Mötley Crüe, Tesla and Extreme @ Darien Lake PAC, Darien Center, NY 7-18-26

The 80’s came alive again this past Saturday night at Darien Lake PAC. Mötley Crüe along with Tesla and Extreme took people back to a time when the hair was big and where these bands ruled MTV and the radio charts. This music was the soundtrack to people’s lives including mine. This was one of the shows that I had had circled on my calendar since the tour was announced back in November of 2025.

First up was Extreme. They are one of my favorite bands to see live and their short set didn’t disappoint at all. The only unfortunate thing was the crowd was light as Extreme took to the stage at 6:30pm sharp. “Decadence Dance” got things going to where the band was off and running for the next 40 minutes. They sprinkled some tracks from their 2023 release ‘Six” including “Banshee/#REBEL.” I would have preferred the song “The Other side of the Rainbow” from ‘Six’ as the harmonies on that song are killer but the songs they chose worked well too. Guitarist Nuno Bettencourt’s talents were on full display as he dazzled on the 6^th string throughout the set. What truly makes Extreme’s sound so full is the combination of Gary Cherone’s vocals with Bettencourt’s and bassist Pat Badger’s harmonies. Songs Like “Hole Hearted” is perfect example of that. Extreme still showed they have the goods after all of these years.

Taking the stage next was Tesla. The band just released their latest album on Friday July 17^th consisting of covers called ‘Homage.’ Even though the band just released this record, due to being an opening band and having a limited time slot, Tesla decided to concentrate on playing the hits and songs that people were accustomed to hearing. The 45-minute set had all the favorites. Some of those songs were “Little Suzi,” The Way That it is” and “Modern Day Cowboy,” the latter which they opened with. Vocalist Jeff Keith’s voice still holds up very well and the two-guitar attack of Frank Hannon and Dave Rude continues to drive Tesla’s sound. I love it when bassist Brian Wheat plays the Hofner violin bass that Paul McCartney made famous. They ended their set with one of the most famous covers of any band did in “Signs.” It was a terrific set put on by Tesla!

Mötley Crüe closed the show. This was the first time Mötley Crüe played Darien Lake since they co headlined a tour with KISS back in 2012. The difference since that time is guitarist Mick Mars is no longer in the band. Guitarist John 5 has taken his spot. I will say for the past handful of years I saw the band live, the band’s setlist got stale for me. This time around, I thought they really did a great job mixing it up. They added some earlier tracks like “Red Hot” and “Take Me to the Top.” Those went over like gangbusters! They also added “Afraid” from the 1997 Generation Swine album, which I personally loved! John 5 had a cool light up guitar effect for his guitar solo, which included him playing some of the notes of the “Star Spangled Banner” with his teeth. Of course, what is a Mötley Crüe show without the background singers. The updated “Nasty Habits” (as they are called) came and went on stage all night long. Bassist Nikki Sixx played a few notes on an acoustic guitar before drummer Tommy Lee joined him at the front of the stage to talk about how the song “Home Sweet Home came about.” Lee played a horror like piano that looked like cut off PVC pipes splattered with blood giving it a cool eerie effect. I will give credit to vocalist Vince Neil. After suffering a series of strokes (the last one on Christmas eve night in 2024), it is amazing that Neil can even step foot on stage. I know everyone wants to focus on the vocals. Is Vince Neil actually singing live? Where my seat location was, I couldn’t actually see to tell. If you look at current online video, that shows Neil is more than likely singing but it looks and sounds like he is getting some sort of assistance. You can make that determination as his voice has sounded better on Saturday night than it has in recent years. Looking around during the show though and talking to people who are huge fans, they almost knew that this was the case going in. For most concert attendees, they don’t care and just want to see their favorite band or just enjoy the atmosphere of having a good time. Mötley Crüe’s music reminds them of that. When everything was carefree and simpler. So, if you’re on the fence do your own research before buying a ticket. It’s not me to judge others on what they want to do but the information should be out there so fans can make an informed choice.

Overall, I thought it was an entertaining show from all 3 bands. That’s what matters most in the end. Did you have a good time and were you entertained? I can say a resounding YES to both of those!

Motley Crue setlist:

Red Hot

Loudcr than Hell

Wild Side

Shout at the Devil

Too Fast for Love

Looks That Kill

Too Young to Fall in Love

Take Me to the Top

Primal Scream

Afraid

Home Sweet Home