Lynyrd Skynyrd Embraces Touring With ‘Brothers’ ZZ Top

Lynyrd Skynyrd brought a set packed full of hits to the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre on Saturday evening in Tampa, Florida, for the second night of their Sharp Dressed Simple Man tour with ZZ Top. You can see the complete set list and videos from the concert below.

This marks the first major trek since founding Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington passed away in March. As ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons shared during a conversation with UCR, the late rocker's presence was palpable. "He’s still with us in no small terms," Gibbons explained. "All of those guys, you know, it’s that Skynyrd thing. They live on."

The bond between the two bands is immediately apparent, speaking to the individual members.

"We love those guys and they’ve been friends of ours for years. We did eleven months back in 2000 together, so we all became friends," Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist Johnny Van Zant tells UCR during a separate interview. "We opened up in West Palm and from the first [note], I went, ‘The crowd’s here and they want to see some good rock and roll tonight.’ It was an amazing show. Last night, Billy was on the side of the stage during ‘Free Bird,’ both him and his wife. Hell, I was out watching them -- they opened up last night in Tampa. So I was watching those guys play last night. We're fans of each other and not only that, they're brothers too."

Skynyrd set the mood for the night right from their first song, "Workin' for MCA." It's an emphatic opener, and a calculated move by the Southern rock legends. "We’re from the west side of Jacksonville," Van Zant chuckles. "Whenever you’re going to punch somebody, you punch ‘em quick. That’s what you do with that song. Because from the first note, it says, ‘Okay, we’re here!’”

Other set highlights included "Tuesday's Gone" (dedicated to Rossington), along with the such timeless classics as "Simple Man" and "Sweet Home Alabama."

The Sharp Dressed Simple Man tour will continue through the summer, concluding Sept. 17 in New Jersey.

Watch Lynyrd Skynyrd Perform 'Workin' for MCA' in Tampa

Watch Lynyrd Skynyrd Perform 'That Smell' in Tampa

Watch Lynyrd Skynyrd Perform 'Saturday Night Special' in Tampa

Watch Lynyrd Skynyrd Perform 'Tuesday's Gone' in Tampa

Watch Lynyrd Skynyrd Perform 'Call Me the Breeze' in Tampa

Lynyrd Skynyrd, MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, Florida, 7/22/23
1. "Workin' for MCA"
2. "Skynyrd Nation"
3. "What's Your Name"
4. "That Smell"
5. "Whiskey Rock-a-Roller"
6. "The Needle and the Spoon"
7. "Saturday Night Special"
8. "The Ballad of Curtis Loew"
9. "I Know a Little"
10. "Tuesday's Gone" (dedicated to Gary Rossington)
11. "Simple Man"
12. "Gimme Three Steps"
13. "Call Me the Breeze" (J.J. Cale cover)
14. "Sweet Home Alabama"
15. "Free Bird"