RAGBRAI is almost upon us, and with it the free RAGBRAI Concert Series, with one large concert happening at every stop. This year’s series lineup features classic rock (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Foghat), a couple of bands who’ve been promoted to classic rock (Bush, Spin Doctors), and some local and regional cover and tribute bands (Pork Tornadoes, Hairball). As of now, the final concert in Davenport has yet to be announced.
Naturally, the announcement of Lynyrd Skynyrd's show at the Des Moines RAGBRAI stop led to a brief flurry of “Free Bird!” jokes in the IPR chat.
Because we're IPR, this led to a conversation about where this trope originated. For those who are blissfully unaware, screaming "Free Bird!" during a live show has become a joke over the years, regardless of genre.
"Free Bird" was originally released in 1973 on the band's debut album, (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd). It was released as a single in November of 1974, reaching #19 on the Billboard charts the following January. A live version of the song then reached #38 in January of 1977. "Free Bird" has become one of Lynyrd Skynyrd's signature songs and a staple of their concerts: the band would frequently dedicate their live performances of the song to Duane Allman.
So how did this become a joke? Nobody is entirely sure.
“It was never meant to be yelled at a cool concert: it was meant to be yelled at someone really lame,” said Chicago-based DJ Kevin Matthews. “If you’re going to yell ‘Free Bird!,’ yell ‘Free Bird!’ at a Jim Nabors concert…the people who are conceited, the so-called artists who get really offended by it, they deserve it.”
Matthews claims credit for starting this whole thing while he was on air at WLUP-FM, “The Loop.” He encouraged his listeners to yell “Free Bird!” at any concert: the more inappropriate, the better. There are unconfirmed stories of Matthews urging his listeners to request the song at concerts by Florence Henderson, Jim Nabors and the Chicago Symphony.
Free Bird guy, back up... Gimme Three Steps
Feel free to call me a buzzkill or whatever, but I’ve never thought the “Free Bird!” joke was funny. I fundamentally don't understand what drives someone to try and antagonize artists who are performing. I'm rooting for them! I want to be entertained, and I also want it to be a good experience for them.
On that note, according to Setlist.fm (an essential resource for the Serious Music Person), Lynyrd Skynyrd have played “Free Bird” at every concert since they resumed touring in 2021 following the COVID shutdowns. “Free Bird” is their most-played song of all time, followed closely by “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Gimme Three Steps.” In other words, of course they’re going to play “Free Bird.” There's no reason to yell for it.
Inspired by the upcoming concert, I asked the Internet for stories from musicians and concert-goers alike. I was hoping to get into the heads of those who have participated in the “Free Bird!” ritual, as well at those who have been targeted by it, or at least witnessed it happening. Instead, I inadvertently started a group therapy session for Iowa musicians.
“I hate 'Free Bird!' guy,” said Andrew Fleming of the band Brother Trucker, who pointed out that the perpetrator is almost always male. “He's usually a sad guy, looking for even a second of good or bad attention. I want to feel empathy, but it's 'Free Bird!' guy.”
“This happens all the time, and I just ignore it,” said Katie Roche of Awful Purdies and The Dandelion Stompers. “It's not THAT annoying, but I do feel embarrassed for the person yelling it.” It’s worth noting here that Awful Purdies are a folk/Americana band that only does a few covers, and the Dandelion Stompers play exclusively 1920s New Orleans-style jazz. Yelling “Free Bird!” at a performance by either of those bands is, in Roche’s words, ‘extra weird.’”
“It’s happened many times, and I am never surprised when it still does,” said Sam Drella of Crystal City. “I take it that the person doesn't go out to see live music much, and they're just trying to participate in a way that is fun (for them). And sometimes drunk people like a lot of attention!”
It’s true that yelling “Free Bird!” at shows is relatively harmless, especially in a post-COVID era where concertgoers have forgotten how to behave and are throwing things on stage at musicians. A few folks have taken it to the next level and learned to play “Free Bird” in response, as Bob Dylan famously did a few years ago, along with Built To Spill, Soul Asylum and others.
“This regularly happened to my '80s cover band Never The Less back in the early days,” said Devin Ferguson, who plays with Joel Sires and the Cedar Falls band Get Up Get Down these days. “We would usually shrug it off. It got bad enough that we had the idea that whenever anyone would shout "Free Bird!" we would acknowledge the request seriously but instead of playing the song we would instead go directly into “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley, effectively ‘Rick-Rolling’ the heckler.”
Brook Hoover, composer of the All Access theme song and guitarist for Surf Zombies, may have the ultimate "Free Bird" guy story.
“We were setting up at a restaurant in Cedar Rapids to play a Surf Zombies gig,” said Hoover. “Big crowd, lots of food, patrons talking, etc. We were trying to set up without bothering the business. It was kind of a tense situation, and we were trying to be extremely conscientious. I was setting up the PA and my amps and stuff on a tight time table, and a big bro approached me and asked me to play “Free Bird!” in a rather smug manner,“ said Hoover. “Being the accommodating professional musician that I was, I squatted down and softly played the intro and even added the slide part just to be extra nice.
“The bro said ‘No no no, I'm talking about the solo,’" said Hoover. “Instead of telling him to flake off I headed right into the solo part like a good Surf Zombie and played a few bars real quiet like but pretty precisely. He gave me an approving nod and handed me $60 and strutted back to his girlfriend like he really showed me. It was really hysterical.”
It's really too bad it's a meme
If there’s one thing we should be able to agree on here, it’s that “Free Bird” is actually a really, really great song that deserves better.
“I've always felt the real tragedy is that this phenomenon has cheapened ‘Free Bird’ and turned the song into a bad joke, “ said Fred Love, a musician who lives in Ames. “Which is too bad because, when taken on its own terms, the song absolutely smokes."
This brings up a fair point: if you have a close relationship with the band, and you know they’re okay with it, it might be acceptable to yell “Free Bird!” while they're performing. I have good friends who did this while listening to a band that specializes in Southern rock covers.
So, what about yelling "Free Bird!" to Lynyrd Skynyrd, who actually wrote "Free Bird," during their Iowa stop? Since I'm not a smug, humorless jerk, the answer is.... when in Rome? You do you, if you must.
Lynyrd Skynyrd will be in Des Moines on Wednesday, July 26 as part of the free RAGBRAI Concert Series. I’m not going on RAGBRAI, but several of my IPR colleagues usually do. If they’re at this concert, I assume they’ll be the ones yelling for “You Got That Right.”
