June 10, 2001

Poison/warrant/quiet riot/enuff z' nuff at the Hersheypark Stadium's star pavilion, Hershey, PA

It wouldn't be summer without them anymore! This is the first of now four shows I will be attending this tour, and what a great way to start out. It seems like they really enjoy whooping it up for the hometown crowd. I skipped hanging out with Rikki at this show because Lori said the after show was getting unbearably crowded. That's OK, I now have three other chances to see him on this tour.

It was actually a nice day this year. Like Bret said, "We kicked the rain's ass this year!" It seemed even more crowded than last year. 

Here is a really half-assed newspaper review I found. It's pretty pathetic because they didn't even bother to talk about Poison that much due to "time constraints" - give me a break! 

Ok, it's been about a year since I saw them last and in that time a bunch of really lousy things have happened in my world. I was in desperate need of the euphoria that a Poison fix could give me. Well, I got that fix two days ago and I'm already craving another. 

Apparently a school was having their graduation ceremonies in the arena next door to us. Security was trying to make all the concert goers park across the street from the park so that the graduation people could park in the lot right next to the arena. There was no way that we were going to park across the street and walk five miles across a busy street to the arena, so we just went where the graduates went. 

Right after we sat down, Enuff Z' Nuff came on. I never really cared for these guys back then because of all the peace sign crap and hippie glasses but they weren't bad. Now that New Thing song is stuck in my head. The singer sounded kind of hoarse, I don't know if that's just how he sounds or what but it was pretty noticeable. I found myself tapping my feet but not enough to make me want to stand up and cheer.

After a short intermission, Quiet Riot took the stage. They must be in their forties by now but they still have more energy than I ever did. They were like a bunch of sugared up ten year olds at a sleepover! They played a couple new songs which were pretty good and they played the classic stuff which everyone loved even a few security guards were bobbing their heads. My only problem was that really long slow song in the middle. I can totally appreciate wanting to honor Randy Rhoads, the man was incredible and deserves a shitload of respect, but he must have been rolling in his grave at the way the momentum of the show was completely lost. They got it back pretty quickly though. Rudy Sarzo was really going crazy at a couple points which was really cool to watch.

Next was Warrant. The band sounded good but it seemed like Jani's voice was kind of shot. He wasn't hitting most of the high notes and he seemed out of breath at times. I had heard that he had been cursing incessantly to the point of being annoying during the first bunch of shows, but he only said fuck a couple of times here. They did a song that they haven't done in a long time called Bed Of Roses which was really cool because I love that song. They left the stage without an encore which was kind of strange, I thought.

On to the important part. As soon as AC/DC's Highway to Hell started playing, I got goose bumps. It was time for the show to begin. I was glad to hear that they're using the 'Glam Slam Kings of Noise' intro again. I swear I could see them a million times and I would never get tired of seeing them come bounding out on stage to Look What the Cat Dragged In. They played all the usual stuff and added Ride the Wind and Cry Tough. The pyro was different this year, lots of shooting flames and explosions. During his solo, CC asked if we would pretend to be his family since he's the only one who doesn't have all his relatives at the show. Of course everyone agreed. He did Every Bone after a short solo. Right before the solo part of the song he yells "CC" into the mike like Bret usually does before the solo in other songs. LOL! It never seems like they stay on stage long enough and before you know it the show is over.

I had joined the Bret Michaels fan club earlier in the year so tonight was the night I would meet Bret for the first time. I was beyond nervous. My hands were shaking and I was really starting to feel queasy by the time he came out. I had a bunch of things that I wanted to say to him but of course when it came my turn, I just went completely blank. I didn't know what to do so I just went up to him and gave him a hug and said it's so nice to meet you. My boyfriend took a picture - that should be a really funny picture because I was so bent out of shape about meeting him. I took a pic of my boyfriend and him but my hands were shaking so bad that I don't know if it will even turn out. We told him that we had tix to three other shows and we'd see him then. He seemed pretty impressed by that. I asked him what he was going to break next year since last year he broke his guitar and this year he broke a microphone. He laughed, we shook his hand and said goodbye.

WOW, I still can't believe that I met him. Hopefully next time I won't be as nervous and I'll be able to tell him what I wanted to. I can't wait!!!