30. ALICE COOPER / MOTLEY CRUE
"The Final Tour"
October 15, 2014
Bridgestone Arena
Nashville, Tennessee
ALICE COOPER SETLIST:
Hello Hooray
No More Mr. Nice Guy
Under My Wheels
I'm Eighteen
Billion Dollar Babies
Poison
Dirty Diamonds
Welcome To My Nightmare
Feed My Frankenstein
Ballad Of Dwight Fry
Killer
I Love The Dead
School's Out
MOTLEY CRUE SETLIST:
Saints Of Los Angeles
Wild Side
Primal Scream
Same Ol' Situation
Looks That Kill
On With The Show
Too Fast For Love
Smokin' In The Boys Room
Without You
Motherf*cker Of The Year
Anarchy In The U.K.
Doctor Feelgood
Shout At The Devil
Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Crue-So-Fly (Drum Solo)
Guitar Solo
Live Wire
Too Young To Fall In Love
Girls, Girls, Girls
Kickstart My Heart
Home Sweet Home
"The Final Tour"October 15, 2014
Bridgestone Arena
Nashville, Tennessee
From the moment this concert was announced, we knew we had to be there. Alice Cooper was a childhood idol of mine, the originator of 'shock rock', who had recently been enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Motely Crue (with all four founding members - Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, and Mick Mars) was re-uniting for one last massive tour.
Admittedly, Motley Crue was a band I knew by name, but could only recall maybe two or three of their hit songs. Thinking back, the most memorable thing about them at the time were the video exploits of Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson. Somehow, Motley Crue had fallen through the cracks. Frankly, I was mildly surprised to learn that they had sold 75 million albums. This would be a good opportunity to see them in action.
I brought daughter Laura to this gig. She, too, had become a huge Alice Cooper fan and was looking forward to the theatrics.
Alice took the stage at 7:30 in high 1970s style ... a cheap smoke machine on one side of the stage and a bubble machine and guillotine on the other. With the majestic opening chords of Hello Hooray, Alice appeared from the haze in a gaudy red and black striped tuxedo and blasted through his greatest hits. For a sixty-six year old guy, his stage presence was still formidable and it was comforting to see him still playing with dismembered baby dolls. He employed many of his other trademark antics: campy violence, a sexy but lethal nurse, and plenty of souvenirs tossed into the crowd. This was 'rock and roll theater' performed by the master. After a solid hour of indoctrination, school was let out, and Alice took his bows. The crowd roared in appreciation, the house lights came on, and the roadies prepped for the main event.
Upon re-entering the arena after a thirty minute break, we encountered the largest and most elaborate performance stage we had ever seen. Some of it was visible during Alice's set, lurking behind the curtains. Revealed in all its glory, it was stunning. Three hundred JBL performance speakers stacked thirty-high as a backdrop. Huge, multi-level risers, with cantilevers spreading to the sides, over the audience. A huge 'track' arched from center-stage over the entire floor to a small performance stage at the back of the arena.
Precisely at 9:00 pm, Motley Crue kicked it off. The volume was incredible. The bass and drums were so loud that they smothered the guitars and made the video screens pixelate. Songs were indistinguishable. No matter, the crowd was into it ... screaming and pumping their fists in the air. We soon discovered that a Motley Crue concert wasn't really about the music anyway. Every ten seconds or so, we were blasted with the heat of eighty-foot flame-throwers and bombarded with rocket flash-bombs. Lasers and holograms shot from one end of the arena to the other. A large strobed mirror ball dropped down and began spinning ... about the same time the exotic dancers came out and performed foreplay on the musicians while they rocked. At one point, Tommy Lee performed a drum solo upside-down while riding suspended on the track over the audience to the rear of the arena. This was arena rock on a massive scale!!
The Tommy Lee suspended drum solo ...
By the time the band ripped into Girls, Girls, Girls, most of the forty-something girls in the audience had finished consuming their requisite gallon of beer and had wilted into a slow swoon. When we left, the floors were wet and sticky, there were people passed-out in the seats, and a heavy police presence guided us out to the parking lot. It was the quintessential 1980s experience!!
Meanwhile, Alice had flown the coop, heading down the street to Dan McGuinness, just off Music Row, to jam for several more hours. That's why they call Nashville 'Music City'!!
Catch his impromptu jam here ...
