Live Concert Review- Poison, Dokken, Sebastian Bach- Blossom Music Center 8.14.08 By Lois Elswick Published: August 16, 2008 PrintEmail
The annual glam rock festival that rolls through town with Poison each year is always a fun filled raucous show. This year proved to be no different. The usual suspects were all in attendance: the Rock of Love wannabe slutty chicks, the aging hair metallers who still sport long feathered do’s, the headwrapped bikers and their scantily clad ladies, as well as a group of about 5 guys that come every year dressed in full on wigs and feather boas. This year, we were treated to them in very short cut off shorts as well. We’ll call them the merry pranksters of Poison, who run amok in their outrageous costumes and cause trouble for showgoers and staff alike. Needless to say, there was no shortage of eye candy for browsing and lots of laughs.
Sebastian Bach, former lead singer of now-faded 80’s band Skid Row, opened the show with a collection of songs off of his new full length solo album debut, ‘Angel Down.’ It was no surprise that the singer chose to highlight his new material. He definitely wanted to expose his new sound to the crowd. Songs such as “Stuck Inside” and “Love is a Bitchslap” (great song title, Sebastian. No, seriously) were high points of the new material that showed off Bach’s impressive ability to scream like a true metal head as well as showcased a heavier side than what he recorded with Skid Row. Bach rolled out the hits with classics such as “18 and Life” and “Youth Gone Wild,” but seemed to be going through the motions. His voice was as strong as it has ever been, but it seemed he has tired of playing these tunes. When the crowd expects to hear the hits, and cares only about the hits, one becomes prisoner to their own material. Just ask Steve Miller. “I Remember You” brought a tear to every girl’s eye and served to remind us why we all liked Skid Row so much back in the day.
Dokken took the stage next and treated the audience to a hit packed set that include a newly sober and gussied up Don Dokken. Donning shades and a dress jacket, Dokken seemed to be a bit more mature, but his voice had not aged a bit. Still ferocious as ever, he hit each high note with gusto and had the crowd singing along to each song. Highlights of the set included “Kiss Of Death” and “Tooth and Nail”. Jon Levin on guitar crisscrossed the stage and played balls to the wall blistering guitar for the entire show.
The headliner of the evening, Poison, took the stage with blinding pyrotechnics and flashes of flames. Bret Michaels and Co. are renowned for their ability to consistently put on amazing live shows night after night that never fail to engage the crowd. Tonight was no exception. Opening with “Ride The Wind,” Michaels shimmied and shook his still-sexy ass like there was no tomorrow. The band continued on with such hits as “Fallen Angel” and “I Want Action” to keep the crowd singing along; generally partying throughout the entire set. The video backdrop was ever changing and entertaining, showcasing rare oldie Poison moments as well as some shots of the crowd. C.C. Deville was granted an interminably long guitar solo that, by all rights, should have been cut from the set. He kept gesturing to the crowd, wanting them to scream for him to continue, but many just wanted to get back to the good old fashioned music with lyrics. When a band plays an arena show and the set lasts for well over two hours, a guitar solo here and there is acceptable. But when your set consists only of your hits and is painfully short (maybe because the band was so eager to get to their profitable after parties that were booked all over town), the guitar solo should be the first thing to go. “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” is a Poison classic. Some in the audience came just to hear said tune. The band jerked all the tears from the crowd that they could- until they played “Something To Believe In” - and all the Rock of Love wannabes linked arms with their biker neighbors and cheered for the troops in Iraq during this moving tribute. All in all, Poison gave us what we came to see- a party band that can still get the crowd going after being together for more than 20 years.
festival that rolls through town with Poison each year is always a fun filled raucous show. This year proved to be no different. The usual suspects were all in attendance: the Rock of Love wannabe slutty chicks, the aging hair metallers who still sport long feathered do’s, the headwrapped bikers and their scantily clad ladies, as well as a group of about 5 guys that come every year dressed in full on wigs and feather boas. This year, we were treated to them in very short cut off shorts as well. We’ll call them the merry pranksters of Poison, who run amok in their outrageous costumes and cause trouble for showgoers and staff alike. Needless to say, there was no shortage of eye candy for browsing and lots of laughs.
anted to expose his new sound to the crowd. Songs such as “Stuck Inside” and “Love is a Bitchslap” (great song title, Sebastian. No, seriously) were high points of the new material that showed off Bach’s impressive ability to scream like a true metal head as well as showcased a heavier side than what he recorded with Skid Row. Bach rolled out the hits with classics such as “18 and Life” and “Youth Gone Wild,” but seemed to be going through the motions. His voice was as strong as it has ever been, but it seemed he has tired of playing these tunes. When the crowd expects to hear the hits, and cares only about the hits, one becomes prisoner to their own material. Just ask Steve Miller. “I Remember You” brought a tear to every girl’s eye and served to remind us why we all liked Skid Row so much back in the day.
band continued on with such hits as “Fallen Angel” and “I Want Action” to keep the crowd singing along; generally partying throughout the entire set. The video backdrop was ever changing and entertaining, showcasing rare oldie Poison moments as well as some shots of the crowd. C.C. Deville was granted an interminably long guitar solo that, by all rights, should have been cut from the set. He kept gesturing to the crowd, wanting them to scream for him to continue, but many just wanted to get back to the good old fashioned music with lyrics. When a band plays an arena show and the set lasts for well over two hours, a guitar solo here and there is acceptable. But when your set consists only of your hits and is painfully short (maybe because the band was so eager to get to their profitable after parties that were booked all over town), the guitar solo should be the first thing to go. “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” is a Poison classic. Some in the audience came just to hear said tune. The band jerked all the tears from the crowd that they could- until they played “Something To Believe In” - and all the Rock of Love wannabes linked arms with their biker neighbors and cheered for the troops in Iraq during this moving tribute. All in all, Poison gave us what we came to see- a party band that can still get the crowd going after being together for more than 20 years. 
