KEVIN'S - CHADDS FORD, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 29, 2003

The headlines in Chadds Ford & Southeastern PA. this morning should have read something like this:

Sunday, March 30, 2003
"5 Musicians Take Local Night Club Hostage-Patron's Subjected to Severe Ass Whipping!"

Sometimes, I get a feeling - out of nowhere - that I should do a particular thing. When I follow that instinct, 99% of the time, I find that I was either right in my decision or, in this case, I have a really great time.

Saturday afternoon, 3/29, I decided at 1:00 PM to take off for Chadds Ford, PA. to hang out with the guys from the Southern Rock Allstars for the show at Kevin's last night.  One reason for this was, new member, Duane Roland.  I hadn't seen Duane  onstage in 12 years, since his last days with Molly Hatchet in late 1991.

I called Kevin's and verified the gig was still on, packed, got my attitude half straight and hit the road, in my '86 Chevy wagon with over 215,300 miles on it, leaving Virginia Beach at 2:00 PM.  Keep in mind that this car that I depend on so much for travel, has the original engine and transmission in it, with no internal work having ever having been done on either piece.

Five and a half hours later, I was sitting at the bar in Kevin's with a cold Bud in my hand. The SRA played another club in PA. the night before, about 35 minutes away, stayed in the same hotel, and no one in Kevin's knew where that was.  I learned that the opening band, Dave Marshall and the Mojo Working band, were opening at 9:00 and the SRA were on at 11:00.

I checked in at a Days Inn just up the street from the club.  I learned a long time ago that when you're driving a vehicle for hours at a time, concentrating on staying awake and alert, you just don't shut it off.  You've trained yourself to remain awake. It's like drinking 7 pots of coffee.  I rested as best as I could, showered, and casually got ready for the show.

In a musical and hell raising frame of mind, I went back to the club at 10:00.  Kevin's, a little on the small side, was packed to the point that it was tricky to move around and hard to get to the bar for a nice, cold, Budweiser.  I worked it out.

I wish that I had gotten there a little earlier. Dave Marshall, the bands vocalist and front man, was blowing a wicked tune on a harmonica. After that they went right into a kicking cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues." I was impressed.  From there right into ZZ Top's "LaGrange." They really got the club ready for the big boys of SRA.

Marshall and co. were still on when I met the surprised Southern Rock Allstars outside at 10:20. Jimmy got out of the van first and gave me a sideways "what the hell are you
doing here?" look before he gave me a hug.  Charles and Jay were surprised to see me and Duane didn't know who I was.  Jakson was taking too long to park the van, so I went in with the rest of the guys.

Jay was standing at the corner of the "stage" watching Dave Marshall play that harmonica a little more. He looked at me and I leaned over and told him that they should get Dave up to play on "Train, Train." Jay was already thinking that.

While the opening band broke their equipment down and loaded out, I noticed that one of the guys doing security for Kevin's looked remarkably like Molly Hatchet's drummer, Shawn Beamer. When I told him that, he was like...."cool."

I took that time to talk to Jay, Charles, Jimmy and introduce myself to Duane.  Duane is a nice guy. More on Duane shortly.  Jakson finally came in and started to make his rounds, talking to the folks he knows there. He walked right past me without noticing me. I let him get about a foot in front of me and I patted his shoulder. He looked, quickly, to see who it was and turned back around. Then realization set in and he spun
around with wide eyes and a big smile, giving me a crushing hug. Jakson is strong. I mean VERY strong.  We talked for a minute but they had to get ready. It was 10:45, they had just got there 20 minutes earlier and they were up in 15 minutes.

The floor in front of the area where the band was set up was small. No room to towards the sides, as I was going to take up residence in front of Duane, so instead, I parked it right in front of Jimmy.  Jay looked at me and I asked "Are you ready to rock?"  Jay is the king of one line answers. Looking like he was going to go off,  suddenly, all of the expression in his face crashed and he said "Yep." What an understatement. Jay was ready to pick that place apart.

The girl behind the bar came up with big ol' shots of Jack for everyone.  Jakson didn't want one so she turned around and gave it to me.  Gone.

11:00. Jay asks the crowd, "Are you ready?"

There are shows, and then, there are SHOWS. This night was smokin'! There's a new feeling in the SRA camp. And that new feeling is producing an awesome force behind the music.

All of a sudden, instruments seemed to be weapons. With both barrels loaded and the trigger cocked, like wolves in sheep's clothing, the Southern Rock Allstars said hello by pulling the trigger.

"Railroad Man" came out of the left barrel. "Wishing Well" came out of the right. Jakson broke a stick during "Railroad Man" and threw it out in the floor.

With everyone's full attention, SRA reloaded. Jimmy Farrar pulled the trigger this time. "Whiskey Man" and "Bloody Reunion" hit the jamming crowd at point blank range. Jimmy hands me a broken drum stick during "Bloody Reunion."

Kevin's, and everybody there, had been taken prisoner by the Southern Rock Allstars who, brandishing loaded guitars and lethal drumsticks, proceeded to maul, stomp, and beat into submission every single person in the club.

After all of that ass kickin' they had been doing, and all of the mayhem they had created, they took a break at midnight to converse and consume.

At about 12:30 AM, Sunday morning, Jay told everybody to get ready. They did.  He told them to drink. They did. Then he smacked 'em in the face with "The Hill" and Stump Jumpin."  Lord a'mighty.

Jimmy had to get his licks in. He took a poker and stuck 'em with "Bounty Hunter" and "Mississippi Queen." The crowd was reeling.

Jakson was trying to make sure that everyone there got hit by a broken drumstick.

Charles did his part, keeping the prisoners in line and making sure no one tried to make a break for freedom, picking some of the meanest bass I've ever heard.

Jay and Duane repeatedly pointed their weapons at the crowd and fired off round after round of searing, white hot guitar licks, making damn sure that everyone understood who was in control. I damn sure did.

At 1:25 AM, the Southern Rock Allstars released Dave Marshall so that he could get up with them and blow the harp a little. Playing for a reprieve, Dave played the hell out of that harp, which seemed to give the crowd some new energy.

"Highway Song" was like being hit with a stun gun. 100,000 volts straight to your brain. The SRA was striking at will.

After a mind blowing finale to 2 intense rounds of the audience getting beat up, lashed and pounded, Jay and Duane went out to check on casualties.

But this crowd was tough. There were still survivors. But, they had been weakened.

Sound man, Scott Mabrey, picks up Jays weapon and with Charles and Jak watchin' his back, fires off a couple rounds of his own.

Back up was on the way. Scott's partner in crime, I don't remember her name, hit the crowd with a steel loaded "You Shook Me All Night Long" from AC/DC's arsenal.

Scott reached into the ammo bag and came out with a bad case of "Cat Scratch Fever" to spread around. That got Jays attention and he came to join in the melee.  Scott reached back in the bag and pulled out an ornery "White Buffalo,"  from Ted Nugent's stockpile of arms.

Jimmy Farrar got back up and took a few more shots and it was over. The SRA had conquered Kevin's and they took no prisoners.

A fantastic night of music that didn't end until 3:00 AM Sunday morning.  Everyone was wiped out, yours truly included.

Some of the guys were talking about being hungry. I helped them load out and I followed the van to their hotel 20 miles up I-95 in PA.

Charles, Jimmy, Duane and myself made it to Denny's at about 4:15 AM. I was starved and heard a lot of stuff about how much I ate. We talked and ate until 5:45 and the sun was coming up. I had to check out of my hotel at noon and had at least a 5 hour drive in front of me, so I said goodnight. I got a nice surprise when I went to shake Duane's hand and got a hug instead.

I gotta tell ya. It was great sitting down and talking with Duane. Of course I picked his brain, and we talked about some things that really aren't on his list of favorite things to talk about.  But, he answered my inquires straight forward, no sugar, no artificial ingredients added and I found that he is of the same high caliber as the rest of the guys in the band.  A great guy to talk to, who is most humble and I learned things I'll never
forget.

Jakson, Jay, Charles, Jimmy and Duane - Thank You!

Have mercy,
Scott Shields