38 Special

After more than three decades together, 38 Special is still playing more than 100 shows per year. And at every one of them, thousands of audience members are completely blindsided by the power and muscle of the band's performance. "When we come out, people are like, 'Whoa! It's like a freight train rolling over them...

38 Special Concert & Tour Photos

Fan Reviews

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Shellyjone2018

Great show and great place to see a show. Brought back memories.

Delaware County Fairgrounds - Manchester, IA - Fri, Jul 17, 2009

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

TAMATT2000

Great concert with family and friends! Will definitely see them again when they come back around!

Delaware County Fairgrounds - Manchester, IA - Fri, Jul 17, 2009

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Madmax24

Music just as I remembered it back in the days. Great concert and would go again. Thanks

Delaware County Fairgrounds - Manchester, IA - Fri, Jul 17, 2009

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

blondie64

I wasn't sure what to expect from an "older" band but .38 Special still sounded great. There were some pleasant surprises with songs I had forgotten were written/performed by them. All in all, it was a very enjoyable and laid back concert for a mature crowd with one good song after another. My only disappointment was that they didn't do the full version of "Second Chance."

Delaware County Fairgrounds - Manchester, IA - Fri, Jul 17, 2009

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Seadooer

.38 Special put on what I think was the best set I've seen them do. They took the stage and played several of their best tunes.

Delaware County Fairgrounds - Manchester, IA - Fri, Jul 17, 2009

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Angeli0120

Delaware County Fair did a great job with getting .38 Special!!! The only thing was that they never announced the opening act, so don't even know who they were, but they were great also.

Delaware County Fairgrounds - Manchester, IA - Fri, Jul 17, 2009

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

redram

First time been to a concert and had free beer all night! .38 Special was very good! Didn't know all the songs they sang, but they were great. Liked it when they kept thanking the people for coming. Songs I knew sounded good even with age. Overall a very good performance.

Delaware County Fairgrounds - Manchester, IA - Fri, Jul 17, 2009

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

sherrics

The 38 Special VIP concert was very awesome. I saw them in concert 20 years ago and they are still extremely good. We had a great time and loved the show!!!

Delaware County Fairgrounds - Manchester, IA - Fri, Jul 17, 2009

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

mechanicman

If there is a true meaning to southern hospitality,it was evident at the 38 special concert played at a county fair in a small midwest town in Manchester Iowa.From beggining to end this concert gave you everything you asked for and more.Despite the fact it was more like winter with temperatures in the low fiftys,the cold was ignored by the abundance of Food,beer and a general warmth of the entire crowd and of the band that was playing.I could have sworn that I was in Sturgis North Dakota at a Festival rather than at a fair in Manchester Iowa. That was how high powered 38 Special played to the crowd!For two hours nothing else mattered except what was happening on stage.

Delaware County Fairgrounds - Manchester, IA - Fri, Jul 17, 2009

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

rockquarrry

I have not seen this band in years and they were just as good (if not better) than ever. It was a beautiful night and everyone behaved. Thanks to the BEER girls that worked thier butt off and were always smiling. I bet thier dogs are barking today. Thanks 38 Special for making it a very special evening. Rock On.... Cheers !!! :)

Delaware County Fairgrounds - Manchester, IA - Fri, Jul 17, 2009

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

NELLY76

It was so neat to see the "older" crowd, jammin out and getting on chairs . I know it had to of taken them back to the "days". IT was a awesome concert!

House of Blues Myrtle Beach - North Myrtle Beach, SC - Sat, May 21, 2011

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

voies

38 Special was really good, had a great light show, wish they would have played More of their old stuff but still a concert to see!

House of Blues Myrtle Beach - North Myrtle Beach, SC - Sat, May 21, 2011

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Norsu2

Night Ranger rocked the house in Lynn. You can still rock in America! High energy set with ex Ozzy guitarist Brad Gilli's shredding it and showcasing all their hits, some Damn Yankees and Crazy Train. .38 Special disappointed, without Van Zandt an uninspired performance.

House of Blues Myrtle Beach - North Myrtle Beach, SC - Sat, May 21, 2011

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

KCKSpecial

Show was awesome! Longtime favorite band, but my first show. Chain lightening throw back to the 80's! Had to stay until the end, Hold on Loosely rocked Summerfest! !! Loved the guitars. Great musicians.

House of Blues Myrtle Beach - North Myrtle Beach, SC - Sat, May 21, 2011

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

PrisPot

They played all of the hits plus a couple more. They don't have the same energy without Donnie, but they had enough energy to make it fun. I enjoyed myself.

House of Blues Myrtle Beach - North Myrtle Beach, SC - Sat, May 21, 2011

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

OhWhatAKnight

The hubs and I had an Awesome time. We didn't really know what to expect being as DVZ wasn't there (and missed greatly) but the guys really turned the place out! We had a great time and the band sounded as tight and wonderful as always! They brought back a lot of warm fuzzies from my high school years!

