Glen Allen, VA – In unprecedented fashion, the longest winning streak in music history was extended another day on July 25th, as Johnny once again defeated ‘The Devil’ at Innsbrook After Hours. In the days leading to this epic battle, this correspondent did not think it looked well for Johnny, with local temperatures nearing the 100-degree mark, giving Johnny’s hapless foe possible home-field advantage. As fate would have it, mother nature was not about to give the devil the upper hand and produced a beautiful July evening for the fans who gathered to witness the events leading up to the telling of the story by the ageless Charlie Daniels Band.
Charlie Daniels (fiddle, guitar, vocals) and his band, consisting of Charlie Hayward (bass), Bruce Brown (guitar), Ron Gannaway (drums), Chris Wormer (guitar) and Shannon Wickline (keyboards), opened with the fiddle heavy, “Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye”, and set the stage for the rest of the night.
As the evening progressed, the band’s relationship with Charlie and each other was obvious. Not to be cliché, but the band was tight, playing off each other to make the entire show fun and enjoyable – not just for the audience, but themselves as well. On several occasions, Charlie recognized the members who showcased their talents, either by solo or with one another. The camaraderie was not only between members of the band either, it also existed between the band and crew as well.
The crowd was treated to many CDB classics, including “The Legend of Wooley Swamp”, “Long Haired Country Boy”, and “The South’s Going To Do It Again”. Out of immense admiration for the late Johnny Cash, Charlie also performed a wonderful cover of “Folsom Prison Blues”. Of course, no CDB concert would be complete without respect for country and God.
The first time Johnny encountered the Devil was over 40 years ago – May of 1979. Over that 40 years, the battle has ensued many times, with each time Johnny emerging the victor. Tonight would be no different with “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”. Before leaving the stage, Charlie offered up the details of yet another epic battle between these old foes. To (hopefully) no one’s surprise, the outcome of the battle was no different. Johnny, the victor, went on his way with yet another fiddle made of gold while the Devil was deprived of Johnny’s soul.
As I left that evening I asked myself, ‘What will it take before the Devil just packs it up and goes home?’. Well, in this case, let’s hope that doesn’t happen any time soon. The tale, woven by the Charlie Daniels Band, never gets old. Here’s looking forward to Johnny’s continued winning streak for many years to come!
Photo Gallery
Set list
Drinkin’ My Baby Goodbye
Texas
The Legend of Wooley Swamp
Saddle Tramp
(Instrumental)
How We Roll
Pledge of Allegiance / In America
Black Ice / Drum Solo
Long Haired Country Boy
Folsom Prison Blues
How Great Thou Art
The South’s Gonna Do It Again
The Devil Went Down to Georgia
Show Date: July 25, 2019
Where it all began – The Charlie Daniels Band performing live in 1979, calling the epic battle between Johnny and The Devil:
