JAM RAG MAGAZINE (www.jamrag.com) - June, 2003

SOUTHERN ROCK ALLSTARS
IRON COFFINS BENEFIT FOR THE PENRICKTON CENTER FOR BLIND CHILDREN
ERIE, MICHIGAN - APRIL 26, 2003

Molly Hatchet.  Blackfoot.  The Rossington Band and Radio Tokyo.  Sound familiar?  Back in the day when burning guitar leads were fashionable (they still are), and long hair was hip (still is), Duane Roland, Jimmy Farrar, Jakson Spires, Jay Johnson and Charles Hart left their mark in rock'n'roll history.  Southern rock was the name, and guitar anthems the game.  Still is.

On this evening, though, it was about a couple of good causes:  A benefit for the Penrickton Center for Blind Children in Taylor, Michigan - and second, an all-night bash, Iron Coffins style.  Most excellent thanks to Nick, SRA and MG for having Crazy Mark in on the event.

Parking was rough because of the massive crowd and, after a walk through a huge lot of Harleys, I met up with the band.  SRA had just kicked the walls out of Traverse City the night before.  Now they really had to crank it up a few notches for the Iron Coffins.  They wanted their rock as strong as the night is long - and that wasn't ice tea being consumed in mass quantities, either.

Now, I've seen SRA several times before, and on one occasion in 2001 was honored to have my band on the same bill as these Southern cats.  On this particular evening in the here and now, they really let it all hang out.  "Highway Song," "Flirtin' With Disaster," "Train, Train," - yeah, so I've heard these numbers time and again.  But to experience the energy live by the guys who wrote these classic sing-alongs is a whole 'nuther ball game.

Jay and Duane had the harmonizing axe solos down tight while Jakson and Charles kept the rock groove feeling alright.  Jimmy took the lead vocals though it seemed so long, but the cat proved you can't stop a rocker when the words and vibe are strong.

By the end of their gig, SRA had the crowd pushing the stage and dancing with their favorite bottle or babe.  Was it three encores later?  It was all the band could do to break away, grab later dinner and hit the road for another eight hours to their next venue.

I would have stayed longer, but business called.  Met a lot of way-cool folks at the event, definitely looking forward to good times like this in the future.  Best wishes to Penrickton Center for prosperous days ahead.

"Crazy Mark" Maxwell