30 - 21

30. AC/DC

"Power Up Tour 2025"

May 16, 2025

Raymond James Stadium

Tampa, Florida







Local media was apoplectic to learn that AC/DC would bring their Power Up World Tour to Tampa as part of their thirteen city US swing. Their last American tour was in 2016, with replacement lead singer Axl Rose. Brian Johnson had lost so much hearing that he could no longer perform. However, thanks to new aural technology, he would rejoin AC/DC and make their first stop in Tampa in seventeen years. Fans were elated! The entire stadium, 53,000 tickets, sold out in minutes.



My memories of AC/DC go back a long way. I remember the riot that ultimately brought an end to the World Series Of Rock concerts in Cleveland in 1979. Then six months later, lead singer Bon Scott was found dead in the back seat of a car. In 1985, AC/DC was accused of satan-worship, made worse by the revelation that mass murderer Richard Ramirez (the Night Stalker) claimed that their music motivated him to kill.


Wild And Deadly World Series Of Rock Concert



Perhaps out of necessity, the rebellious and anti-establishment edge of the band was softened and then slowly honed into a commercial powerhouse. The sinister aspects faded, replaced with more amiable descriptions such as "lovably loud and lowbrow" and "daft and bawdy." AC/DC had come a long way, and I think Brian Johnson's cheeky and bombastic personality played a large role in that transformation.


There were countless kids at the concert, all brought by their parents to celebrate rock and roll. Merch was for sale everywhere, including plastic illuminated devil horns priced at $25, of which tens of thousands were sold and worn during the gig.  I bought three concert T shirts, one of them from a guy pawning them in the middle of Dale Mabry Highway outside the gig.



Everybody seemed to skip the opening act, preferring to eat, drink, and shop. This was probably also due in part to temperatures in the 90s that made sitting in the seats a sweat box.


But the seats were full at 8:30 when a brief opening video hit the screens, very reminiscent of The Rolling Stones Zip Code Tour introduction in Nashville. The crowd roared as Brian Johnson gimped and Angus Young strutted from opposite sides to center stage. Three rows of Marshall stacks lined the wall behind the band with two massive racks of loudspeakers hanging on either side overhead.



It was fun to see Brian on stage. We had actually gotten somewhat familiar with him, as he lived in a neighboring neighborhood in Sarasota. We frequently saw him bellied-up to the bar at Shore in St. Armand’s Circle. His presence was always tipped off by the purple Rolls Royce Silver Phantom parked in a VIP spot at the rear entrance (with the license plate RCKNROLL). He looked exactly the same on stage as he did saddled up with his drinking buddies, black cut off shirt, black jeans, wool newsboy cap, and carefully curated beer gut.


Brian was moving a bit slow after spraining his ankle during their opening performance in Minneapolis four weeks earlier. He actually finished that concert with a bare foot and wore a boot for the next two gigs.


Brian Johnson Performs Without A Shoe (Sprained Ankle)


Angus, on the other hand, pranced out like a leprechaun in a bright green velvet schoolboy uniform. His body writhing to the power chords he pounded on his Gibson SG. His duck-walking entrance drove the crowd into spasms.




The next two hours and sixteen minutes was a cacophony of vintage power rock driven by these two legends and their anonymous three piece backing band.


Back In Black - Raymond James Stadium

Tampa, Florida. May 16, 2025.


The performance was intense, even though there were often extended pauses between songs (perhaps to let our ears recover). The decibel meter on my phone in Section 208 peaked at 110 dbl. Every song sounded like the one before it … loud and without nuance. However, some performances were slightly more recognizable than others (i.e. Back In Black, Thunderstruck, You Shook Me All Night Long, Let There Be Rock) and they immediately brought huge roars from the faithful. 




Hell’s Bells featured a giant bell that hung above the stage and rang ominously, literally shaking the concrete stadium. Highway To Hell included a hundred foot wide gas flame that blasted fireballs along with the beat.



But the main focus was the interplay between Brian and Angus ... the diminutive guitarist marched back and forth across the stage and frequently duck-walked onto the center runway. Brian mostly lumbered around and gesticulated wildly, pulling his shirt down to make sure his paunch was covered, and pointed at Angus … all while screaming unintelligible vocals like a stuck pig.



This is precisely what everybody came for, and they roared with approval … all night long.



