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Wow! Since this is Night Ranger and not REO Speedwagon, I won't have to start off with a hair report. (REO's gone on a major hair chopping spree in the past two years, making for much conversation among female REO fans on the REO Chat Page (BB).) Set list: New York Time Sign Of The Times Rumours In The Air Sing Me Away Neverland Sentimental Street (with a short Fitz keyboard solo first) Goodbye (Panic In Jane was on the set list here--I was in front and could see the set list --but they didn't do it) Touch Of Madness Four In the Morning When You Close Your Eyes Coming Of Age Rock In America --------------- Sister Christian Don't Tell Me You Love Me "Panic In Jane" WAS on the set list. They didn't do it, but it was on the list. (We were in front, we could see the set lists that were taped to the floor). It was on the list between Goodbye and Touch of Madness, but they skipped right over it. Someone asked Jeff about it afterward (when he was signing autographs), and he said he didn't know why they didn't do it and he was ready to play it. It's hard to describe the music, but they were great! "Sentimental Street" featured a short solo from Fitz before it got into the actual song. The audience started a chant of "Fitz, Fitz, and Jack joined in with the audience. Jack and Kelly were having a good time during "Goodbye". Neither of them play on it until the end section... they just sing. And they were goofing off a little... especially Jack. Jack kissed Kelly. (It was a humorous type thing... but maybe you had to be there). Kelly wiped off his cheek afterwards with an "Ooo Yuk" expression. It's cool that Kelly gets to get out from behind the drums on that and "Sister Christian". Jack did the usual "Sister Christian" intro, with "you got sick of it, I know you did". Well, there were some folks shaking their heads or saying no, 'cause Jack said "Oh, come on, admit it, I know you did" (quotes from Jack may not be exact). Well, one of the people I was there with, she was right in front of Jack, and she was emphatically shaking her head no and Jack says to her "You never did?" and she says (or shakes her head maybe, not sure which) no, and Jack replies "Well I did". But then he says "No, we never did, 'cause we like playing it". (again, that may not be exact). It was too cute. A sweet Jack moment. (Okay, I can imagine some of you gagging over my use of the term sweet. Substitute neat, cool, or nice.) "Coming Of Age" sounds great as a Night Ranger song! I really enjoyed watching Jeff play guitar on that one. He was doing the Tommy part. Except at the end he did a guitar solo which you can only describe as a Jeff part. :-) I enjoyed watching Jeff play guitar. I've said I wanted to watch Jeff play. Well, I was in front of Jeff, and I got to see him play several guitar solos like two feet in front of my face!!! awesome!!! It was weird at first, because there he is playing right in front of me, and the sound is coming from behind me! But I got used to that. It was definitely a dream come true to see him play close up like that. I enjoyed watching Jack too. In addition to watching him sing and play, I must admit I spent a little time (but not too much) enjoying Jack's legs in the nice tight (but not skin tight) pants he was wearing. I love it seeing Jack in those tight but not skin tight pants. Jack looked at me once. :-) Just once, but it was nice. Jeff never looked at me. :-( But hey, I got to watch him play guitar up close! Totally cool! At one point, Jeff's guitar wasn't working, and Jack was introducing a song, he says "Jeff, how does it go?" so Jeff starts playing... and nothing comes out! Jack said "And that's not how it goes" and then he explained to us that in technical terms, it's called a fuck up. (Jack's words, not mine!) Okay, now in front of the stage (which was only like a foot above floor level) there were monitors, and I was standing behind the monitor on the end. Next to the monitors in front of the stage were these 3 drunk women. Now, Jeff, on several of his solos and at a couple other spots he would put his left foot on the monitors while he played (that's how I got to see him play 2 feet in front of my face!!! Several times!!!). Well, the woman who was next to me (kind of half between me and Jeff when he was at the microphone, and next to the monitors), every time Jeff stepped up on the monitor she'd be touching him. Jeff didn't seem to mind though. He smiled back at her at one point, and he kept going back up there. Now, Brad went to that spot too at one point, and she touched Brad, like she'd been touching Jeff. I don't think Brad liked it. Brad backed off pretty quickly. Introducing "Sing Me Away" Jack said something like "How would you all like to hear Kelly sing one?" and Kelly replied "I've BEEN singing!". And, yes, he most certainly had! He hadn't gotten to do any solo lead vocals yet, though, 'cause "New York Times" is pretty much all harmonies, and the next two Jack sings lead on. It was interesting comparing the two bass players playing styles. The guy in the opening band, Ultimate Fakebook, played with his thumb