Wild-Eyed Southern Boys

38 Special brings the greasy, loud and proud sound of rock ‘n’ roll to the Freedom Fest Fair.

See related story:
Day at the Fair
By: Megan Sullivan

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38 SPECIAL


   One hundred days out of the year, Southern rock band 38 Special still brings the party to the people. That’s after releasing more than 15 albums since the group’s formation in 1975 and touring relentlessly from the start. And with a promise of more to come in the near future, it looks like this party won’t be ending any time soon.
   "The crowd gets swept up," says vocalist/guitarist Don Barnes, calling from Rockford, Ill., before an evening show. "We try to play every song of the history of the band… and after an hour and a half, we’re exhausted and so is everybody else."
   The rest of the 38 Special crew includes vocalist and showman Donnie Van Zant (brother of late Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant), Larry Junstrom (bass), Danny Chauncey (guitar), Bobby Capps (keyboard) and newest member Garry Moffatt (drums). Their next party will kick off at the Freedom Fest Fair (see sidebar) at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown July 10.
   Although he admits traveling gets tiresome, that’s life for a musician. "They say, ‘Be careful, you might get what you wished for,’" Mr. Barnes says, laughing. There’s hardly room for complaint, though. "On stage we get to crank the guitar up to 10 and act like we’re 19 again."
   The 50-something musician is quick to say it’s the greatest job in the world to make audiences happy. "That time on stage, we’re able to be bringing joy and people are blown away by it all," he says. "It’s really an explosive approach to it and a party atmosphere that everyone comes for."
   Mr. Barnes recalls a recent conversation he had with a fan who, for the past 20 years, has made garage doors to earn his living. "And I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God! Sheet metal and making garage doors?’" he says incredulously. "And this guy wants to come to rock and escape that. We bring that escape and people scream and yell and we encourage that."
   The Jacksonville, Fla., native grew up surrounded by music, having a father who was music director of a Baptist church. Don also reluctantly took piano lessons as a child, but was thankful for the experience once he applied his music know-how to the guitar. Don and Donnie Van Zant, friends since age 12, played in a number of bands together before co-founding 38 Special more than three decades ago. With five navy bases in town, Mr. Barnes says there were plenty of opportunities for kids to start up a small cover band and play area clubs, sometimes even making $400 to $500 a week.
   Through early training, learning hits of the period, as well as elements of songwriting, a number of talented musicians emerged in Jacksonville. In addition to 38 Special, groups like The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hachet and Blackfoot also came from North Florida. "We owe a lot to the navy," Mr. Barnes says.
   While many associate the band with its 1980s pop smashes, like "Hold on Loosely" and "Caught Up in You," 38 Special now packs a more gritty, edgy sound. Although the ’80s was a fruitful period for the group — with hit albums like Rockin’ Into the Night (1980) and the platinum Wild-Eyed Southern Boys (1981) and Tour de Fource (1984) — Mr. Barnes believes the band has significantly improved since then. "We understand the power of the groove, the space between the beats and we’re more professional," he says.
   With their first full-length studio album in years, 2004’s Drivetrain, the band members sought to capture their raw, live energy. "Over the years, we have kind of taken side roads, you know, the record company wants another pop hit," Mr. Barnes says. "We realized we wanted to portray what we are live, with a big 50-foot-tall PA system."
   Mr. Barnes produced Drivetrain, along with Mr. Chauncey, favoring a more natural approach instead of being "clean" and "safe." They cranked up the amps, turned up the mikes to get the ambient noise from the bashing drums and bass and captured that explosive attitude.
   "We’re letting people see we certainly don’t want to get softer as the years go by," Mr. Barnes says. "We don’t slack up, we stack up!"
38 Special will perform at the Freedom Fest Fair, Horse Park of New Jersey, Allentown, July 10, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $25-$35. See sidebar for more details; www.38special.com