Live From Texas

After more than three decades together, 38 Special continue to bring their signature blast of Southern Rock to over 100 cities a year. And at each and every show, thousands of audience members are amazed by the explosive power of the band's performance.
Their many Gold and Platinum album awards stand in testament to the endurance of a legendary powerhouse.
With sales in excess of 20 million, most associate the band with their arena-rock pop smashes, 'Hold On Loosely,' 'Rockin Into the Night,' 'Caught Up in You,' 'Fantasy Girl,' 'If I'd Been the One,' 'Back Where You Belong,' 'Chain Lightnin ,' 'Second Chance,' and more Timeless hits that remain a staple at radio, immediately recognizable from the first opening chord, and paving the way to their present-day touring regimen.
The co-founders of the group, vocalist Donnie Van Zant and guitarist/vocalist Don Barnes, say it's all about maintaining that intensity in their live shows. Barnes says, 'We never wanted to be one of those bands that had maybe gotten a little soft or complacent over the years. We're a team, and it's always been kind of an unspoken rule that we don t slack up, we stack up. We go out there every night to win.'
It is that steely determination that lives on in the hearts of these Wild-Eyed Southern Boys.' Completing the team is guitarist/vocalist Danny Chauncey, bassist Larry 'L.J.' Junstrom, drummer Gary Moffat and keyboardist/vocalist Bobby Caps.
Since 1976, the band has released more than 15 albums. And from the start, they've toured relentlessly,bringing their signature brand of muscle and melody to fans worldwide.
Van Zant adds, 'This music keeps our wheels on the road. We're a band that's tried to stay honest with what has driven us over the years. We started out with nothing but bold determination to make our own history and to endure. Looking back now, it has been our greatest pride to have persevered and attained that level of success and longevity. For us, it's the ultimate validation.'
Van Zant is a unique driving force for the band, with an unending spirit that propels the rest to consistently take it up a notch. His name is synonymous with Southern Rock royalty. He is the brother of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ronnie Van Zant, the late iconic singer and founder of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Around the fall of 2009, the notion of releasing a live album started to take precedent. The band felt that their in-concert offering many years before had lacked in sound quality not yet available in the technologically-advanced decade since. Additionally, a need to showcase a new spirit of 38 Special was growing. Barnes explains, 'Back then, we had been rushed to release something quickly without having the luxury of choosing between different performances. It was a single show in the 90's that had been recorded at a venue where logistics were a real challenge, the weather wasn't cooperating, and we ended up not entirely satisfied with what we got.
For Live From Texas, we were able to carry our digital recording equipment with us to several cities, and now had our own private studio for remixing. So this was going to be a real pleasure to put together. The crowds were massive and all of those classic songs deserved a chance to shine in an enhanced live fashion. We were finally able to deliver what we represent onstage.'
Their initial idea was to make a live recording available exclusively at shows, take a copy to carry on the party. But after gleaning select tracks from various cities across Texas - was a blistering new set with a distinct difference in performance as well as audio quality than years before. It grew into an excitedly motivated plan to make available to the world 38 Special Live From Texas-collectively proud history of a band that has made the road a part of its heritage.

And the magic's still there, adds Van Zant.