Note: This review was delayed. The performance was 11 August 2017 at DTE Music Theatre
Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience
Jason Bonham tribute to Led Zeppelin. Knowing that Jason was the son of original Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham made me suspicious. How often have kids of someone famous never lived up to the legend that they descended from? Fortunately, this one did, and they performed a robust set of Led Zeppelin’s best stuff. Finishing with an excellent rendition of Whole Lotta Love. No question of Jason’s talent, the only question I was left with was where was D’yer Maker?
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick provided a great performance, just like last time. The set list was a little different, and Kevin Zander played guitar as well as sung – last time he only sang. Rick Nielsen was his usual fantastic self. Flashbacks of Live at Budokan were strong.
Foreigner
When you pay to go to a concert, you get to see three types of acts: Singers, Performers, and
Showmen.
Singers are those who have the talent but are still honing their skills to be truly magnificent. They will get there with work and effort. Usually, these are no headliners but are warm up acts and those rising among the pack.
Performers are those who have put in the time and effort and give you something truly entertaining and worth going to see. You leave the concert satisfied in what you saw and that it was worth the cost and effort to go see the show. Most of the shows I have seen fall into this category.
Showmen are rare, and that is what makes them worth seeking out and appreciating when you do find them. They electrify the audience, the music is perfect or very close to it, and they sense the crowd and guide them through what will be a special evening. These are the concerts you talk about for years afterward. Until this concert, I had only seen two: Alice Cooper and Arnel Pineda (Journey).
Both of these Showmen left it all on the stage as they poured their heart and soul into the performance. They weave their magic with every song taking the crowd up to crescendos but also being careful enough to allow the mood to calm from time to time to allow a bit of recovery before the final culmination at the end of the performance which peaks with the very last note played during the encore.
Now, I have seen a third: Kelly Hansen of Foreigner. What I saw at this show was memorable and augmented the old memories that each song held. Foreigner is one of those groups where I knew and loved the songs but had not attached them all to the group. That connection is now solidly there due to this set list: Double Vision, Head Games, Cold As Ice, Waiting for a Girl Like You, Blue Morning Blue Day, Dirty White Boy, Feels Like the First Time, Urgent, Starrider, Juke Box Hero, I Want to Know What Love Is and Hot Blooded. During all of this Kelly’s energy was in overdrive as he owned the stage and took the audience on a journey through some fantastic music.
Awesome night of music!
Foreigner was kind enough to donate a signed guitar to the local Shrine Club, which they auctioned off to raise money for their charitable work. I didn't win it but I did get to pose with it.
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