My week at "Rock The Rapids"

Last week (Aug 8-13) was the "Rock The Rapids" week of concerts in downtown Grand Rapids.    My wife and I attended 5 of the 6 shows.    Rather than review each evening separately, I'm opting to just provide this single post covering the week.

Day 1 was to have featured Lynyrd Skynyrd and Jonny Lang.   However, the day before the concert, Lynyrd Skynyrd had to cancel due to their lead singer being hospitalized with complications from a previous surgery.    The "Rock The Rapids" organizers accomplished the "practically impossible" and managed to secure another performer to take the opening slot.     With Michigan having a long musical heritage, they were able to get the legendary Mitch Ryder to perform.    Mitch is best known for the hit "Devil with a Blue Dress on".    Jonny Lang was given the headliner slot.    When we arrived, Mitch Ryder was just starting his set.    Considering the Skynyrd cancellation, the crowd did appear a little smaller than expected.    But, Mitch and his backing band delivered a solid set of early 60s era rock and roll, and it sounded good.    Opening night glitches were few, with the most notable being a blown generator shortly into Mitch's set - they got this repaired in very short order and had not further issues.   I had no complaints, but also am not a huge fan of the style Ryder brought.    After a stage change over, Jonny Lang and band strolled out on stage with little fanfare.    Jonny proceeded to play the next 90 minutes with passion and skill beyond his young age (he is 30).    Jonny and his band had to deal with some rain during their set, but kept up the pace of energetic blues.    I have long known about Jonny and his skills, but had never seen him before.   I will say the guy plays and sings every song as if it is the last thing he will ever do.    Most of the small crowd was impressed, but the evening was not without opening night struggles.

Day 2 was headlined by Stone Temple Pilots.     Not having a huge interest in opening act "Red Hill Drive", we took our time getting down to the site.    Upon arrival, we first noticed the crowd was significantly larger.    Having not heard Red Hill Drive before, I would say their style was definitely classic rock influenced.     Trouble we had was that the songs were not that memorable, and their presentation lacked in connecting with the crowd.    They also looked as if they just got off the bus and walked on stage, which isn't always bad, but didn't help them on this day.    Next time, the band may want to be a bit more entertaining, and appear like they care a bit more.    STP was next on stage, and we were impressed that lead singer Scott Weiland was still along (Scott has a long drug history and has frequently compromised his performances).    Using a lighted backdrop which appeared to be the same thing used in 2010, the band came out energetic and sounding good.     Scott looked particularly in good shape, and sounded fantastic.    As the band worked its way through both hits and newer material, the "shoe gazer" tempos became frequent.   I have known the band for years, and don't hate them, but the pacing of the evening seemed to really slow down about midway through.    They tried to kick up the energy with some more uptempo songs, but the tempo seemed to slow back to the middle ground each time.  Considering how often this happened, I began to suspect it was intentional.    But, that brought up the question of why?    Was it because the drummer was having trouble?    Was it done so the singer would be able to keep up?     Why keep noticeably slowing down each song?     That bothered us.    But, overall, STP delivered a decent set, and was a good second night for the week.

Day 3 was Willie Nelson and Robert Randolph.   Being the best weather so far, the crowd was even larger and the event was starting to see some changes.    The "Port O Potty" lines were getting long (the event organizers need to probably double these for next year), and they had volunteers working to put the seated crowd into actual rows (previous nights it was sort of a "sit where you want" and a bit chaotic).     Coordinating the seating proved helpful, and got more people into the area.    Having seen Robert Randolph & The Family Band before, I know he would be great.    Trouble is, it seemed most of the crowd wasn't familiar with Robert, and he had an uphill battle.    He did what he could with his funk infused gospel jam style, and managed to get the crowd dancing.    The set was tight and fun, but it was obvious much of the crowd was there just for Willie.    After a stage change, a small group came to the stage followed by the legend that is Willie Nelson.    Willie is 78 years old, and has nothing to prove.    Supported by piano (played by his sister), electric bass guitar, harmonica, and just a snare drum (and maybe a kick drum-couldn't tell), Willie was the only guitar player and lead singer.   Having been around for over 50 years, Willie has written at least one song everyone knows.    With a style best described as "cowboy songs", Willie managed to amble through his various hits, while including some cover songs he obviously enjoys.    His voice isn't great, but it never was.    His guitar playing is surprisingly melodic and unique - improvisation and jazz licks were speckled throughout.     Willie and band played for about 90 minutes, and he covered just about everything I would have recognized.    For me, I'm not a Willie fan but do have a respect for his legacy of music.    He gave a classic country show with no frills and kept you entertained.   

