When talking about the musical acts that came out of 1980’s, a band that seems to get lost in the shuffle a bit is Night Ranger. However, they are a band that can still rock amongst any band, and took part in the third annual KISS Kruise.
Many were looking forward to their appearance on the Kruise and they even exceeded most expectations. Playing over an hour set, the band never looked or sounded better in my opinion. They came out swinging with the track “Lay it On Me” off of their latest studio release “Somewhere in California.” Led by bassist Jack Blades, they gave the fans all they could handle. The dueling guitars of Brad Gillis and Joel Hoekstra traded licks the entire night to the enjoyment of the packed pool deck. Drummer Kelly Keagy handled vocals on “Sentimental Street” and the biggest hit Night Ranger ever had, “Sister Christian.”
What was surprising to me is that Night Ranger played a few tunes from Jack Blades’ old project Damn Yankees. The songs went over really well and in addition to those, the cover they did of The Doors “Roadhouse Blues” was also noteworthy. Blades even adorned a sailor’s hat for a bit to fit the mood of the show.
Seeing Night Ranger in a very small, intimate setting was a real treat for a longtime fan of the band. I can honestly say that this is a must see when the band plays your town anywhere in the near future!!
Setlist:
Lay it On Me
Sing Me Away
Four in the Morning
Coming of Age(Damn Yankees cover)
Roadhouse Blues (The Doors cover)
Sentimental Street
High Enough (Damn Yankees cover)
When You Close Your Eyes
Don’t tell me You love Me/Highway Star (Deep Purple – Medley)
Sister Christian
Rock in America (with Tommy Thayer of KISS)
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We would like to thank Benjamin Ferguson and Anthony Diaz of Sixthman for the credentials to review the show. Stay tuned for an exclusive interview with Jack Blades that was conducted before the show.