What we witnessed that evening was a curtain-call of twentieth-century power rock. AC/DC had survived when many other bands could not. The band had adapted over the decades, broadening their audience, by singing with a laugh and a wink. They had evolved from hellions to rock and roll icons ... as two hundred million albums sold can attest.



AC/DC put it out there in style, and their performance was truly unforgettable.


CONCERT REVIEW: AC/DC Leaves Tampa Thunderstruck


SETLIST:

If You Want Blood (You Got It)

Back In Black

Demon Fire

Shot Down In Flames

Thunderstruck

Have A Drink On Me

Hell's Bells

Shot In The Dark

Stiff Upper Lip

Highway To Hell

Shoot To Thrill

Sin City

Rock N Roll Train

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

High Voltage

Riff Raff

You Shook Me All Night Long

Whole Lotta Rosie

Let There Be Rock

TNT

For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)







29. 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.


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




28. PETER FRAMPTON / STEVE CROPPER / VINCE GILL / ROBERT CRAY
"Frampton's Guitar Circus"
May 28, 2013
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee

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




27. KENNY CHESNEY / DIERKS BENTLEY / CARRIE UNDERWOOD / SUGARLAND / PAT GREEN
"Road And The Radio Tour"
June 2, 2006
Van Andel Arena
Grand Rapids, Michigan

"Flip Flop Summer Tour"
May 11, 2007
Van Andel Arena
Grand Rapids, Michigan


These were the concerts that turned us into country music fans. In 2006, Kenny Chesney was the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year (for the second year in a row). His smash album Road and the Radio was the number one album in the country. His singles Summertime and Living In Fast Forward had recently been ranked number one. And he was the number one touring act in the country, according to Pollstar. 

His opening acts for the 2006 show were Dierks Bentley and a hot new singer, performing on her very first big-time tour ... Carrie Underwood.

Chesney's show was powerful! More like a rock concert than a country gig. In fact, I would describe it as 'Jimmy Buffett meets Van Halen'. I have never seen a person work harder on stage to create such heightened energy and I've never seen an audience so responsive.



The concert was so good that we repeated the whole thing in 2007, when he returned in May. This time his opening acts were Pat Green and Sugarland. Once again, Chesney packed a wallop! We had the best seats in the house for both gigs (thanks to my Mom, who sprung for them ... and she came along too!) and our daughter took dozens of amazing photos of him. These were two of the most impressive concert performances I have ever seen. No question. 

 
Photos by Michelle Olin


Here are both of the original setlists 
from 2006 and 2007 ...
 





26. BOZ SCAGGS 
"Runnin' Blue Tour"
2004
State Theatre
Kalamazoo, Michigan 






"A Fool To Care Tour"
April 25, 2016
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee

"Out Of The Blues Tour"
April 18, 2019
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Sarasota, Florida




Boz Scaggs ranks very high because his manner and musicianship are both totally first class. No smoke or lasers, just rich, deep music, that lasts in your heart. I saw him three times between 2004 and 2019, and he was consistently great. 

He had been on my radar since the release of his classic Silk Degrees album in 1976. I enjoyed Scaggs' sophisticated pop and was wondering if he could pull it off live. However, he tended to stay on the west coast and was scarce in this part of the world ... until a cold winter day in 2004, when he came to Kalamazoo's State Theatre.

What I discovered at that first gig with Boz was an aural revelation.  He had assembled a fantastic group of outstanding musicians, and his sound in concert was every bit as smooth as his recordings. The entire evening took on a relaxed "jazz" flavor. Every song played with finesse and precision ... and at the perfect volume to boot. It was probably the finest stage mix of music I had ever heard (up to that time).


Sitting virtually alone in the (closed) upper balcony of the Kalamazoo State Theatre, the gig seemed particularly intimate. Boz played 'em all ... all of his hits, plus he threw in a couple of jazz jams for extra measure.  I remember walking away from that one highly impressed.

-----

By 2016, it had been twelve years since I last saw Boz in Kalamazoo. This time, Boz played the Ryman Auditorium. He had recently recorded his latest album, A Fool To Care, at Blackbird Studios in the Music City. He noted that his son, a music journalist for Rolling Stone magazine, was living in Nashville and he was spending quite a bit of time there.


