Post by cozyal on Aug 3, 2009 7:56:15 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]Night Ranger + Dokken Live review – Stars & Stripes Festival, Mt. Clemens, MI. 06/28/09 [/glow]
By Cozy Al
This Sunday event was the final climax to a weekend long free festival. The Sunday also included local act Heavens Wish, along with Kings X who Dokken followed and the day’s headliners Ratt followed Night Ranger.
Here’s the thing - long story - but we were seriously limited for time on this, but I won’t bore you folks with the details of that!
Dokken set:
Dokken came out in good spirits kicking things off with the classic Breaking the Chains, although the bass level was really well up in the mix here & didn’t help for the overall opening sound.
Next up was Kiss of Death but feedback kicked in big time mid song, not great but then with The Hunter next, the sound was really improving & by Into the Fire next, they had the levels sounding pretty good!
Jon Levin’s guitar work should be highlighted as many folks have said, that it’s not Dokken without George Lynch … Well I do know old Dokken fans that have bought Hell To Pay & Lightning Strikes Again who say on first listening, you’d think George was back. Personally I think Levin’s a star in his own right. Doubters should check him out!
Don was making the comment that it was great to be back playing the US again, after so many gigs in Europe & that after this show they would soon be heading back to Europe for more gigs again.
He then jokes that it’s his birthday tomorrow, 21 or 40 ..., before then saying that even at 56 he can still kick anyone’s ass in rock & roll & also added that American Idol is a joke & that his dog has more talent than anyone on there! LOL!
He went on to ask anyone that calls themselves a Dokken fan should be singing to every song & if not to at least sing the words to every Night Ranger song tonight!
The next song was one that anyone that has heard of Dokken should know, Alone Again, sounded strong too, before they got back to the harder stuff with When Heaven Comes Down.
Its Not Love was next & he seemed to have the crowd behind him by now & they were sounding great.
This Fire from Lightning Strikes Back was next & as he told us was an example that Dokken were more than just a band playing ballads as their hits might suggest. He’s spot on, This Fire rocks!
They closed with Tooth & Nail …, but the crowd wanted more & for an encore we got In My Dreams. Great set!
Night Ranger set:
The whole stage & surrounding area by day, is a parking lot in downtown Mt. Clemens, but right now was absolutely heaving as rock fans from all over watched Night Ranger hit the stage.
They opened with This Boy Needs to Rock & as they have done for the past year or so, have slotted in a snatch of Deep Purple’s Highway Star in the middle, before wrapping up This Boy ….
Sing Me Away next had most of the crowd singing along & the way these guys fool around, running around the stage, when not singing is so entertaining. No one tries to take anything away from the next guy & they just click so well as a unit. Newer members Joel Hoekstra & Christian Cullen play as if they were always there. It’s been 2 years.
The newest song of the night’s set is You’re Gonna Hear It From Me, from the much underrated Hole In The Sun, is a real cranking number & the crowd tonight seemed to lap it up too.
Great to hear Touch of Madness from Midnight Madness, although when I saw them last year, they did Rumors in the Air … Would’ve love that tonight actually, but Madness is still a great track & works equally well here!
A little Damn Yankees treat next, as Jack told us he’d spoken to Uncle Ted (Nugent) about doing this gig & he said you go ahead Jack & remind Mt. Clemens about the Damn Yankees, as the band rocked Coming of Age, great stuff!
Kelly Keagy steps out from the drums to the front of the stage, as we hear the first few bars of Sentimental Street kick in, before he takes his place behind the kit again, as the whole band joins in the song. Crowd loved it!
Jack takes control again & asks us all, what did we think about the guys from before, Kings X & Dokken & “… how about a big hand for those guys then?” The crowd happy to do so!
He then tells the story on how the next song came about when they were first starting out in all the small bars in California & this one smooth dude would always be at those shows & walk in the bars usually, with a girl on each arm & then they say to each, “Hey guys, I wonder if Eddie’s Coming Out Tonight?!” That song from Dawn Patrol totally kicks serious rear end here!
Wasting no time they go right into Four In The Morning, then When You Close Your Eyes & they’ve really got the crowd behind them now …
They close the set with the song that many rock fans often say is their best in Don’t Tell Me You Love Me & say goodnight & leave the stage ….
You know though that possibly their 2 best known tracks, have still not been played & they come back out to duly oblige with Sister Christian & a rip roaring evening closer (For them), You Can Still Rock In America.
They really did themselves proud at this show & based on the crowd reaction & general support vocally & in numbers – I saw quite a few leave soon after them. – hopefully they’ll be back to Detroit again & play a proper venue gig, rather than another festival show, but not take anything away from these guys, there’s no doubt that Night Ranger really knows how to still rock an American crowd!
