride and joy at the time. They attended Robert E Lee high school and ironically chose their name from one of their teachers . My heart broke when they had the plane crash.😢 We had some great music come from our area during this time. Tom Petty came from an hour drive south of Jacksonville as well. What a time for us to grow up and enjoy! Happy you reviewed this. You would have enjoyed it I’m sure if you had been there. 😘

Girl you just witnessed 1 of the top 5 songs ever recorded. The build up to the 6 minute of the best pickin and a grinin u will ever see on tape. 3 months later 1/2 the people on that stage would die in a plane crash.

I've been listening to that song since the day it was born. And I still listen to every note

I was at the South Bay in Sunnyvale working at the Satellite Control Facility and had to work that day in 1977. It was a Day On The Green but I don't recall the other bands. Being from South Louisiana it would have been fun to watch those southern boys do what they loved. Only the drummer, Artimus Pyle, from that show is still alive. R.I.P. Lynyrd Skynyrd.

I was not there on this Day On The Green. I lived in San Leandro in the Manor which was about 6 or so miles right up Highway 880 to the Oakland Coliseum where the World Champ Oakland A's and the great World Champ Oakland Raiders of the 70s played. The Golden State Warriors played next door at the Arena. I saw Lynryrd Skynyrd at Winterland across the bay in 1976 a year before this concert. I saw many incredible Day On The Green Shows Bill Graham put on. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in 74 and Frampton, Trower, Dave Mason, Fleetwood Mac, Gary Wright British Are Coming August 75 and the Mighty Led Zeppelin in July 77. I also have seen some really great concerts at the Oakland Arena and of course in San Fran. The 70s were unsurpassed and a time of wonderful music, great sports, mellow times, much partying and nowhere near the violence in today's world. I would never trade a day of my youth growing up in those 60s and 70s and 80s. I graduated high school in 1975 which was a very magical year. The great Lynryd Skynryd went down in Oct. 77 when their plane ran out of fuel ending an incredible legacy of southern rock. I always wondered what wonderful music they would have continued creating had that fateful night not happened. I was in my car in the hills of Castro Valley near Dublin, California with my girlfriend listening to FM music and smoking a joint when the news came on the radio about 2 hours after the crash. I was devastated to say the least. I was lucky to have seen them live indoors. I snuck a mini cassette tape recorder into Winterland that night and taped the show. Still have the tape.

The way they exit the stage was "drop the mic" before I think it was a term. The audience spontaneously combusted. There were no survivors. The anticipation in the audience was palpable as last lyrics were uttered and the guitars started to wind up for the marathon finale. This performance alone makes this an historical event comparable to Woodstock, and one of the live concerts I most wish I could have been at.

What a guitar jam! One of the most famous Southern Rock Songs by one of it's greatest groups. They hailed from Jacksonville, FLA. as were the Allman Brothers who preceded them and I still love to listen to their (Allman Bros.) music. And, in classic seventies fashion, a guy from SF at the end smoking a joint. I saw them a couple of times back in the day. At one show, in Utica, NY around halloween, there was a guy dressed like Nixon selling joints and saying "I am not a crook." Thanks for this, Maddy!

Manchester England here ....love your reactions, this is one of the best songs ever written....getcha pull🤘

Love seeing your reactions to a great performance by my favorite band! After watching this I think you get it now. Fly high Freebirds! Long live the Lynyrd Skynyrd band!!! 🦅🇺🇸🪽🎸

In the 70s and 80s we called this stadium rock. It was just a different world back then. I miss it and get a lump in my throat every time I see this.

If I’m not mistaken this was written as a tribute to another band know as the Allman Brothers. One of the two allman brothers Duane the guitars died in a motorcycle accident and this is his tribute song hence the epic guitar solos.

The music I grew up on and so fortunate!

This song has such a different meaning to me now than it did when I was younger. Now when the solo kick is I kinda tear up a little because it symbolizes being set free. Now in my early 40s and quite successful by every societal metric imaginable I feel caged more than ever.