Day 4 was Bachman-Turner and Alice Cooper.   For this day, the crowd was slightly smaller than Willie Nelson, but still good sized.   Weather was great.    Everything with the event coordination went almost identical to the night before.   Bachman-Turner came out with their hits from the BTO catalog.   Fred Turner on bass/vocals still has a great raspy voice, and sounded  perfect on songs like "Let It Roll Down The Highway".    Randy Bachman on guitar/vocals still has his clean higher voice, and does great on songs "Takin Care of Business" and "You Ain't Seen Nothin Yet".    Overall, they gave us just over an hour of classic 70s era rock.    After a stage change and promise of the most stage props of the week, a front stage curtain dropped to the opening of the song "The Black Widow".     Alice Cooper was at the top of a large platform, dressed in an outfit that featured 6 extra arms, making him an 8-legged representation of the song.    For the next 90 minutes, we were treated to hit after hit, with various costume changes and set pieces.    "Feed My Frankenstein" featured Alice in a lab coat, as he brought a 10ft monster to life.     The campy nature of the monster roaming the stage was textbook Alice.    A nice treat for me was hearing Alice perform the song "Clones" from his "Flush The Fashion" release - I long thought he was trying to forget this 1980  release and the "new wave" synth vibe of the record.    But, "Clones" fit well with the rest.    Alice shared a couple new songs, along with all the hits.      Alice did not break "character" until encore time, when he commented on Detroit and sports.    For me, this was the best evening of the week, and Alice gave a lesson to the rest on how to entertain a crowd.

Day 5 was headlined by Blake Shelton.    This is one of the "new country" stars, and my wife was interested in seeing some of hist set.    So, we wandered down a little later in the evening, and got there about halfway through opener Bomshel.    This was the largest crowd of the week, and was said to be "sold out" (the attendance number I read was 10,000).    Getting there later, we were not able to get anywhere near the main seating, and we ended up near the back.    Bomshel may be good, but I didn't hear much that caught my attention.    They appeared to be 2 ladies supported by 2 additional musicians.    It was all acoustic, and was even a tad hard to hear from the back.     After a stage change, Blake Shelton and band took the stage with energy and a country rock sound.     Not being familiar with any of his material, all I can say is that he did sound good.    After a couple songs, Blake took time to talk about his new wife Miranda Lambert (another country star), and seemed to ramble on about related topics.    He got back to songs, but many were ballads.    We got more talking, and then a brief medley of songs his sister used to play for him ("Play The Funky Music", "Centerfold" from J Giles, and "My Prerogative" from Bobby Brown).     This is the sort of thing that has me questioning current "new country" bands - if I want to hear rock songs, I'll got to the rock shows, OK?    But, the crowd seemed to love it, so what do I know!    After that, he went back to more ballads.     Overall, it sounded to me like Blake Shelton needs coaching on how the keep the show moving and not kill the momentum.   

We sold off our tickets to the Day 6 rap music show that was to feature Ludicris and T-Pain.   Reviews indicated the crowd wasn't as big as Blake's, but the rap show did get good reviews.

For the first time the event has been held in downtown Grand Rapids (it was previously held at 53rd ballpark outside of town), the organizers did a good job.      I've got a couple tweaks in mind, but things could have been much worse.    They need to expand the overall crowd area (getting around the crowd became difficult on the larger attendance nights), and they need to at least double the amount of "port o pottys" (you don't want to skimp on that).   

Meatloaf - Val Du Lakes - August 6, 2011

Thanks to radio station WFGR, my wife and I were able to attend the "80s music - Day 2" at Val Du Lakes amphitheater in Mears, Michigan.

We arrived just at the end of the opening set by Dr. Hook featuring Ray Sawyer.   So, no opinion on that performance.

Next up with Donnie Iris and the Cruisers.   I did not know much about Donnie, except for a couple hits.   He seemed to come out a little stiff, but warmed up quickly.    His backing band of guitar, keyboard, bass, drums provided decent support (except for some keyboard technical difficulties during the set).   The highlights of the just-over-an-hour set included "Ah! Leah!" and "That's The Way Love Ought To Be".    I was impressed with Donnie's voice, and it was a decent mid-day performance.

Following Donnie, was Tom Cochrane & Red Rider.   Backed by bass, drums, and guitar, Tom plowed through a set of hits.    Having a bit of delay before he got started, it appeared Tom had an "up hill" battle to connect with the crowd.   Early on in the set, we got "Lunatic Fringe", which was the song my wife wanted to hear.   The other "hit" I recognized, was closing song "Life Is A Highway".   Overall, Tom Cochrane sounded fine, but never seemed to get his momentum going with the audience.   His set was less than an hour.

Finally, after another long switch over (but a bit more justified, due to the extra stage risers and gear), the legend that is "Meatloaf" took the stage.     Considering the news reports said Meatloaf had been having asthma trouble in the past couple weeks, I was impressed just to see him vertical.    Opening with "Hot Patootie (Bless My Soul)" (from his Rocky Horror performance), proved a great crowd pleaser.   He sounded alright, but the vocals were low in the mix.   Backed by a great sounding 7 piece band named "Neverland Express" (2 keyboards, 2 guitars, bass, drums, backing vocalist), Meatloaf spent much of the opening few songs stalking the stage working to rile up the crowd.    Most of the night was concentrated on the hits from his "Bat Out Of Hell" releases, while also featuring some tracks from his latest "Hang Cool Teddy Bear" release.    The first half of the show seemed to be going better than I expected, but Meatloaf starting wearing out for the second half.    He brought out a bar stool for "Two Out Of Three Aint' Bad", and attempted to explain how it wasn't because he was tired - well, maybe not entirely because of being tired, but he still sounded out of breath.    By the time we got to "Paradise By The Dashboard Light", he was spending much of the song leaning on his microphone stand as if it was a crutch.    Granted, at 63 years old and struggling with asthma, I'm sure the humid outdoor venue wasn't helping his breathing.     But, almost in spite of the conditions, he continued soldiering on giving us everything he had (even if it was only a portion of what he may have wanted).     Most of his stage banter with the audience was profanity laden, and seemed a bit out of place.    But, even with the lagging vocal performance, the band was fantastic.    Featured backing vocalist Patti Russo provided great support for Meatloaf, while also covering the sassy personality needed for the more theatrical songs.    Pianist Justin Avery recreated all the signature parts created by "Bat Out Of Hell" original composer Jim Steinman.     While his performance was certainly not what he offered years ago, there was no doubt about Meatloaf's ability to dramatically deliver a song.    He was not giving us any sort of "phoned in" performance - he was giving all he had and then sum.    For this show, Meatloaf was a better entertainer, than singer.

Val Du Lakes is a small campground area near Silver Lake.    Although there is not anything specifically wrong with the venue, there also isn't anything specifically special about it.    The stage, sound, and setting are all fairly standard.    Trouble is, for the extra drive and today's ticket prices, they need to find some niche to make the trip worth the effort.     Had I paid full price for the show, I may have been a bit disappointed (especially considering all the music offerings around the area this summer).

Overall rating:   I'd give the show a 7 out of 10

Setlist for Meatloaf:

1.Hot Patootie (Bless My Soul)
2.If It Ain't Broke, Break It
3.Bat Out of Hell
4.Peace On Earth
5.Living On The Outside
6.Los Angeloser
7.You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)
8.Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through
9.I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)
10.Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
11.Paradise by the Dashboard Light
12.Boneyard
13.All Revved Up With No Place To Go

Motley Crue, Poison, New York Dolls - Van Andel Arena - Aug 3, 2011

Hearing about the summer tour featuring Motley Crue, Poison, and New York Dolls brought a bit of curiosity.   Sure, there was the various drama going on individually within Motley Crue and Poison, but there was also the reported feuds between the bands.   Having already seen Motley Crue, and not being a huge fan of Poison, the only real interest I had was New York Dolls.    A couple months back, a friend of mine mentioned he might want to see the show, and next thing you know we had tickets.

New York Dolls opened the show with their "no frills" early punk rock style - think a heavier Rolling Stones.   They are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the band.   New York Dolls are frequently mentioned as starting the "Glam Rock" fashion, although that isn't as much of their look these days.  Lead singer David Johansen may have achieved more notoriety with his "Buster Poindexter" persona, but he seemed more "comfortable" with the dolls.  The only other original member is guitarist/vocalist Sylvain Sylvain.    The band is completed with bassist Kenny Aaronson, drummer Jason Sutter, and additional guitarist Earl Slick.     The 5 members rifled through nine songs, covering both old and new.    Johnansen and Sylvain both seemed in good spirits, even though most of the crowd had yet to show up.    The band played a style of 70s rock, which definitely influenced the bands coming up later that night.    I enjoyed their 45 minutes or so, and would love to see them again in a smaller venue.    I'd' give their set a 7 out of 10 - no frills rock and roll.    Set list noted at the end of this post.

Next up was Poison.    These guys are celebrating 25 years together, and currently consist of all original members.   With a pyro filled opening, lead singer Bret Michaels rose up to a platform behind the drum kit.   Bret manages to keep up the energy as lead singer, almost in spite of recent past health issues.   His voice was in better shape than I expected.    Lead guitarist C.C. Deville matches Bret with running around, while also displaying some fairly impressive guitar skills.   The rhythm section of Rikki Rockett (drums) and Bobby Dall (bass) keep things on a solid foundation.     Poison definitely brought the party.   I was bored with their cover of Grand Funk's "American Band" song, which the band really did nothing to make it their own.    Other than Bret's patriotic introduction (which was fine), I saw no point to including this song in their set.     Their cover of "Your Momma Don't Dance" was also less than impressive, so I would have recommended leaving that out.    But, both tunes were crowd pleasers, and that appeared to be the sole point.    Separate drum and guitar solo moments seemed purely to remind us of the 80s, as they didn't necessarily add to Poison's show.    I'd give their set a 7 out of 10 - great energy, but a couple set changes could improve the overall experience.    Set list noted at the end of this post.

Finally,  after a stage change and with a sudden set of firework explosions, Motley Crue stormed the stage.    The Crue is celebrating 30 years as a band, and currently features all original members.    Their stage area is primarily open and clean, which puts the center focus on the roller coaster contraption that Tommy Lee has his drum kit mounted to.    Having only seen the band once before (on their 2009 "Saints of Los Angeles" tour), I wasn't sure how this performance was going to compare.    The band sounded a little tighter, but lead singer Vince Neil's voice wasn't as strong.    Maybe due to performing the night before in Ohio.    Mick Mars continues to have a massive guitar sound, which rattles the entire building.     Nikki Sixx appeared a little less animated than last time, but also appeared in better shape.   Nikki had his vocal mic as part of a trapeze type thing that hung from the above lighting rig.   This proved an interesting visual, as he could mess with making it swing around from time to time (I think he may have stole the idea from Bono).     The band also featured two ladies on background vocals, which helped Vince a bit.    The ladies provided some various dance moves during certain songs, but didn't add much to the overall show.     The centerpiece of the show was Tommy Lee and his drum roller coaster.   Providing a lighting structure reminiscent of Pink Floyd's circle setup from the "Pulse" era, the roller coaster frame also had a video screen in the center (not as clear as what Pink Floyd had).    During Tommy's drum solo section, he was secured in and the entire kit was revolved 360 degrees (you can find video of this on Youtube).    Yea, it's gimmicky, but does look pretty cool.    It is pure showmanship.    Tommy even picked out an audience member to come up and get harnessed into a companion chair, to ride along with a couple rotations.     After that, the band was back out and plowed through more hits.    From what I read, the set list was comprised of choices made by fans on the Motley Crue website.     The set definitely stuck to hits, and even featured early tracks like "Too Fast For Love".     The show featured a ton of pyro and explosions, which helped keep the audience energized (almost as much as a KISS show).     Thankfully, the set didn't have Nikki bass solo sections or pointless "camera" shenanigans from Tommy Lee - they stuck to the music this time.  I'd give the Motley Crue set an 8 out of 10, based upon the showmanship and sticking to the hits.     Set list noted below.

Overall, the show was a bit much for one night.   New York Dolls laid the foundation for the evening, Poison ramped up the party atmosphere, and Motley Crue took the whole thing over the top of excess (what they do best, right?).


New York Dolls
Looking For a Kiss
Dance Like a Monkey
Cause I Sez So
Talk to Me Baby
Kids Like You
Who Are the Mystery Girls?
Pills
Trash
Personality Crisis

Poison
Look What The Cat Dragged In
Ride The Wind
We're An American Band - Grand Funk Railroad cover
Your Mama Don't Dance - Loggins & Messina cover
C.C Deville Guitar Solo
Fallen Angel
Unskinny Bop
Rikki Rockett Drum Solo
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Talk Dirty To Me
Nothin' But A Good Time

Mötley Crüe
Wild Side
Saints of Los Angeles
Live Wire
Shout at the Devil
Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)
Primal Scream
Home Sweet Home
Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Tommy Lee Drum Solo (on 360-degree roller coaster drum riser)
Looks That Kill
Dr. Feelgood
Too Young to Fall in Love
Ten Seconds to Love
Girls, Girls, Girls
Smokin' In The Boys Room - Brownsville Station cover
Kickstart My Heart

Brian Wilson - Meijer Gardens - July 29, 2011

My wife is a big fan of The Beach Boys music, especially the Brian Wilson songwriting and vocal arrangements.   I've had some appreciation for them over the years.    But, when I heard about Brian Wilson coming to Meijer Gardens, I knew it was the show my wife needed to see.

So, this past Friday night was the night. 

Once we found a spot on the amphitheater grass, the typical "background" music was playing through the PA.   We were a bit amused to hear "Weird" Al's tribute to Brian Wilson - the song "Pancreas" - come over the system.    Whoever was responsible for the song choices apparently saw the quality in the song, and we were hoping it was suggested or at least approved by Brian (would be nice to know Brian had a sense of humor about it).

Anyway, at 7pm the 9 member backing band came out, and they were followed by a shuffling and fragile looking Brian Wilson.    The audience welcomed the legend with a mostly standing ovation.    Brian was dressed casually with a dark shirt and what appeared to be running pants and sneakers.    He took his place on a stool in front of his keyboard, and welcomed the crowd.     While nobody should have been surprised to see the 69 year old moving a bit slower, I was a bit surprised with his condition.    A well documented drug assisted breakdown put Brian into seclusion for most of the 70s and 80s.    During the late 80s and into the 90s, Brian managed to find his way back.   Since that time, Brian has slowly released music and became more active.   In 2009, Brian released "Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin" which hit #1 on the Billboard Jazz Chart - the project is part of a 2 record deal with Disney.


Brian had a fantastic backing band, which included almost everyone singing.    Thanks to this large group of qualified singers/musicians, the complex harmonies were recreated with hardly any flaw.    Brian has taken to singing the lower "Mike Love" parts, while one of his guitar players has assumed the falsetto parts Brian made famous.    The evening was split into two sets, with a 20 minute intermission.     Both sets featured a majority of Beach Boy songs, including only a few songs from the Gershwin project.    Brian's rendition of "Summertime" was pleasant, with Brian delivering an adequate lead vocal.     The crowd seemed to go along with him on these newer tracks.     During the first set, Brian appeared a bit disconnected from the crowd.   But, the second set found a much more lively Brian, and he seemed more active on the keyboard.    Maybe he just needed to get comfortable with the surroundings during the first set - whatever it was, the second set definitely was better.

Throughout the evening, various band members took their turns at lead vocals.    There was little question about the quality of the band - excellent.    Even though Brian may not have the capability to perform as he used to, he obviously knows what he wants and can put a band together that captures that vision.    Brian sat out front, visually a reminder that what we were hearing had originated in the mind of this great talent.   If nothing else, Brian Wilson had/has an unmatched skill in vocal arrangements.     And his band was demonstrating this skill all night long.

Highlights for me during the evening were "Surfer Girl", "In My Room", "Fun, Fun, Fun", and "Pet Sounds".  

Having just seen Paul McCartney earlier in the week, my wife and I were comparing the two legendary artists.    Both are 69 and have huge catalogs of well known songs.   Paul is in much better health, but both are able to bring joy and smiles to their fans.   The crowds are not the same size, and Brian's audience had fewer younger age, but both shows were celebrations of music that has wide spread appeal.   It has been a pleasure to see both legends this year.

Overall, I'd give the show a 7 out of 10 (the 2nd set definitely improved things)

Brian's band consisted of:
Jeff Foskett - Guitar, Vocals
Darian Sahanaja - Keyboards, Vibes, Vocals
Scott Bennett - Keyboard, Vibes, Vocals
Probyn Gregory - Guitar, Vocals, Trumpet, Theremin
Nicky Walusko - Guitar, Vocals
Brett Simons - Bass Guitar, Vocals
Paul Mertens - Sax, Flute, Harmonica, Vocals
Nelson Bragg - Percussion, Vocals
Mike D'Amico - Drums

Setlist for the evening was:

Set 1
Do it again
Dance Dance Dance
Catch a Wave
You're so good to Me
Salt Lake City
Drive-In
Surfer Girl
When I grow up
Don't worry baby
Do you wanna dance
I Get Around
Summertime
I Got Plenty of Nothing
They Can't take that Away
I got Rhythm
Heroes and Villains
California girls

Set 2
Little Girl
Shut Down
Little deuce coupe
In my Room
Please let me wonder
Then I Kissed Her
Darlin
Sail on Sailor
Add some music
Pet Sounds
Sloop John B
Wouldn't it be nice
God only Knows
Good Vibrations

Encore
Johnny B Good
Rhonda
Barbara Ann
Surfin USA
Fun, Fun, Fun

2nd Encore
All summer long