Nestled in the small town of Gilford, NH, about 40 minutes north of the capital, Concord, and on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee the Bank of NH Pavilion at Meadowbrook is a newly renovated amphitheater with an 8,000-seat capacity including the lawn. A great place to see a show, enjoy a variety of food and wash it down with one of your favorite beverages, at somewhat reasonable prices (for a venue). Just make sure you have at least $10 in your wallet for the low cost, walking friendly parking or $20 for entrance side parking. After the show retire back to one of the many hotels, motels or cottages and stay a couple days – it’s worth it.
Kicking things off on this evening were Michigan rockers Pop Evil. When I first saw them on the bill with Cheap Trick and Poison I found it to be a bit of an odd pairing. As they hit the stage at 7pm sharp it didn’t take long for me to see why they are a part of the tour. They may not fit the bill genre wise but the energy and showmanship they bring make for a great match. Led by Leigh Kakaty, Pop Evil delivered a 9 song setlist to a well-attended pavilion with the highlight coming with their closing song “Trenches”. Kakaty would jump from the stage and make his way through the crowd all the way to the back joining the lawn seat spectators. As the crowd swelled around him he would be lifted by the audience and deliver the final verses standing on a stage made of fans. Great way to connect with the crowd and build a following. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see this quintet I highly recommend it. I’ve seen them in a variety of venues from small clubs to large festivals and it’s the same every time. They will give you your money’s worth!
Next up would be the true veterans on the tour, Cheap Trick. At this point the crowd was at full-force. The house was packed all the way to the back of the lawn. No doubt ticket-holders were there for not just the main event, Poison, there was equal excitement for the four plus decade Illinois rockers. With original members Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen & Tom Petersson, the Hall of Famers would amp up the audience with a 15 song setlist including their hits “I Want You to Want Me”, “The Flame” and “Surrender”. I was never a big Cheap Trick fan but there’s no denying after all these years they put on a heck of a high energy spectacle. Well worth rocking out to.
Closing out the night would be hair metals royalty, Poison. These guys sprang on to the scene in the mid-eighties with their monster debut Look What the Cat Dragged In and there was no looking back. Sure, there was a lull in the nineties just like all the others from the genre but with the turn of the century it wasn’t long before bands like Poison and Motley Crue were lighting up arenas once again. Although there have been a few bumps along the way with lead singer Bret Michaels taking more interest in his own personal ventures, the quartet consisting of Bobby Dall on bass, Rikki Rocket on drums, C.C. Deville on guitar and Michaels would show no signs of any possible tension in the band. With the backdrop of a large video screen, plenty of lights flying all over the place and smoke machines they would hit the stage with the energy of a newly signed teenage band playing their first sold-out gig. It was a full-on rock show. These are the shows I grew up with that we were missing in the midst of the grunge movement. Shows you would walk away from with a smile on your face, excited to be alive and wanting to celebrate life. The lights, the videos, the magic of the musicians running all over the stage engaging the crowd. As Bret Michaels stated during one point during the show Poison doesn’t cut corners or pack it in for a night, they deliver every single time for the hardworking fans that pay good money for their tickets. And he was dead on. From start to finish the hour and a half set would be non-stop fun. With some moments of seriousness whether it was their monster ballad “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” or taking time to acknowledge the men and women of our military. And the best part there were no political messages or ulterior motives it was just about those that serve and protect all the people of our country. Classy move and no doubt sincere.
As the set wound down the vibe in the venue didn’t. Although it was short I don’t think there was any disappointment by the fans. They would manage to squeeze in all the hits. Michaels & company would close out the evening with a cover of Kiss’ “Rock and Roll All Nite” joined onstage by Pop Evil’s Kakaty. And as the masses made their way to their vehicles it was like 1988 all over again, happy fans after a night of fun partying with one of 80’s best. And whether you grew up with Poison posters on your wall or weren’t even born by the time their last big hit was released this show is for you. In this world of social media and all too often negativity it’s nice every once in a while, to have Nothin’ But A Good Time! Check them out on tour now while you can.
