Marshall Tucker Band performs in front of crowd of 5,500 in downtown Spartanburg

Marshall Tucker Band performed a free concert in downtown Spartanburg Tuesday night in front of thousands of hometown fans.

City officials estimated the crowd size to be approximately 5,500 at its peak during the hometown band's performance.

Here's what to know about road closures in the city. 

Opening bands, featuring local musicians, began at 5 p.m. Marshall Tucker Band took the stage at 8 p.m. and played their familiar songs until just after 10 p.m. Marshall Tucker Band, famously with Spartanburg roots, is celebrating 50 years as a band.

The band, with original member Doug Gray on lead vocals and chatting with the crowd, led the large gathering through performances of "This Ol Cowboy," "Fire on the Mountain" and "Heard it in a Love Song," among many other tunes.

Near the end of the performance, Marshall Tucker Band brought some of the musicians from the opening bands on stage to play their southern rock staple, "Can't You See."

Fans praise Marshall Tucker Band performance

10:15 p.m. | “The performance was amazing. It was my first concert and it was out of this world. Everything was just great. I was in shock when Doug Gray tossed me the tambourine and just couldn’t believe it," said Autumn Greene of Spartanburg.

Doug Gray of the Marshall Tucker Band performs for the crowd

Generations of Marshall Tucker Band fans attended the concert

8:15 p.m. | “I got here at 4 (p.m.) to make sure I got a front-row seat," said Martha Fowler of Spartanburg. "I’ve been following Marshall Tucker since 1969. Most definitely, I am their number one fan. I’ve told my granddaughter a lot about the band, and Doug Gray is my very good friend. I’ve been waiting 17 years for this.”

Fowler brought her granddaughter Rachel Shewalter and daughter Keisha Abernathy with her to the concert.

Another fan traveled from Myrtle Beach to see the Marshall Tucker Band.

“I came all the way here from Myrtle Beach. It’s a free concert and I couldn’t miss them," said Kip Zartman.

Stephanie Sparks of Spartanburg said she's been a Marshall Tucker Band for life.

“I’ve been a fan all my life and have grown up listening to them. The show is great and I’m glad to have them back in Spartanburg. My favorite part of the evening has been seeing all the people who came out for the 50th year and everyone who wanted to celebrate as a community," Sparks said.

Shane Pruitt got music lovers rocking

6 p.m. | “Shane Pruitt is a hell of a guitar player," said Rodney Smith of Pauline. "I’ve seen him play at a bunch of places. It’s a local musician and great to be in my hometown. I’m looking forward to MTB and one of the original singers, I hang out with their son. Everyone should just come on down and listen to these great hometown bands”

James Radford Band had plenty of fans in the house

“We’re having a great time. We came to watch our buddy Noah Hardin (James Radford Band) play.” “I’m excited to see MTB, We haven’t heard them perform live so it’s really cool to be here,” said Kristen Sims of Rutherford, North Carolina

Fans can't wait to see their favorite bands

5 p.m. | “My buddy is Kenny Lawrence who is the lead singer for Black Foot," Allen Greenway of Woodruff said. "We went to high school together and I’m so excited to hear him perform. This is about the third concert, but this one is special because it’s here at home! It’s gonna be awesome.”

Jason Bryson of Gaffney was waiting for the headliner Marshall Tucker Band.

“I’ve been a MTB fan as long as I’ve been listening to music. It’s a great hometown group and Southern rock band," Bryson said. I’ve seen them one time before and just having them, for free, in the community along with other groups is great.”

Crowds pick their spots for the concert

4:30 p.m. | Dozens of people are scattered on the corner of E. Main and S. Church streets in camp chairs, waiting for the first performance to begin. Food trucks and vendors are up and running for hungry customers.

Fans arriving for Marshall Tucker Band concert

Check out video of soundcheck

VIP tickets still available

1:30 p.m. | Delaney’s Irish Pub is being rented out for the entire day to serve as an exclusive VIP area for guests of the BMW Charity Pro-Am and VIP ticket holders. This includes the pub, patio and outside dining area.

VIP tickets can still be purchased directly from the BMW Charity Pro-Am here: 

Food vendors gearing up for big crowd

9:45 a.m. | "We’re doing Italian sausage, corn dogs and other tasty treats. We’re preparing for a huge crowd. The Buffalo chicken on a stick is my personal favorite and the Italian sausage is a big fan favorite," said Eric Timmons, owner of Timmons Concessions. "We have authentic Italian sausage that comes from New Jersey. We’ve been in the business since 1939 and doing events for the city since 1980.

“We plan to be serving by noon to 1 p.m."

Morning crew setting the stage for Marshall Tucker Band performance

9 a.m. | Employees with AVL Solutions and Event Rentals are working and setting up lights, tents and stereo equipment to make sure tonight is perfect for the musicians and projected large crowd. Large 18-wheelers reveal that there is still plenty more to set up, but employees are working hard and fast to put everything together.

"We’ve been setting up since midnight. My dad actually played in the MTB for about ten years. It’s a big family thing for us and it’s really big deal," said

John Radford, sound and lighting director for AVL Solutions. "Just from the buzz, I think it’s gonna be 7-10,000 people. A lot of people are looking forward to their 50-year anniversary. We have tons of moving lights and a nice set up for the VIP tent."

50 years of MTB: Spartanburg classic rockers Marshall Tucker Band talk legacy, future

What to know: Spartanburg music icons, The Marshall Tucker Band

The event is presented by the Johnson Group and is being held in conjunction with the BMW Charity Pro-Am golf tournament.  

Joanna Johnson covers community news and education for the Herald-Journal. Reach her via email at jjohnson@shj.com.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Marshall Tucker Band, local musicians set to rock downtown Spartanburg