ALICE COOPER SETLIST:
Hello Hooray
No More Mr. Nice Guy
Under My Wheels
I'm Eighteen
Billion Dollar Babies
Poison
Dirty Diamonds
Welcome To My Nightmare
Feed My Frankenstein
Ballad Of Dwight Fry
Killer
I Love The Dead
School's Out
MOTLEY CRUE SETLIST:
Saints Of Los Angeles
Wild Side
Primal Scream
Same Ol' Situation
Looks That Kill
On With The Show
Too Fast For Love
Smokin' In The Boys Room
Without You
Motherf*cker Of The Year
Anarchy In The U.K.
Doctor Feelgood
Shout At The Devil
Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Crue-So-Fly (Drum Solo)
Guitar Solo
Live Wire
Too Young To Fall In Love
Girls, Girls, Girls
Kickstart My Heart
Home Sweet Home
STEVE LUKATHER, HAMISH STUART, COLIN HAY, EDGAR WINTER, WARREN HAM, GREGG BISSONETTE
Postponed: June 26, 2022 (Covid)
Postponed: June 27, 2021 (Covid)
Postponed: June 2020 (Covid)
Ruth Eckerd Hall
Clearwater, Florida
Ringo was a terrific surprise at the Ryman Auditorium in 2016. We wondered if he could pull it off again at Ruth Eckerd Hall. After six years, including two Covid postponements, the answer was an enthusiastic yes! This concert was even better than his first one!!
It should be renamed Ringo Starr and His All Star Garage Band ... and I don't mean this in a negative way at all. These guys casually jogged out to their positions precisely at 7:30 pm and performed as if they were playing for family. The band cajoled and laughed with the crowd, most of whom had seen at least one of their ten previous gigs at Ruth Eckerd since 2000. The performers wore basically their every-day clothes, Lukather especially, who looked like a bear that had just rolled out of hibernation. The stage production was extremely minimal, a flat screen with stars projected onto it ... and the requisite smoke machine in the back. The feeling was like 'Hey folks ... we're back!'
But here's the deal. These musicians were so good that none of that extraneous stuff mattered. The 2022 version of the band included regulars Lukather, Ham, and Bissonette, but also featured rock veterans Hamish Stuart of Average White Band, Colin Hay of Men At Work, and keyboardist Edgar Winter. These old pros were super tight, and at times seemed like they were playing to impress each other as much as for us.
Nobody was more impressive than Ringo, who came bouncing out onto the stage, incredibly fit and full of energy. The dude was 82 and looked even better than he did in Nashville. The only noticeable difference was his longer hair. There was an astonishing familiarity between Ringo and his audience; a two-way warmth and reverence that was palpable.
The set list was amazing, with Ringo's and Lukather's usual standards, but now including funkier numbers like Pick Up The Pieces, Cut The Cake, Downunder, Who Can It Be Now, Free Ride, and Winter's instrumental Frankenstein, which featured a Gregg Bissonette drum solo that touched on everything from the Stones to Van Halen, before nailing several of Ringo's classic Beatles licks. Lukather's blistering seven-minute guitar solo on Rosanna was off the charts.
At this second 'All-Starr' gig, we forgot about Ringo being an icon, and simply enjoyed his show ... and it was great!
Steve Lukather's Stage Set List
28. FLEETWOOD MAC
"The Dance Tour"
October 4, 1997
Palace Of Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, Michigan
In 1997, Fleetwood Mac made a heroic return with the issue of the live "semi-acoustic" greatest hits album The Dance. Their performance in support of that album was a tour de force. The band played forty years of music, including new and solo material along with the hits. They had honed their show to a polished diamond.
It was not the Fleetwood Mac of the glory days ... but it was Fleetwood Mac at their musical peak.
SETLIST:
The Chain
Dreams
Everywhere
Gold Dust Woman
I'm So Afraid
Temporary One
Bleed To Love Her
Gypsy
Big Love
Go Insane
Landslide
Say You Love Me
Sweet Girl
You Make Lovin' Fun
My Little Demon
Stand Back
Oh Daddy
Not That Funny
Rhiannon
Second Hand News
Silver Springs
Tusk
Go Your Own Way
Don't Stop
Songbird
Farmer's Daughter
27. PETER FRAMPTON / STEVE CROPPER / VINCE GILL / ROBERT CRAY
This was the opening night of the "Frampton's Guitar Circus" tour. As Peter Frampton would visit each city, he would play with different guest guitarists ... and for Nashville, it was Steve Cropper and Vince Gill. I had wanted to see Frampton for some time, and particularly wanted to watch him perform Do You Feel Like We Do?. He would not disappoint.
Robert Cray opened by playing a forty-minute solo set of light blues and jazz.
Frampton began his set alone, playing all his classic stuff that the fans had come to hear. Then Steve Cropper joined him, playing the legendary instrumental Green Onions and then In The Midnight Hour. Vince Gill joined the them for Liza Jane and Six Pack To Go. All the musicians joined in the encores Off The Hook and While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
The show was far better than expected. It was great to see the four veterans still putting it out there.
SETLIST:
Magic Moon
Doobie Wah
Lines On My Face
Show Me The Way
Winds Of Change
Double Nickels
(I'll Give You) Money
Baby I Love Your Way
Green Onions
In The Midnight Hour
Liza Jane
Six Pack To Go
Can't Take That Away
Black Hole Sun
Do You Feel Like We Do
Off The Hook
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
26. BRAD PAISLEY / ERIC CHURCH / THE WRECKERS
"Time Well Wasted Tour"September 9, 2006
Allegan County Fair
Allegan, Michigan
Bridgestone Arena
Nashville, Tennessee
Our seats were as good as they come; five rows back ... cheap folding chairs on the dirt track of the Allegan County Fairgrounds. The smell of horse manure and funnel cakes filled the air. Behind the stage, a double ferris wheel was spinning 'round and round'. It was a perfect night to see the hottest musician in country music ... Brad Paisley. His new album Time Well Wasted had been nominated for four Grammys and had just won the ACM Album of the Year.
Paisley had two strong opening acts. The first were The Wreckers, a duo that included popular singer Michelle Branch, and the other was Eric Church, who had recently released the album Sinners Like Me that included the hits Two Pink Lines and Guys Like Me. Paisley put on a high-energy show, often flashing his peerless guitar skills. He mentioned that he was a computer 'geek' and had produced many of the backdrop visuals on the screen behind him. It was easy to see by his poise and confidence that Brad Paisley was soon to ascend to greater heights than the Allegan County Fair.
We saw Paisley again, in 2014, after he had reached the zenith of his superstardom. The show was bigger, the visual effects grander, and the crowd much larger ... but something was lost in translation. He seemed tired. The youthful energy was gone. Eight years of constant touring will do that to you. I am very glad that I caught him on the way up, and I'll never forget the impression he made at the fairgrounds.
THE WRECKERS SETLIST:
The Good Kind
Love Me Like That
Cigarettes
Way Back Home
My, Oh My
Lay Me Down
Leave The Pieces
ERIC CHURCH SETLIST:
Before She Does
Two Pink Lines
Guys Like Me
Sinners Like Me
What I Almost Was
Can't Take It With You
These Boots
Pledge Allegiance To The Hag
How 'Bout You?
Chevy Van
The Hard Way
The Shape I'm In
BRAD PAISLEY SETLIST:
Celebrity
Wrapped Around
Mud On The Tires
Me Neither
Little Moments
I'll Take You Back
When I Get Where I'm Going
The World
Guitar Jam
Dixieland Delight
She's Everything
Whiskey Lullaby
Easy Money
Band Introductions
Alcohol
I'm Gonna Miss Her
The Walk Of Life
25. LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM
"Out Of The Cradle Tour"March 19, 1993
State Theatre
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Lindsey Buckingham was always a little strange; the way he would posture himself and makes gestures while playing. Even the way he fingerpicked his guitar was different. He was great as a member of Fleetwood Mac, but he had a tendency to 'weird out' creatively as a solo artist. In 1992, however, he released a fantastic album entitled Out of the Cradle. It was a collection of songs that mixed baroque guitar with smooth, jazz-oriented pop. When he came to the State Theatre, we were first in line and got great seats. What a unique concert! He played the entire 'Cradle' album. He recited poetry. He chanted. He played Fleetwood Mac. He even played Holiday Road!! It was as close to an avant-garde rock concert as I'll ever attend ... and I enjoyed every minute of it!
Setlist from Lindsey Buckingham's Kalamazoo concert ...
24. GEORGE STRAIT / SHERYL CROW / KENNY CHESNEY / ERIC CHURCH
"The Cowboy Rides Away Tour"March 21, 2014
Bridgestone Arena
Nashville, Tennessee
There is a darned good reason why people in country music call George Strait 'The King'. From the moment he stepped onto the simple and unadorned stage, it was obvious. The man has an undeniable 'duende' that captivates his audience.
George and his outstanding "Ace In The Hole Band" performed thirty-four songs from his huge repertoire of hits, with George stopping to thank and chat with the sold-out audience between songs. The intimate and low-key stage-setting (in the round) created the sensation that he was playing for a handful of his friends. Emotions were running particularly high because George had announced that this would be his last tour. Eric Church and Kenny Chesney made surprise appearances to show their respect for him.
When he sang I'll Always Remember You, he did it so sincerely and with such personal affection, that it was impossible for anyone there not to be moved by it. It is easy to see why George Strait is a legend. This man has class.
SETLIST:
The Fireman
Check Yes Or No
Ocean Front Property
Marina Del Rey
Blame It On Mexico
A Fire I Can't Put Out
Nobody In His Right Mind Would Have Left Her
That's What Breaking Hearst Do
Arkansas Drive
Here For A Good Time
When Did You Stop Loving Me
River Of Love
You Look So Good In Love
How 'Bout Them Cowgirls
Cowboys Like Us
I Saw God Today
I Can Still Make Cheyenne
Drinkin' Man
I Believe
Give It Away
Fool Hearted Memory
Lead On
Amarillo By Morning
Give It All We Got Tonight
The Chair
I Got A Car
I'll Always Remember You
Troubadour
Unwound
You Wreck Me
All My Ex's Live In Texas
Run
Folsom Prison Blues
The Cowboy Rides Away
George and his outstanding "Ace In The Hole Band" performed thirty-four songs from his huge repertoire of hits, with George stopping to thank and chat with the sold-out audience between songs. The intimate and low-key stage-setting (in the round) created the sensation that he was playing for a handful of his friends. Emotions were running particularly high because George had announced that this would be his last tour. Eric Church and Kenny Chesney made surprise appearances to show their respect for him.
When he sang I'll Always Remember You, he did it so sincerely and with such personal affection, that it was impossible for anyone there not to be moved by it. It is easy to see why George Strait is a legend. This man has class.
Sheryl Crow opened the show with a red-hot seventy-five minute set that included all of her hits.
Here are George and Kenny singing Amarillo By Morning at the Nashville concert ...
SETLIST:
The Fireman
Check Yes Or No
Ocean Front Property
Marina Del Rey
Blame It On Mexico
A Fire I Can't Put Out
Nobody In His Right Mind Would Have Left Her
That's What Breaking Hearst Do
Arkansas Drive
Here For A Good Time
When Did You Stop Loving Me
River Of Love
You Look So Good In Love
How 'Bout Them Cowgirls
Cowboys Like Us
I Saw God Today
I Can Still Make Cheyenne
Drinkin' Man
I Believe
Give It Away
Fool Hearted Memory
Lead On
Amarillo By Morning
Give It All We Got Tonight
The Chair
I Got A Car
I'll Always Remember You
Troubadour
Unwound
You Wreck Me
All My Ex's Live In Texas
Run
Folsom Prison Blues
The Cowboy Rides Away
23. BRIAN WILSON
"Smile Tour"Meadowbrook Music Festival
Oakland, Michigan
Brian Wilson's 2005 concert was a surreal experience. We had purchased premium tickets for a Brian Wilson concert scheduled to take place on August 20th at a small venue near Midland, Michigan. After we received the tickets, we learned that the concert had been canceled. Then on August 19th, a surprise announcement was made that Wilson would be performing the next day at the Meadowbrook Music Festival at Oakland University. We grabbed tickets on the fly and drove across the state to see the show. When we arrived, the venue was nearly empty, maybe three hundred people were there. As a classy gesture, Brian personally signed each of the concert programs that were for sale that night. Brian came out with his band ten minutes early and played a full set, including the entire Smile album, and had the time of his life. He seemed to enjoy joking with the small but enthusiastic crowd. He even came down front and danced with us!