After a light opening act, featuring the amiable and unaccompanied Jeff LeBlanc on guitar, Boz and his seven-person entourage meandered onto the stage. Scaggs looked loose and lean as he strapped on a gorgeous tobacco Sakashta 335-style guitar and launched into Runnin' Blue. His voice was in fine form and the band tight, although there was a slight preponderance of a Hammond B3 in the mix throughout the fifteen song set. 


Beginning with the third song, Jojo, Scaggs played nearly all of his greatest hits, making room for a showpiece performance of his backup singer Mone't in a cover of Aretha's Until You Come Back To Me that made the Ryman's stained-glass windows rattle with appreciation.

Scagg's backing band, Mike Miller (guitar), Gene Lake (drums), Mike Logan (keyboard), and Mike Logan, Jr. (percussion), playing under the direction of musical director and bassist Richard Patterson, laid down a rich, jazz-inspired foundation for Scaggs' iconic throaty vocals. Although the concert was not long, it was solid, without the usual B-side lulls that have plagued other concerts.  

Scaggs' new track, There's A Storm Comin' was delicate and hauntingly alluring. To close out the show, Scaggs selected Drowning In The Sea Of Love, a number he first performed in 1991 with Donald Fagen for the New York Rock and Soul Revue.  

Like his former compatriot, Steve Miller, time has been a friend to Boz Scaggs. In his seventies, he still had the chops to play with the best of them.

Back of house setlist for 
Boz Scaggs at Ryman Auditorium

-----

Three years after his triumphant Ryman concert, we revisited Boz during his "Out of the Blues Tour" in Sarasota, Florida. He had truly been living the blues as he had lost his winery (Scaggs Vineyards), his home, and all of his possessions in the 2017 wildfires in the Napa Valley. The most important of which was his entire archive of hand-written lyrics collected over fifty years of creating music.


In 2018, he produced the album Out of the Blues, with the help of some of the best musicians in the business; Jim Keltner, Willie Weeks, Jim Cox, Doyle Bramhall II, Ray Parker, Jr., and Charlie Sexton. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2018. This tour was in support of that album.

The stage, sans curtain, was filled with backing instrumentation. At 8:05 the seven member band stepped on stage and tuned briefly. Then Boz greeted the audience, mentioning that he had been watching them enter the auditorium from his bus. He graciously said that he was impressed. Indeed the house was packed and rowdy for Sarasota. There aren't many musicians of Scaggs' caliber who play the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

The band opened with Jojo and It's Over and was as tight as ever. Scaggs was in good voice; nuanced and elegant, albeit somewhat fragile. He introduced two cover songs, both from the new album, Rock and Stick and The Feeling Is Gone. They provided some of the edgier moments of the gig.

Boz stopped to thank the audience again, and mentioned how much he loved the Van Wezel venue, as well as the city of Sarasota. He said that every tour he spends a few extra days here because he loves it so much. Scaggs then said that he was stepping away from the standard setlist to play a bonus song for us because he thought we might like it. He played a mellow, bossa nova-inspired song entitled Last Tango on 16th Street, much to our appreciation.

After a blistering rendition of Radiator 110 from the new album, Boz then spent most of the second half of his show performing his hits: Harbor Lights, Georgia, Look What You've Done To Me, Lowdown, Lido Shuffle, and What Can I Say. His encores of Somebody Loan Me A Dime and You Never Can Tell (both covers) allowed the band to improvise with several extended solos. The grizzled and gray audience was on its feet cheering until the final bows.


Boz never mentioned the fire. It wasn't like him to do that. And he seemed genuinely glad to be with us. The feeling was mutual. 

Perhaps appropriately, a Boz Scaggs concert is like revisting a bottle of fine wine after many years. Interesting. Subtle. Distinctive. Smoother with age. Eminently enjoyable.

Thanks Boz.

2019 SETLIST:
Jojo
It's Over
Rock And Stick
The Feeling Is Gone
Last Tango On 16th Street
Radiator 110
Harbor Lights
Georgia
Look What You've Done To Me
Lowdown
Lido Shuffle
What Can I say
Somebody Loan Me A Dime
You Can Never Tell





25. RINGO STARR AND HIS ALL STARR BAND:
STEVE LUKATHER, RICHARD PAGE, TODD RUNGREN, GREGG BISSONETTE, GREGG ROLLE
June 19, 2016
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee



He was a Beatle ... so we had to go, right?  At least that is what I thought. Without much enthusiasm, we arrived at the Ryman, and saw the longest line ever outside the door, stretching all the way down to Broadway. For these people, the Beatles were still very much alive, and they showed it with shirts, hats, buttons, and other accouterment. The concert was a complete sell-out, forcing Ringo to schedule a second show. Rarely have I witnessed more enthusiasm before a gig.