Just 3 months after this they had a plane crash and the lead singer (Ronnie Van Zant), guitarist in the red pants (Steve Gaines), his sister and backing vocalist (Cassie Gaines), their assistant road manager (Dean Kilpatrick) and the 2 pilots were all killed.

I was there. I graduated HS in 1976 at Blackford HS in San Jose and Billy Graham started his Day on the Green series at the Oakland Coliseum. We went to around 6 of those concerts... I guess that was before helicopter parents. They'd tell us to get out of the house and "try to" come back in one piece. hahahaha

This is what you get with fantastic musicianship, three lead guitarists, bass, drums, piano and vocals.

It was a Bill Graham Prodution, a Promoter out of SF, That was Bill Graham on the mic Lynard Skynyrd were out of Jacksonville Florida, I was there! Working for BGP! At that time! Stage Hand!✌! We are everywhere!🙂!.. 🥰

This was 2 weeks after I graduated from high school and I was there with my buddies up in the nosebleed seats. Some 46 years later I still remember the great memories of that day!

I love seeing the iconic Mount Rushmore as the stage setting for this most iconic concert. I wasn't lucky enough to be at this concert, but I did go to many concerts during this period and enjoyed the many benefits of growing up during these great times. Oh, and Mount Rushmore is practically in my back yard. I am truly blessed

Great reaction Maddy! Skynrd, along with the Outlaws and Marshall Tucker, are one of my favorite southern rock bands. It's such a tragedy that a few months after this show, several band members were killed in a plane crash. The plane unbelievably ran out of gas. RIP.

The shot of the drummer going at it shows how important he is.. The drummer is the base ,the rythim of the song

Life of a rock star in the 1970's - on the road nine months out of the year - not easy to have a steady relationship in this situation - especially with all of the "distractions"...

I can’t believe you reacted to this. One of my favourites. One of the best guitar solos ever. Can’t lie🙂👏👏👏👏

Just think all those young ladies are in the mid 60’s to 70’s right now...your grandmother! You look like you would fit right in! The GOATS OF COUNTRY ROCK! 😎🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Excellent choice, I would say the most watched live performance next to Stairway to Heaven. Very enjoyable listening with you.

Arms without tattoos, hands without smart phones and the stars and bars as a backdrop...a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Great reaction Maddy. This is one of the greatest, most famous songs ever recorded. Sadly, this performance was just a few months before the plane crash in Mississippi that claimed the lived of three band members; Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines (Steve's sister), asistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick. and pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William John Gray. 7:04: "The pianist is very talented, guitarist too........The pianist was Billy Powell, and lead guitar was Allen Collins, both of whom survived the plane crash.........as far as Collins, he was just getting warmed up. What an incredible performance. By the way, you look very cute in glasses.

God I miss the 60s and 70s. People were kind to each other Girls were natural and sweet and guys were laid-back. You would fit into that era because you are naturally beautiful and I think a secret hippie and rock chic. Carnaby Street in London was a wash of fashion shops selling the obligatory Dr Pepper military uniform jackets and tie-dye TShirts. Wott an era that was. ✌️♥️🇬🇧

All those young ones that still walk this earth. Are in their 60s and 70s today. It was a time that music was freer than it has ever been. With some of the greatest musicians and song writers ever that could express themselves. Without enslaving themselves to corporations.

Excellent song to react to! Skynyrd is one of the cornerstone bands of Southern Rock with an extensive library of fantastic tunes, hope you do more (Simple Man is my favorite) & other bands like Allman Brothers, Molly Hatchet, .38 Special, Marshall Tucker etc. This is one of the greatest live performances ever imo…epic. There’s no other sound like Southern Rock.

I saw these guys in 1976. They were awesome live. These were the days when people enjoyed each other and partied. I refuse to go to concerts now, because someone has a cell phone in my view and misses out on the music and meanings behind lyrics.

I wasn't at this one, but I saw them in San Diego in 77. From what little I can remember 😎it was awesome. Crammed, hot, and great!