2005 SETLIST:
Do It Again
Dance, Dance, Dance
Then He Kissed Me
In My Room
Surfer Girl
When I Grow Up To Be A Man
Do You Want To Dance
Please Let Me Wonder
Little Saint Nick
Breakaway
Add Some Music To Your Day
Darlin'
Help Me Rhonda
California Girls
Sloop John B
Wouldn't It Be Nice
Pet Sounds
God Only Knows
Sail On Sailor
Marcella
(The Entire Smile Album)
Johnny B Goode
I Get Around
Barbara Ann
Surfin' USA
Fun, Fun, Fun
Walkin' Down The Path Of Life
Love And Mercy
22. ELTON JOHN
"The One Tour"September 2, 1992
Fiddler's Green
Denver, Colorado
This was a big one. As an Elton John fan, I had heard that this tour was among his best. He had finally cleaned himself up and was writing some powerful new music. As a surprise wedding anniversary gift, I secretly purchased two front-row tickets to this concert weeks in advance and made travel arrangements. On the day of the show, I pretended to go to work and had a limousine ambush Tam at the house, where it picked her up and took her to the airport. We flew from Kalamazoo to Denver just in time to arrive for the concert.
Our seats were probably the best we've ever experienced, maybe twenty feet from his piano. Elton and band walked out precisely at 7:30 and launched into Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me. It felt like he was singing directly to us. Elton was back ... and better than ever!!
SETLIST:
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
I'm Still Standing
I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
Philadelphia Freedom
Burn Down The Mission
Tiny Dancer
The One
I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
Daniel
The Last Song
Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
When A Woman Doesn't Want You
Rocket Man
All The Young Girls Love Alice
Sad Songs Say So Much
The Show Must Go On (Tribute To Freddie Mercury)
Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
The Bitch Is Back
Candle In The Wind
Your Song
21. DOLLY PARTON
"Pure And Simple"August 1, 2015
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee
When tickets went on sale for Dolly Parton's "Pure and Simple" charity concert scheduled for July 31, 2015 (her first in thirteen years in Nashville) at Ryman Auditorium, they sold out in less than ten seconds ... a record for the venue. So she graciously announced a second charity performance benefitting the Opry Trust Fund, and that too, sold out in mere seconds.
Dolly Parton is the most celebrated female in country music. She was recently recognized by the RIAA for selling more than 100 million albums worldwide. She has had 25 number one songs on the Billboard Country charts. She has been nominated for 46 Grammy awards, winning seven of them. She has won the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year Award. She has been inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
She has received two Academy Award nominations and acted in hugely-popular motion pictures such as Nine to Five, Steel Magnolias, and The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas. She is also an astute business person, serving as an operating partner at Dollywood, the popular theme park and resort that bears her name. To put it simply, Dolly Parton is a force ... and her magnetic personality has earned her the respect and admiration of many people.
Dolly Parton at the Ryman Auditorium
Dozens of Nashville's celebrities and industry insiders came to witness and pay tribute to the legend ... including Reba McEntire, The Judds, Alison Krauss, Martina McBride, John Rich, Jeannie Sealy, Bill Anderson, Imelda May, T.G. Sheppard, the cast of the TV show Nashville, and legendary record producer T. Bone Burnett.
A brief, but lavish introduction by WSM disc-jockey Bill Cody teased the packed house ... and then the curtain opened and there was Dolly Parton, center stage, in a short sequined dress. Powerful. Few people on earth command that kind of attention. The rapturous audience leapt to their feet as she bowed gratefully in response. Then she burst out, "I don't know why I did a second charity concert, you know, it takes a lot of money to look this cheap!!" The audience erupted into laughter. Classic Dolly, and the evening only got better from there!
The concert itself was half gospel revival and half Hee Haw. She enjoyed telling stories and sharing good humor as much as she did singing. She would reel-off a raunchy knee-slapper before launching into Applejack and then immediately follow it with a tear-jerker introduction for Coat of Many Colors.
Her twenty-one song performance was flawless. She never missed a note, both vocally and while playing a multitude of instruments: guitar, piano, banjo, dulcimer, auto harp, recorder, and harmonica. Her backing band was spare (four low-key musicians) as was her stage; entirely black with only three white satin-draped curtains as a backdrop.
There was one huge star on that stage ... and that was more than enough. Pure and simple.
Setlist photographed from
Ryman Auditorium soundboard.