Lynyrd Skynryd cooks up new gig to christen BBQ joint

Fans who go to see Lynyrd Skynyrd's show tonight won't get a full-fledged concert experience.

They'll get something better: an acoustic set that will include the band's iconic song "Sweet Home Alabama," and a chance to meet them. They may even get to have a drink with them.

"We're going to play some songs, probably drink some beers, tell some stories," lead singer Johnny Van Zant says. "And eat some barbecue."

Mostly, they're going to mingle with the crowd, Van Zant says. The band's show marks the opening of their first restaurant, Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ and Beer in the Excalibur. They will become the fourth musical group to serve up grub in Las Vegas, joining singers Sammy Hagar, Toby Keith and Jimmy Buffett, who all have their own restaurants.

It may take awhile to wrap your head around the idea of Lynyrd Skynyrd hawking barbecue. But it works for the band and their fans, Van Zant says.

"You know what, first of all, we all love barbecue," he says of the band members. "And I'm sure 95 percent of our fans do, too."

Three years ago, the band paired up with locals Michael Frey and Craig Gilbert of Drive This! Entertainment and started planning the venue. Frey was a partner in Coyote Ugly when it was at New York-New York. It was the perfect business model, Frey says, because it appealed to a wide variety of people and was accessible to all kinds, too.

"For years, I've been looking for the next Coyote Ugly," Frey says.

A mutual friend suggested Frey get in touch with Skynyrd band members. They hit it off.

"The brand name was bigger than any individual," Frey says. "That's why I like Skynyrd. I think it appeals to the people in Vegas who I call the 90 percenters. It appeals to the NASCAR crowd, NFR, PBR. Two of their songs are like anthems for that lifestyle."

The food is the most important part of the project, Van Zant says. Texas barbecue guru Keith Schmidt serves as the restaurant's consulting pitmaster. But the atmosphere will be important, as well.

The 8,000-square-foot venue features two bars and an area for live bands to perform. It's designed to look and feel like the largest backyard band garage, Frey says.

In the band's early days, Lynyrd Skynyrd members practiced in what they nicknamed the Hell House, a ramshackle building in the woods, Frey says. To evoke the feel of the Hell House, the restaurant was designed with reclaimed wood and brick.

"You get this cool warehouse feel to it," Frey says.

Tickets to the concert cost $300. It's a high price, but it's an exclusive event; only about 400 people will be in attendance. Half the proceeds will go to the Lynyrd Skynyrd Foundation, with the other half divided between the Epicurean Charitable Foundation of Las Vegas and Nevada Children's Medical Center.

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at spadgett@review journal.com or 702-380-4564. Follow @StripSonya on Twitter.