Epic Performance! The GOATS OF REAL SOUTHERN ROCK! 😎🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Lol. You so bad, wish you could have been around with us back then, Maddy. I can see the joy in your eyes, watching the audience. It was indeed, a magical time. The 70's were the best of the best! BTW. You would have been a great 70's chick. Your vibe is perfect, for that era. Much love. ❤❤

Man that gave me legit chills and goosebumps. Why won’t people play like that today?

That was the best years of my life i love the outdoor concerts although this is in a football stadium its out outdoors and will hold thounds of people now that im older wit gray hair i rarely hear of one close enough for me to go to

Beautiful reaction thank you. When my kids were little i tricked them into believing free bird was the national anthem

I was there. I live in a small agricultural/ranching area, and we told our parents we were going to anothers ranch to help brand cows. As there were no phones we figured we were safe. So 5 of us piled into a 1969 Chevy and roadtripped 800 miles one way. The oldest was the driver (17), I was 14. Was a long 2 1/2 days, but we pulled it off without getting busted. Oh...the memories.

And on that note, RIP Bill Graham. Bay Area music was never the same again after you passed.

Great song this is when they were at their prime. Too bad about the plane crash!! The good thing is that they left us with this great music that will last forever!!!!!!

I was fortunate enough to have seen them live several times in the 70's. Great band, southern rock purists. Great review of a great band.

4 Words LEGEND. CLASSIC. Fn A. Best concert I experienced twice.

Never been in your site before, Maddie....couldn't sleep and just surfed on in. I'm an old Boomer (69 / end of '23) but with an 18 yr old soul and a hard rocker's heart. Saw this lineup after grad. high school in Arizona in '73 prob. 3-4 times. They always left every bit of sweat they had on the stage floor and gave us their all. Wish you could have lived it with us Maddie.....you don't even look 30. With respect, it's hard for me to really believe that you at your age could get into this tune and this type of rock. Again....said with respect. If you DO.....hey, that's plenty cool and I'm glad you proved me wrong. Yeah....I've been in many many huge outdoor shows like this. I was not at this one. Biggest one I was at was Ozark Music Festival.....July '74 / Sedalia, Missouri....3-days and about 250K insane stoners.....of which I was one too!! Didn't sleep for 3 nights......had plenty of "road aspirin" to keep me rockin. Thank You Lord for keeping me alive during my misspent youth. I'll sub you, Maddie. God Bless you and the rest of us too. joel in tucson

In '74 Memphis Liberty Bowl (football stadium); FOGHAT started, they were phenomenal; wrapping up was Eric Clapton band, their hit 'Let it Rain' was popular. Skynyrd were in the middle;; they TORE IT UP & EXPLODED!!!!! through their set!!!! My BOOMER Generation (the Greatest ever!!) have an expression: FAR OUT! MAN! FAR OUT! Plus our glorious CONFEDERATE Flags & REBEL YELLS were everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Maddy. Nice reaction ! Yes, I got my bells. Three pair including one pair of elephant bells. Rock🤘😎

My favorite band of all time. Thank you.

I was at this concert 1974, Oakland Coliseum, Day on the Green!! This was their encore. Aerosmith, AC/DC, Foreigner were on the bill, if my memory serves me well. The tickets were 10 bucks… everyone in that crowd are now in their sixty and Seventies, I’m 71.

Lynyrd Skynyrd is the greatest southern rock band ever! There's an argument for The Allman Brothers, but to me, they were more country rock. Although Molly Hatchet can also hold their own. I'm new to your channel and I like the fact that you don't interrupt the flow of the song every 20 seconds like many reactors do.

Your musical insight is astonishing.

They are from Jacksonville Florida down in DIXIE! The music they made was Blues with electric Southern Rock!

Damn you got some good ones coming today I love this song

Billy Powell was just a member of the road crew. He sat down at the piano, and started playing an introduction to Freebird, and the band loved how it sounded. So they hired him as their piano player. Unforunately, a few months after this concert, most of the band was killed in a plane crash in Mississippi.

We didn't have the internet, but we had our rock bands!

The 70s and 80s were the best time in human history to grow up here in the USA.

He said, "This band's so good, you'd think they're from San Francisco." Thats because they're in Oakland, and many great bands came out of SF. Skynyrd was from Jacksonville, FL, hence the Confederate flag, showing they're proud of their Southern heritage.

Lynyrd Skynyrd was from Jacksonville Florida, and what they played was known as "Southern Rock"

Saw them 4 times ,never disappointed! They gave you 110% from start to finish!

If you love guitars, guitars playing you love this song. This is - with a huge gap to anything else - the greatest rock song for guitar solo playing. Nothing else could reach what happens in the second half of the song. 3 great guitar players rock the planet. And some say, they are still playing this great song. Maybe you now understand the meaning about the question "what song do you want to hear from us" (by Band X) and the audience calls "Free Bird". Because nobody could do it, only Lynyrd Skynyrd could do it.

Babies were conceived that day my friends!! Passing the Cheeba!! That's what the great concerts were all about in the 70's... Stellar Music, Makin babies, and getting high

Billy Powell was a rody who had classical piano training and sat down to the piano 1 day and said if I was doing free bird. I would do this as the intro and the rest is history

I wasn’t there but saw them many times in Atlanta including the Atlanta stadium. They are Southern rock! From Jacksonville. This was our anthem.

So happy to see you watch this one!! A lot to unpack. Just on the influence of other bands like RHCP, Lynyrd Skynrd and others from the 70s and early 80s are recognizable in late 80s and 90s rock groups. There is a literal meaning to the lyrics from Allen Collin's girlfriend asking, "If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?". From a liberal interpretation, anyone who is young and in love but realizes that because of school, work, or life that they have to move on. Especially for a rock band. Sometimes you have to let the bird free and let it fly. Epic song. No wonder, even today, it is the most requested improved song screamed out from the crowd to any band out there. May you always fly free Lynyrd Skynyrd. 🤟🤘🐦💞

Still gives me goosebumps all these years later....

Legendary performance. There's a reason they were so good live and it's that Ronnie (the singer) used to work them very, very hard. Despite being a hard partying band, he had them in the rehearsal room at 9am when they weren't on tour. They weren't from San Francisco, they were from Florida mostly although the guitar player in the red trousers was from Oklahoma. What else... oh yeah, the tweetie bird guitar sound was from playing notes with the slide way up the neck where the high notes are. The first time you see him do it, the video and audio don't match because he's playing notes too far down the neck for them to be that high. It's quite common with these old films for bits of the audio and video to not sync up but usually you don't notice it.

Music of my teens...and my life! Spectacular! The ladies were fantastic in the 70's!

July 3, 1977 Three months later was the plane crash. Killed were: Ronnie van Zant, Lead Singer and BandLeader Steve Gaines the Guitarist witl short hair, his sister Cassie Gaines, Backup Singer

I Seen Them In Tulsa, July 3rd., 1977. It Had Like 75000 People, And Hot As Hell, But No One Cared. GREAT CONCERT!

Three months after this concert the lead vocalist and founding member Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist and vocalist Steve Gaines, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines (Steve's older sister) died in a plane crash...this song has a different meaning to me now

Hey there. Skynyrd is from Jacksonville Florida. They have so many good songs for a band that only had about 4 or 5 years of recording before the plane crash.

Day on the green. Oakland, California. ❤️✌️

As I mentioned in you Led Zepplin "Stairway to Heaven" video, I grew up in Oakland Hills and went to Skyline High class of 1975. Went to every Day on the Green until 1981 when I went away to graduate school. These bring back great memories and in those days, we didn't pay that much to get in to see these multiple band events. It was the greatest time for not only Rock 'n Roll but all kinds of genres. Just like yesterday.....LOL, even though I'm 66 years old now....

They used to play this song nonstop in San Francisco during that time. I remember a young man driving a mustang playing that song and then drove on the beach/sand like a idiot and got stuck. Hello, you’re driving a mustang dude.🤣😂