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Reporter remembers historic Molly Hatchet concert in Fredericksburg from 1983.
It was a defining moment for Fredericksburg, but had nothing to do with George Washington or the Civil War.
I’m referring, of course, to Memorial Day weekend, 1983, when close to 30,000 Southern Rock fans jammed the Fredericksburg Agricultural Fairgrounds to hear Molly Hatchet, the Outlaws and Blackfoot. Hatchet, purveyor of such redneck anthems as "Flirtin’ With Disaster," "Son of the South" and "Gator Country," will be back in town June 12 at Celebrate Virginia Live, after more than two decades—and untold bottles of beer and whiskey under the bridge. I covered the ’83 concert for The Free Lance-Star, with then-reporter Steve Giegerich. At that time, the small-town feel of Fredericksburg was palpable. Swinging by Carl’s Frozen Custard for a milkshake was about as lively as it got on spring weekends. A few weeks before the event, when promoters announced the bands were booked at the privately owned fairgrounds, city and Spotsylvania County fathers were aghast at the prospect of thousands of wild, young, tattooed, Confederate-flag-waving youth converging on our fair ‘burg. Neighbors weighed in, for and against—mostly against. What about traffic, drinking, vandalism, etc? I grabbed my notebook and headed out early because the roads were gridlocked. Cars were backed up well north of the Falmouth Bridge and traffic was so bad at some spots downtown there were impromptu parties in the streets. It was sunny, with a crisp blue sky. Most of those clutching tickets ($10 in advance, $15 at the gate) were high-schoolers and men and women in their early 20s, ready to party, though some were older. But more frightening for Fredericksburgers: Motorcycles were everywhere. And Confederate flags, on T-shirts, bandanas and flapping from vehicles, didn’t sit well with folks in the mostly black Mayfield neighborhood nearby. Hilariously, some Spotsylvania County officials stood guard at the entrance of the former FMC plant - now the Spotsylvania Industrial Park across the the fairgrounds - to keep out would-be trespassers. The county had denied a request to open the property to cars from the concert.
1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
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