CONCERT REVIEW: Blackberry Smoke Brings Southern Rock Fire To The Ryman

There are certain nights at the Ryman Auditorium that feel less like concerts and more like communal celebrations of real-deal music—and Saturday night’s show with Blackberry Smoke, Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs, and Shannon McNally was one of those unforgettable nights.

The evening kicked off with the soulful voice of Shannon McNally, who opened the show with her mix of blues, folk, and Americana. She was the perfect warm-up to what was coming. 

Then came rock and roll royalty: Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs. If the name doesn’t immediately ring bells, the résumé sure will—Mike Campbell was a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and he co-wrote some of their most iconic hits with Petty, including “Refugee,” “Here Comes My Girl,” “You Got Lucky,” and more. Watching the 75 year old Heartbreaker rip through a no-frills set of guitar-driven rock was electric. His playing was sharp, soulful, and filled with the spirit of Petty.

But the main event was Blackberry Smoke, and in my opinion, they are hands down the best modern-day Southern rock band in existence. From the moment they launched into “Little Bit Crazy,” the band had the Ryman crowd—standing from the get-go—completely under their spell. With Charlie Starr leading the charge, they burned through a 17-song set that spanned their rich catalog and paid homage to the legends who paved the road.

They hit every gear—“Good One Comin’ On” and “One Horse Town” felt like an old friend. “Pretty Little Lie” and “Sleeping Dogs” brought the singalongs, and the brief snippet of “Long Haired Country Boy” was a fun and fitting nod to Charlie Daniels.

The night had its quieter, heartfelt moments too. Starr dedicated “No Way Back to Eden” to the late George Jones, preceded by a tender snippet of “From The Window Up Above.” And perhaps the most unexpectedly powerful moment came when the band launched into a full-throttle version of Black Sabbath’s “Children of the Grave”—a surprise tribute to Ozzy Osbourne that managed to be both blistering and deeply poignant. The song was introduced with reverence for the Prince of Darkness, acknowledging Ozzy’s fight with Parkinson’s and celebrating his enduring influence. For a band rooted in Southern tradition, it was a powerful cross-genre salute.

The encore turned the Ryman into a full-blown Tom Petty tribute. Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs returned to the stage, joined by Shannon McNally, for a barn-burning run through Petty classics: “Rockin’ Around (With You),” “Love Is a Long Road,” “Straight Into Darkness,” “American Girl,” and a joyfully chaotic medley of “Everybody (Tommy Roe),” “Anyway You Want It” and more. They closed the night with a thunderous, soul-shaking version of “Runnin’ Down a Dream.”

For those of us lucky enough to be in the pews of the Ryman Saturday night, this show wasn’t just heard—it was felt.
–Jerry Holthouse

 

1. Little Bit Crazy
2. Lord Strike Me Dead
3. Live It Down
4. Good One Comin’ On
5. You Hear Georgia
6. Like It Was Yesterday
7. Let It Burn
8. Pretty Little Lie
9. Sleeping Dogs
   (Long Haired Country Boy snippet)
10. Prayer for the Little Man
11. Don’t Mind If I Do
12. No Way Back to Eden
    (From The Window Up Above snippet intro; song dedicated to George Jones)
13. Restless
    (Things Going On Intro)
14. Other Side Of The Light
15. One Horse Town
16. Children of the Grave
    (Black Sabbath cover)
17. Ain’t Much Left of Me
    (Snippets of Let’s Work Together/Keep Your Hands to Yourself/Let’s Work Together)

ENCORE:

1. Rockin’ Around (With You)
   (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover) (with Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs)
2. Love Is a Long Road
   (Tom Petty cover) (with Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs)
3. Straight Into Darkness
   (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover) (with Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs)
4. American Girl
   (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover) (with Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs) (Also joined by Shannon McNally (opening act))
5. Everybody (Tommy Roe) / Unknown / Anyway You Want It (Dave Clark Five)
   (with Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs) (Also joined by Shannon McNally (opening act))
6. Runnin’ Down a Dream
   (Tom Petty cover) (with Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs) (Also joined by Shannon McNally (opening act))

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