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Review: Hank Williams Jr. masterful at Jones Beach Theater (Includes first-hand account)

Singer-songwriter Aaron Lewis opened for him, and Hank Jr. shared the stage with the iconic southern rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd.

As Bocephus took the stage, wearing a black “Icon” cap, he was greeted with a warm standing ovation from the New York audience. He strapped on his electric guitar and kicked off his set with the soaring “Are You Ready For The Country,” where green and purple lights dimmed from the stage, and it garnered him a raucous response.

He continued with the slow-moving “Whiskey Bent And Hell Bound.” “I hear you!” he exclaimed, and immediately broke into the piano-driven and uptempo “Move It On Over.”

Hank Jr. took off his “Icon” cap and switched it with a cowboy hat to perform a haunting rendition of “The Conversation,” prior to belting out the autobiographical tune “Just Call Me Hank,” where he stood in his ground. He picked up the pace with the upbeat “Keep The Change” and he had the crowd stomping their feet on “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight.” The veteran singer-songwriter shared that his music video for “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight” made the list for CMT’s 100 Greatest Videos.

Equally fun were “I Really Like Girls” and “Waitin’ for the Bus,” which had a bluesy vibe to it. One of the fan-favorite songs in his set was “Kaw-Liga,” where he showed his instrumental prowess on fiddle. The latter tune earned him yet another standing ovation.

“Maybe some of y’all went to Nashville,” he said, noting that the Country Music Hall of Fame was supposed to have the “Family Tradition” exhibit for 18 months, but it ran for 4.5 years. This exhibit spotlighted the Williams family legacy. He went on to sing Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” as he played the piano, and it was followed by “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” where he showed us how to boogie.

He also shared that he did not have a normal childhood, especially with the biggest names in music industry, being at his house from the young age of eight, including Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, among many others.

Hank Jr. delivered a haunting acoustic rendition of “Outlaw Women,” and he continued with “Dinosaur” and “There’s a Tear in My Beer,” where yet again, he paid homage to his father. He closed his acoustic song with “All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down).”

It was followed by his cover of “Good Ol’ Boys,” the classic theme song of The Dukes of Hazzard, and prior to singing “I Walk the Line,” he shared that one can learn a lot about him simply by visiting the Hall of Fame, especially since he revealed that June Carter was his godmother. He had a great deal of fun on the witty “Redneck Paradise,” which earned him a standing ovation.

He commanded respect for the following tune, which became a spitfire anthem for Jones Beach, his signature song, “A Country Boy Can Survive.” Most impressive is that red, white and blue lights shined towards the end, thus showcasing the patriotic spirit.

Hank Jr. picked up the pace with the uptempo “Born To Boogie.” After covering Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” he closed his memorable set with a version of his late father’s “Hey Good Lookin'” and the perennial country classic “Family Tradition.” “I think you got it,” he told his New York audience.

The Verdict

Overall, Hank Williams Jr. was amazing at Jones Beach Theater on Long Island. He proved to be a real outlaw, with real songs and meaningful stories. Country music doesn’t get any more real than Hank Williams Jr. He is a tremendous singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. It was evident that his fans were hardcore and loyal. His live 75-minute set at Jones Beach garnered an A rating. Long live Bocephus!

To learn more about Bocephus and his music, check out his official homepage.

Markos Papadatos
Written By

Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News. Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 20,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.

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