At precisely 7:30, the lights dimmed, and Ringo and his band entered the stage to thunderous applause. They launched into Matchbox, the Carl Perkins classic, followed by It Don't Come Easy. The band was very tight and sound superbly mixed. Then Ringo cheerfully welcomed everyone, smiling and waving his iconic peace sign. I was stunned by his total lack of pretension and the reciprocation of the audience. He mentioned how he was such a fan of Kitty Wells growing up and how meaningful the venue was, that so many legends had performed on the Ryman stage. He joked that he wrote many songs as a Beatle ... but none of them were recorded. He did say that he wrote one with Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles B-side What Goes On, and he played it to huge cheers.

He then introduced Todd Rungren, who carried the next number, I Saw The Light, followed by Gregg Rolle (keyboardist for Santana) who played Evil Ways, accompanied by a virtuoso Steve Lukather solo. Then Lukather played one of his big Toto hits, Rosanna. Richard Page (Mr. Mister), in great voice, performed Kyrie. The band was surprisingly cohesive and the renditions of each song were simply outstanding.

The evening continued, with the artists wandering the stage and joking with each other as they played their greatest hits. It was such a fraternal and good-natured show that everybody was completely engaged by it. Ringo often spoke with the audience, and with a smile, commented that the show was nothing like a Led Zeppelin concert ... just before acknowledging Robert Plant standing in the crowd.


Ringo at the Ryman

Ringo, who had just celebrated his 72nd birthday at the Nashville Hard Rock Cafe, finished the show with Photograph, Act Naturally, With A Little Help From My Friends, and Give Peace A Chance. He was so full of energy that he was literally doing jumping jacks during the final number as the audience chanted along with him.

That was one really fun show!!

Here is Ringo's 72nd birthday bash at the Nashville Hard Rock Cafe ...

SETLIST:
Matchbox
It Don't Come Easy
What Goes On
I Saw The Light
Evil Ways
Rosanna
Kyrie
Bang The Drum All Day
Boys
Don't Pass Me By
Yellow Submarine
Black Magic Woman
Band Introductions
You're Sixteen
You Are Mine
Africa
Oye Como Va
I Wanna Be Your Man
Love Is The Answer
Broken Wings
Hold The Line
Photograph
Act Naturally
With A Little Help From My Friends
Give Peace A Chance



STEVE LUKATHER, HAMISH STUART, COLIN HAY, EDGAR WINTER, WARREN HAM, GREGG BISSONETTE
September 16, 2022
Postponed: June 26, 2022 (Covid)
Postponed: June 27, 2021 (Covid)
Postponed: June 2020 (Covid)
Ruth Eckerd Hall
Clearwater, Florida



Ringo was such 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




24. ERIC CLAPTON / ROBERT RANDOLPH

May 30, 2008
Verizon Wireless Music Center
Noblesville, Indiana


Tremendous show, both by Eric ... and Mother Nature.

Here is the concert review I wrote for Where's Eric!, Eric Clapton's concert website:



More than twenty-five thousand people made the trek to the Verizon Wireless Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana to see a legend. A fan screamed "Clapton Is God!" as Eric understatedly came out in a maroon golf shirt, Levis and his pewter Fender Strat. First electric concert start of the tour. Severe weather had been rolling in during the opening set with Robert Randolph. A huge bolt of lightning lit up the sky just before Eric took the stage. From our perspective, up close, we could see the look of concern on Eric's face as he launched into his opening number "Tell The Truth".


All during his set, the weather was a factor. The band sounded great but seemed rushed, with Eric giving a short "thank you" at the end of each number. Miraculously, he was able to run through nearly all of his set, which included an extensive selection of acoustic blues pieces, before turning up the amps for the last third of his set as the storm rolled in. Eric managed a quick comment late in the gig "pleasant evening isn't it?" between songs. Suddenly, off stage, a roadie gave Eric a hand signal and Eric turned to his band and shouted "Wonderful Tonight" (seemingly cutting the concert short). 

