Charlie Daniels at The Keswick Theatre (Glenside, PA – Oct 23, 2014)
Jim Moulton
Posted On October 28, 2014
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The Charlie Daniels Band pulled into Glenside and were loaded for bear. I have not seen Charlie since 1981 at the Mann Music Center. There was a local band that opened up for them, The crowd were not really getting into them, I had never heard of them, but the crowd were there to see the CDB.
People that had a meet and greet with Charlie did that during the first act’s
set. Charlie did his meet and greets in his bus which was neat. Mr. Daniels has always been an outspoken man about his beliefs in Christianity, and his political ideas. In my short time with him, I was really impressed with him, He is a very kind and sincere man.
By the time everyone got back inside, The opening act was finished and they were setting up for the CDB which did not take long, and they had brought more than the average rock group to the Keswick, which has it’s own PA system. They added a stack of speakers which went almost to the ceiling of the Theatre. They started out loud, I really did not expect him to still be playing full volume at his age, but the band was on full tilt rock, it took a couple of songs to get the sound dialed in. After the sound was right, the band really sounded good. They did the “Wooley Swamp”, it sounded just like the record, Charlie’s voice sounds just as strong and clear as it did thirty five years ago. His guitar playing sounded better, if anything than before.
I was unfamiliar with a lot of his new material, as I was really into him in the seventies. He did sing “Long Haired Country Boy”, which got the place jumping. He brought the house down with a magnificent version of “How Great Thou Art”, starting out with just himself and an acoustic guitar, bringing in the whole band by the end. It was just so beautiful and done so full of meaning, and reverently. The CDB sounds just as good or better than ever.