House of Blues Myrtle Beach - North Myrtle Beach, SC - Sat, May 21, 2011

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

TBW64

.38 Special put on a great show; playing all their hits. The only thing missing was Donnie Van Zant. Otherwise, it was great in the intimate setting of The Event Center at L'auBerge Casino Baton Rouge, Louisiana!!!!!

House of Blues Myrtle Beach - North Myrtle Beach, SC - Sat, May 21, 2011

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

kmillay

Awesome show!! Loved the fact that the venue was very small! Loved every minute of it...

House of Blues Myrtle Beach - North Myrtle Beach, SC - Sat, May 21, 2011

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

CherBear121

What an amazing show. I would recommend anyone liking the band to go see them. They still have it!!!

House of Blues Myrtle Beach - North Myrtle Beach, SC - Sat, May 21, 2011

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

jyost65

Had a great time. Our first time at rib america...food was awsome. Also my first time seeing Molly Hatchet. They've been one my concert wish list for a long time. Very happy with the show. Molly Hatchet played about 11/2 hours in the scorching afternoon heat and just kept rocking. .38 Special was next, they put on a great show too. I had seen them before some yaers ago. I enjoyed them just as much this time.

House of Blues Myrtle Beach - North Myrtle Beach, SC - Sat, May 21, 2011

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

bigginfl

.38 Special never fails to put on an entertaining, high-energy show and they proved that again at The House of Blues, Myrtle Beach on Saturday, May 21, 2011. I paid a premium price to get early admission, but it looked like they opened the "regular" doors at the same time, so I'm not sure if I got what I paid for on that one. But, no complaints, there was only one person between me and the barricade, so I was almost 100% satisfied. The one complaint I do have is the sound. They had two small speakers on the stage turned toward the audience. They were very loud and all that was coming through them was the guitars ... no vocals or anything else. So the sound was really unbalanced, at least close to the stage. It seemed like it got a little better near the end of the show. If I was not such a big .38 Special fan that I know all the words, I wouldn't have been able to understand them. There were a couple of obnoxious blonde bimbos who crowded down front and didn't know how to act right in public, but that's not .38 Special's fault. Poor upbringing, I suppose. But all-in-all it was a good night and I'd do it again without having to think it over.

Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA - Fri, Jul 13, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

ddl5775

The show in general was good. It was difficult at times to see the stage. The only complaint is when they turned on the bright lites on the audience, they were very blinding!!!

Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA - Fri, Jul 13, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

queenie930

I've followed .38 Special their entire career, and could not believe how amazing they still are! I've seen some other 80's bands "after the fact" and they tend to be more settled on stage. Not this group! They rocked the house!

Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA - Fri, Jul 13, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Punkin52

Although .38 Special has been around for over 30 years, they still have it! They do a wonderful concert playing all their old songs and some new ones. They really interact with their fans and get everybody pumped up. Donnie VanZant remembered me from previous concerts and kept standing in front of me singing to me and even stuck the microphone in my face and I got to sing with them. Just like the title of one of their songs, "This Night Could Be Like No Other Night",

Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA - Fri, Jul 13, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

urbanski

Don Barnes and Donnie Vanzant still rock! They had energy and stage presence. Their voices were marvelous. The band rocked hard and loud. They played all their hits...even did a 3 song encore set to cap off 100 minute show. Absolutely incredible event!!

Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA - Fri, Jul 13, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

writeniceletters

after decades of playing music, you would think that men as old as the members of .38 Special had lost a bit of their skill. NOT TRUE. they put on an amazing show. the vocals were spot on, the instrumentation was flawless and they were very entertaining to watch. if you ever get the chance to see them, do it.

Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA - Fri, Jul 13, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

MelaMo

.38 Special! That's all I need to say. Great music and great entertainers! It was just great. Kansas...talented, but not the entertainers of .38 Special. I wish I could have just had 3 hours of .38 Special...the venue was nice and my seats were perfect!

Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA - Fri, Jul 13, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

LugnutsMom

Both bands performed for almost an hour and a half each!! Both groups sounded awesome, as good as they've ever sounded! .38 Special I have to say, absolutely rocked the stage non-stop. Not only did their music sound great, but they put on an awesome show!! Great bunch of guys and so glad they came to Murray. Would love to have them back again soon!!!

Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA - Fri, Jul 13, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

alkwky

The listing order has .38 Special first, so I assumed they were the opening act. This was incorrect. Kansas came out first, and I was honestly unimpressed. The music was fine; it was Kansas after all, but they had no stage presence at all. They just stood there and played, and the audience just sat there and listened. The only real excitement was for their biggest 2-3 songs. 38 Special, on the other hand, rocked the house down. The front several rows abandoned their seats and ended up pressed against the stage, getting high fives, chances to sing, they pulled a kid onto stage at one point. They all kept moving, swinging the mike stand like a color guard flag, yelling to the audience... apparently the Murray show is part of a live CD they're putting out!

Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA - Fri, Jul 13, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

CharEd

Great show singing all their hits! Voices were spot on. Venue quaint and friendly!

Penn's Peak - Jim Thorpe, PA - Fri, Jul 13, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Anonymous

6th time seeing them, Penns Peak is a great venue for concerts

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Apr 7, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

BikeLt

Great venue. Great show. Special thanks to security for getting the drunk blonde trying to dance in front of anyone back to her seat...

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Apr 7, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Jillio

This is my third time seeing 38 Special and they just get better every time I see them! Penn's Peak was a great place to see a show. I highly recommend it!

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Apr 7, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Dwhips

Had a great time. I especially love that they recognize how old we are and that we want to hear all their old favorites. They played a lot of songs and three encores. Penns peak is always a great night out.

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Apr 7, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Anonymous

Great experience all around Great price for awesome seats 38 special sounded great too

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Apr 7, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

MTimeSpace

38 special I've seen many times and this was the best .Great venue and show...they give their all

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Apr 7, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

MJLou

Great band and venue. Had dinner at Roadies. Food was great. The staff was so friendly from the restaurant to the venue. This was my first visit to Penns Peak and I would definitely go again.

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Apr 7, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

wenrobtes

Penns peak is a great place to watch a small show. 38 special played all the its, sounded good and kept the show moving . Good time.

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Apr 7, 2018

★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Pearl2965

One of the worst sounding concerts I ve ever attended. I ve seen other concerts at this venue and the acoustics are fine so it s not the facility.

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Apr 7, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Merdleigh

Concert was great. It started on time and they played all of their hits. It was a little loud but rock concerts are supposed to be loud. The Hard Rock Biloxi theater where the concert was held, is really nice there isn't a bad seat in the house. This is the first time I have been to a concert there and it won't be the last I really enjoyed it. 38 Special hasn't changed since they first started. The vocals sounded just like their records and the musicians were really on their game the night I saw them.

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Apr 7, 2018

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

1963me

Long time fan that refused for years to see a VanZandt-less .38 Special. Still miss Donnie, but Don Barnes and crew put on a great show.

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Jun 10, 2017

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Captnkern

Started the concert with 'Rockin' Into The Night' and they did just that for the rest of it. Sounded fantastic! Played all their most popular songs. Even played a Chicago hit 'Feelin' Stronger Every Day'. You could see they were having a good time jamming it up. Definitely a show to see if you've never seen them or want to see them again as they still play it like it sounds on the radio.

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Jun 10, 2017

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

therealsteve2728

I haven't been a huge 38 special fan, honestly - I liked the songs that I am familiar with though. Typical ones that I've heard on the radio, I mean. and that being said, I really enjoyed this concert. I go to a lot of concerts, and I have played professionally as well as done some recording and sound engineering - so I can be rather picky on the sound at different venues. Kansas Star has really good acoustics for a live venue. The sound quality was very good, the vocals were really impressive - and very clear... even in three part harmony at times. If you have a chance to see these guys, I definitely would.

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Jun 10, 2017

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Anonymous

Event was ran well. Everything went smoothly from the spectacular point of view. Good concert.

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Jun 10, 2017

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Christopher4084987

38 Special put together one heck of a show. They sang several classic rock and oh what a show, it was truly amazing.

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Jun 10, 2017

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

JBlakeB

The band sounded better than expected. Although the lead singer is older he sounds a lot like he did back in the day. Found myself singing along often. The set list was a little puzzling. They did a very quick medley of big hits early in the set and this, coupled with some remarks from the band, led us to believe it would be a short show. However, they did play for almost two hours and the show was thorough. Oddly, they also brought out big stage effects (lighting and smoke) just for the encore. Weird and played with our expectations. They may just be playing with things because they have been around for so long, but it made us less involved with the show.

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Jun 10, 2017

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Chainwallet

They didnt miss a beat, came out on fire and put on a great show

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Jun 10, 2017

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Sheila0966

The venue was great! The concert was even better!!! 38 Special played for a long time...no opening act and they played for more than 2 hours! Then my husband and I got to meet Gary Moffatt and Barry Dunaway in the lounge of the hotel afterwards. They were friendly and down to earth and love what they do, and it shows! I would go again a heartbeat!

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Jun 10, 2017

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

SteveD64

1st time at Star of the Desert Arena. Nice little venue! .38 Special delivered a solid rocking 90+ minute show. Great performance!

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Jun 10, 2017

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Anniversary29

38 Special is still fantastic!! They put on a great show. I would definitely recommend going to see them.

Hard Rock Live - Biloxi, MS - Sat, Jun 10, 2017

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

1357911

The band kept it simple for visual distractions. The songs were performed just as well as the original LP sounds on my record player at home! The encore was hard charging and a fantastic finale for .38 Special to show they still have their grit and talent. Loved it!