By now, lightning was constantly flickering in the sky all around us. At the conclusion of that number, Eric turned back to his drummer and shouted again, raising one finger and then whipped around to begin "Layla". Before he could hit that opening riff, a giant bolt of lightning pounded the parking lot, blistering the sky with blue light. The entire crowd roared in anticipation as the band blasted into the song. The wind was now a near gale, making the smoke machine clouds dissipate almost instantly as they blew from stage left to right. Wham ... the song was over and Eric was rushed off stage ... only to return for a quick "Mojo" encore while lightning was striking all around us and the skies opened up. Incredibly, the band played while the storm raged on.

We ran out to the car in a monsoon and were among the first to pull out of the lot. Eric and his band pulled out in front of us in three Suburbans with a police escort. The storm was so bad that all of us (including Eric) could manage no more than 35 miles an hour down Interstate 69 into Indianapolis. Later, we learned that Indianapolis had been devastated by tornadoes that spun all over its northern suburbs. The next morning, much of central Indiana was destroyed by the worst storms of the year. Eric can feel fortunate that he was able to squeeze that gig in, considering the circumstances.

ROBERT RANDOLPH SETLIST:
Opening Jam
Diane
Just As Soon As My Feet Strike Zion
Bo Diddley
Deliver Me
Rock With You
Don't Let The Devil Ride
I Need More Love
Ain't Nothin' Wrong With That
Whole Lotta Love
Good Times, Bad Times
I'm Not Listening

ERIC CLAPTON SETLIST:
Tell The Truth
Key To The Highway
Hoochie Coochie Man
Little Wing
Outside Woman Blues
Double Trouble
Don't Knock My Love
Let's Talk It Over
Rockin' Chair
Motherless Child
Little Queen Of Spades
Wonderful Tonight
Layla
I've Got My Mojo Working




23. ALICE COOPER

"Too Close For Comfort Tour"

February 7, 2025

Barbara Mann Performing Arts Hall

Fort Myers, Florida





I was thirteen years old when the album Alice Cooper’s Billion Dollar Babies was released. Up to that point, my music library consisted of The Partridge Family Album, More Of The Monkees, and Chicago II. Needless to say, my mind was blown. I opened up the green snakeskin-wallet LP gatefold and found a giant billion dollar bill, along with a large photo of Alice holding a newborn baby and surrounded by four androgynous street punks and stacks of money. By the time I had finished playing side one, Billion Dollar Babies had secured itself as one of the greatest records I had ever heard.



Alice Cooper had also become a celebrity, featured frequently on the cover of Creem magazine and photographed with everyone from Princess Margaret to Groucho Marx. His legendary concerts were avant-garde productions with campy horror-show theatrics that included simulated stabbings, dead baby dolls, real snakes, straitjackets, a crutch, and a huge guillotine. I can even recall a video of Alice chasing a large tooth around the stage with a giant toothbrush. He defined an entire genre of music … shock rock.


The Coop with Colonel Sanders, John Lennon,

 Harry Nilsson, Anne Murray, and Micky Dolenz


Unfortunately, Alice fell into a dark place for a decade, fueled by drugs, alcohol, and anorexia. He nearly died when his stomach hemorrhaged in a Holiday Inn hotel room. It was through the sheer tenacity of his wife Sheryl, as well as a pep talk with fellow alcoholic Dick Van Dyke, that he pulled himself together and began his second act, recreating himself as the rock icon that he was and continues to be to this day.


I had seen him open for Motley Crue at Bridgestone Arena in 2014, and his show was awesome, but abbreviated and lacking most of his usual stage antics. When I noted that he was scheduled for the Barbara Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers, Florida, I knew it would be the perfect venue to see him in all his glory.


The 1,900 seat theater was sold out and there were some pretty interesting people surrounding us, including an old dude who told us he had just dropped acid twice in the parking lot.



It takes a pretty ballsy guy to play your own music before a concert, but in this case, Public Animal #9 only served to whip the fans into a frenzy as the stage hands made final preparations behind the curtains. The packed house was churning with anticipation at 8:00 pm when Alice burst through a large newspaper screen and stepped to center stage.