resting against the low string and plucking with his fingers. Jack does just the opposite, his fingers sit there and he plucks with his thumb (well, thumb pick). At the end of the show Jeff shook hands with everyone on the left side of the front row, EXCEPT ME!!! He skipped me! I figure it's only fair... See, this is actually my second Night Ranger concert. Last year at Sandstone Amphitheatre in Kansas City, when the band came out, I decided except Jack they were ugly and proceeded to ignore them for the rest of the concert (and stared at Jack ). [At that concert I wasn't a Jeff Watson fan yet, or even Night Ranger fan (no, I'm not going to explain here how I managed to become a Jack Blades fan before Damn Yankees without becoming a Night Ranger fan). I was there to watch Jack... well Jack and headliners REO Speedwagon]. So, I figure since I barely acknowledged Jeff's existence last year, I probably deserve him barely acknowledging mine this year. But he did give me an autograph... and I did (last year) listen to the music, which would include his playing, enough that I became a Night Ranger fan. Afterwards we went and hung out by the bus, which was in the parking lot in front. Only Brad and Jeff came out. Brad came out first. This was my first chance to meet a member of one of my favorite bands, and I even had an opening where I could easily have said something, but I had nothing to say! I did have him sign my Seven CD booklet. One of the women I was with nabbed one of the sets lists after the show and when we were getting autographs Brad said, when she gave it to him to sign, "Hey, that's my set list, give it back!". (He signed it and handed it back to her). Then Jeff came out and I had him sign my Lone Ranger CD booklet. I really wanted his signature on HIS album! He said something like "Hey, a solo album." Jeff was pretty cool. He was quite chatty while signing miscellaneous stuff people handed him to sign. Both Brad and Jeff went back into the club after signing stuff for the folks in front of the bus (there were about 15 of us I think). Even though I didn't personally converse with him (though he did comment on me giving him Lone Ranger to sign) it was cool listening to him talking with people. That's when he made the comment about not doing "Panic In Jane" (in reply to someone's question). Someone asked Jeff why Jack wasn't coming back out. Jeff's first answer was "He's anti-social". Uh, sure, Jeff... we believe you... LOL. He then said that Jack had already gone back to the hotel because he was tired because he didn't sleep well the night before. Which hotel? They wouldn't say. When Brad was out the hotel was brought up, someone mentioned the Ritz Carlton and Brad said, "Is there one?". Well, he went on into the club. Then Jeff came out and someone asked which hotel and Jeff, who hadn't heard what Brad said, replied "The Ritz Carlton". We obviously didn't believe Jeff. :-) One of the women I was with nabbed one of the sets lists and when we were getting autographs Brad said, when she gave it to him to sign "Hey, that's my set list, give it back!". (He signed it and gave it back to her). When we were talking with and getting autographs from Jeff after the show, when someone asked why Jack wasn't coming back out, Jeff's first answer was "He's anti-social". Uh, sure Jeff... we believe you... LOL. As I said in my other post, Jeff told us Jack was tired 'cause he didn't sleep well the night before. Jeff used my friend's sharpie to sign autographs; he didn't have one and had to borrow... I suppose it says something positive about Jeff, that he didn't think to bring along something to sign autographs with. Anyway, I had a great time. It's was totally cool getting to watch Jeff play guitar and having him sign my copy of Lone Ranger. And it was cool being that close. And with the small stage, I was right in front of Jeff, but Jack was also only 5 feet away. Afterwards, I was having a little trouble in my conversations with the other two people I went with in the car on the way home. I kept getting the names of my two favorite Night Ranger members mixed up and kept saying Jaff and Jeck. Seeing Jeff was a bit more exciting than seeing Jack 'cause this is my first time seeing Jeff in concert. (Yeah, I was there last year, but since I was way in the boonies (49th row... I just counted {grin}) and was only paying attention to Jack, it really doesn't count as far as seeing Jeff. Besides, one needs to be up close to see him play guitar! (This year, I paid at least some attention to all of them, though mostly Jack and Jeff, I must admit). (Jack I saw from 10th row with DY in addition to last year in row 49.) There's other details I could mention, since I was up so close. But maybe not all of them. I can't remember everything anyway. :-) What they were drinking... There were several bottles of Evian water, what looked like a wine cooler, a Gatorade, and a Bud Light. I saw Brad take a quick drink from the Bud Light bottle, but didn't witness anything else. Jeff definitely doesn't have wrinkles or anything of the sort. And I think I'll leave it at that. It was an awesome evening! - Ellen Kozisek |