Great show for everyone here!
Al Williams
By Cozy Al
This Sunday event was the final climax to a weekend long free festival. The Sunday also included local act Heavens Wish, along with Kings X who Dokken followed and the day’s headliners Ratt followed Night Ranger.
Here’s the thing - long story - but we were seriously limited for time on this, but I won’t bore you folks with the details of that!
Dokken set:
Dokken came out in good spirits kicking things off with the classic Breaking the Chains, although the bass level was really well up in the mix here & didn’t help for the overall opening sound.
Next up was Kiss of Death but feedback kicked in big time mid song, not great but then with The Hunter next, the sound was really improving & by Into the Fire next, they had the levels sounding pretty good!
Jon Levin’s guitar work should be highlighted as many folks have said, that it’s not Dokken without George Lynch … Well I do know old Dokken fans that have bought Hell To Pay & Lightning Strikes Again who say on first listening, you’d think George was back. Personally I think Levin’s a star in his own right. Doubters should check him out!
Don was making the comment that it was great to be back playing the US again, after so many gigs in Europe & that after this show they would soon be heading back to Europe for more gigs again.
He then jokes that it’s his birthday tomorrow, 21 or 40 ..., before then saying that even at 56 he can still kick anyone’s ass in rock & roll & also added that American Idol is a joke & that his dog has more talent than anyone on there! LOL!
He went on to ask anyone that calls themselves a Dokken fan should be singing to every song & if not to at least sing the words to every Night Ranger song tonight!
The next song was one that anyone that has heard of Dokken should know, Alone Again, sounded strong too, before they got back to the harder stuff with When Heaven Comes Down.
Its Not Love was next & he seemed to have the crowd behind him by now & they were sounding great.
This Fire from Lightning Strikes Back was next & as he told us was an example that Dokken were more than just a band playing ballads as their hits might suggest. He’s spot on, This Fire rocks!
They closed with Tooth & Nail …, but the crowd wanted more & for an encore we got In My Dreams. Great set!
Night Ranger set:
The whole stage & surrounding area by day, is a parking lot in downtown Mt. Clemens, but right now was absolutely heaving as rock fans from all over watched Night Ranger hit the stage.
They opened with This Boy Needs to Rock & as they have done for the past year or so, have slotted in a snatch of Deep Purple’s Highway Star in the middle, before wrapping up This Boy ….
Sing Me Away next had most of the crowd singing along & the way these guys fool around, running around the stage, when not singing is so entertaining. No one tries to take anything away from the next guy & they just click so well as a unit. Newer members Joel Hoekstra & Christian Cullen play as if they were always there. It’s been 2 years.
The newest song of the night’s set is You’re Gonna Hear It From Me, from the much underrated Hole In The Sun, is a real cranking number & the crowd tonight seemed to lap it up too.
Great to hear Touch of Madness from Midnight Madness, although when I saw them last year, they did Rumors in the Air … Would’ve love that tonight actually, but Madness is still a great track & works equally well here!
A little Damn Yankees treat next, as Jack told us he’d spoken to Uncle Ted (Nugent) about doing this gig & he said you go ahead Jack & remind Mt. Clemens about the Damn Yankees, as the band rocked Coming of Age, great stuff!
Kelly Keagy steps out from the drums to the front of the stage, as we hear the first few bars of Sentimental Street kick in, before he takes his place behind the kit again, as the whole band joins in the song. Crowd loved it!
Jack takes control again & asks us all, what did we think about the guys from before, Kings X & Dokken & “… how about a big hand for those guys then?” The crowd happy to do so!
He then tells the story on how the next song came about when they were first starting out in all the small bars in California & this one smooth dude would always be at those shows & walk in the bars usually, with a girl on each arm & then they say to each, “Hey guys, I wonder if Eddie’s Coming Out Tonight?!” That song from Dawn Patrol totally kicks serious rear end here!
Wasting no time they go right into Four In The Morning, then When You Close Your Eyes & they’ve really got the crowd behind them now …
They close the set with the song that many rock fans often say is their best in Don’t Tell Me You Love Me & say goodnight & leave the stage ….
You know though that possibly their 2 best known tracks, have still not been played & they come back out to duly oblige with Sister Christian & a rip roaring evening closer (For them), You Can Still Rock In America.
They really did themselves proud at this show & based on the crowd reaction & general support vocally & in numbers – I saw quite a few leave soon after them. – hopefully they’ll be back to Detroit again & play a proper venue gig, rather than another festival show, but not take anything away from these guys, there’s no doubt that Night Ranger really knows how to still rock an American crowd!
Great show for everyone here!
Al Williams