His five person band featured four guitars and a drummer. The band was very good, but was missing one of Alice’s two blond female guitarists (Orianthi and/or Nita Strauss). Former Guns and Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke filled in at the last minute. Despite this absence, there was no doubt that Alice was the center of the show, prowling back and forth across the stage to enable everyone to get a good look at him.



Every person in the building was thinking ... ‘that right there is freaking Alice Cooper!!’



The stage setup looked like it came from a local community theater, dinged up and slightly cheesy, and yet it seemed completely appropriate. Throughout the concert, we saw many of the exact props he used during the 1970s. The show was slightly pared-back from the glory days (no giant toothbrush, dead babies, or nurses with syringes). However, Alice’s boa constrictor made an appearance, and there were a total of three deaths onstage, including one with the guillotine. So we had that going for us ...



Alice’s setlist featured two distinct eras of his music; songs from the early 1970s (Killer, School’s Out, and Billion Dollar Babies) and a handful of tracks from the 1990s (Hey Stoopid, Poison, and Feed My Frankenstein). The audience tended to reflect this generational contrast as well, ranging in age from eighty to twenty. One thing the songs all had in common was that they were all played with intense volume.



An unexpected element was the appearance of Sheryl Cooper, as she played several characters throughout the show. Her experience with the Joffrey Ballet was put to great use as she pranced around the stage with Alice’s head during I Love The Dead.



Nobody sat down throughout the ninety-minute performance, as they were engrossed in the mesmerizing spectacle. Alice Cooper’s performance was a master class in theatrical rock. As he closed out the show, Alice introduced the band, then uttered, “and playing the role of Alice Cooper … ME!!” 


The theater erupted in guffaws and boisterous cheering. Bravo Alice!!



Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies

Barbara Mann Performing Arts Hall

February 7, 2025


SETLIST:

Lock Me Up

Welcome To The Show

No More Mr. Nice Guy

I’m Eighteen

Under My Wheels

Bed Of Nails

Billion Dollar Babies

Snakebite

Be My Lover

Lost In America

He’s Back (Behind The Mask)

Hey Stoopid

Drum Solo

Welcome To My Nightmare

Cold Ethyl

Go To Hell

Poison

Guitar Solos

Black Widow Jam

Ballad Of Dwight Fry

Killer

I Love The Dead

School’s Out

Feed My Frankenstein





22. JEFF LYNNE'S ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA / DHANI HARRISON
"Jeff Lynne's ELO Tour"
July 7, 2019
Amalie Arena
Tampa, Florida


It had been a long and winding road for Jeff Lynne, one of the most under-rated musicians in the business. In a career spanning more than fifty years, performing with both the Electric Light Orchestra and the Traveling Wilburys, and producing/composing records for Joe Cocker, Aerosmith, Tom Petty, and the Beatles (both as a group and individually), he had never been given the respect he is due. Astoundingly, he has won only one grammy award.

Probably that is because Jeff Lynne is a classical musician in a rock and roll world. He is a shy and quirky musical savant who writes brilliant, fascinating, and complex melodies. He, like Brian Wilson, would prefer to spend endless hours in the studio making musical perfection than to risk the imperfection of performing live. That is why it has taken so long for him to return to the road. 

It had been forty years since he last performed in Tampa.


Recently, however, Lynne has enjoyed a renaissance. He is getting some of the over-due recognition he deserves, including a long-awaited induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. By the time he was finally coaxed from his self-imposed exile and bravely ventured onto the road, his fans were ready for him.

Lynne’s opening act was Dhani Harrison, the son of his good friend George Harrison. Dhani has followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming a solid musician and assembled a skilled backing band. He played for forty minutes, performing nine songs. It was all original material that sounded like a cross between The Inner Light and Nickelback, heavily synthesized and hard driving stuff. The older audience didn’t mind, because they thought they were seeing and hearing the ghost of George Harrison.

At 9:10 pm, the main act took the stage. Twelve musicians silently took their positions on the darkened stage and commenced with an orchestrated prelude while five huge vertical high-definition video screens lit up behind them. The crowd was primed with anticipation before the first song began. Then the band launched into Standing In The Rain with a colossal ‘whoosh’ while intense light beams surged in all directions. It was the equivalent of a rock music steamroller - with dense instrumentation and voluminous harmonies filling the arena. The audience was literally stupefied by its jaw-dropping power.

Yet the sound was perfect and meticulous. Even the pizzicato violin was crystal clear. Exactly what you would expect from a Jeff Lynne production.

Nobody expected Lynne to be glib, however, and he wasn’t. He hesitantly blurted, “Hello Tampa. Wow, it’s been a while!” before quickly turning around and counting in Evil Woman. The dude is seventy-one years old, yet he looks and sounds exactly as he did in 1976. Same hair. Same beard. Same glasses. Same clothes. Same Les Paul guitar. He has become an icon of sorts.

Jeff Lynne at Amalie Arena

Out poured the parade of hits: All Over The World, Showdown, Living Thing, Rockaria! … by the time he pounded the first three power chords of Do Ya, the packed house was in full eruption. He was shredding with the best of them.

His heartfelt rendition of When I Was A Boy served as counterpoint to the onslaught of anthem rock.
Then Lynne asked, “Did you know I was in another band?” and brought Dhani Harrison on stage to reprise his father’s contribution to the Traveling Wilbury’s classic Handle With Care. As they performed together, images of Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, and George Harrison alternately flashed on the huge video screens.


The middle third of the concert featured lesser-known album cuts, such as Last Train To London, 10538 Overture, Xanadu, and Wild West Hero. As the band played Shine A Little Love, an emerald-colored laser light show began, augmenting the pencil beam spots and video screens. They were used exquisitely during Telephone Line and throughout the rest of the performance.

Musical director Mike Stevens introduced the band. When he pointed to Lynne, forty years of postponed adulation washed up on stage. It was more than the maestro could take. He turned away and drooped his head, which only increased its volume. It was a truly touching moment.

Lynne saved the best for last with a crescendo of greatest hits. Sweet Talkin’ Woman, Don’t Bring Me Down, Turn To Stone, and Mr. Blue Sky. The sold-out audience of 12,600 baby boomers were jumping and singing every word.


To close the show, Lynne and band jammed for a mind-blowing seven minutes on the classic Roll Over Beethoven.

If you thought Jeff Lynne’s music had become irrelevant and dated you’d be dead wrong. This concert was a powerful statement that quality music is always relevant and can even become better appreciated with time.



DHANI HARRISON SETLIST:
Never Know
Summertime Police
My Eye
Timezone
The Sharp Knife
Make It Home
Yomp
All About Waiting
Murders

JEFF LYNNE’S ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA SETLIST:
Standing In The Rain
Evil Woman
All Over The World
Showdown
Do Ya
When I Was A Boy
Livin’ Thing
Handle With Care (with Dhani Harrison)
Rockaria!
Last Train To London
Xanadu
10538 Overture
Shine A Little Love
Wild West Hero
Sweet Talkin’ Woman
Telephone Line
Don’t Bring Me Down
Turn To Stone
Mr. Blue Sky
Roll Over Beethoven




21. AEROSMITH / CHEAP TRICK

"Global Warming Tour"
December 13, 2012
Bridgestone Arena
Nashville, Tennessee





Aerosmith is one of those bands that never quite measured up in my mind. I don't know why. I liked their music, and they had tons of hits, but there was something about them that seemed to lack gravitas. However, I was a fan of Cheap Trick, and having them as the opening act was what eventually motivated me to see this show. Well, I will admit to you here and now ... Cheap Trick sucked!! The evening was becoming a huge disappointment. That is ... until the curtains opened on Steven and the boys. 

The next two hours was rock of the highest order. Huge hits, with massive guitar licks, and even some obscure blues sprinkled in for good measure. My mind was blown, I had completely underestimated them. These guys were big time rock and rollers and this concert was an unforgettable paradigm shift. 

Aerosmith at Bridgestone Arena



CHEAP TRICK SETLIST:
Hello There
Big Eyes
California Man
On Top Of The World
Need Your Love
The Ballad Of TV Violence
I Know What I What
Southern Girls
Sick Man Of Europe
Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
I Want You To Want Me
Dream Police
Surrender

AEROSMITH SETLIST:
Toys In The Attic
Love In The Elevator
Jaded
Oh Yeah
Cryin'
Livin' On The Edge
Movin' Out
Walking The Dog
Last Child
Drum Solo
Rag Doll
Boogie Man
Combination
Rats In The Cellar
Lover A lot
What It Takes
Come Together
Dude, Looks Like A Lady
Walk This Way
Train 'Kept A Rollin'
Dream On
Sweet Emotion