Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
It may not be the 80’s anymore and the guys in Poison may not be in their 20’s anymore either, but don’t bother telling that to lead singer, Bret Michaels. He’s way too busy running around full blast on stage during the band’s current tour to hear a word you’re saying. That’s really the first thing I noticed when Poison hit the stage on 6/9/18 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in Tinley Park, IL., just outside Chicago…that Bret Michaels is an energizer bunny tornado of movement – always moving, always grooving, and always going out of his way to have meaningful interactions with the fans. That, and the dude never seemed winded and always had a smile on his face.
The rest of the band (C.C. DeVille – guitar, Rikki Rockett – drums, and Bobby Dall – bass) were energetic and engaging too, as Poison delivered a short, but sweet set that mostly consisted of the hits from their first two albums. I say the set was short because it lasted just around 75 minutes, and that’s including three solo spots (see setlist & gallery below). So if you subtract the solos and the KISS cover in the encore, they only played 10 of their songs. I’m guessing these solo spots may be engineered to give Bret a breather or two during the proceedings. I think I’d prefer to see solos be a bit shorter and occur within the framework of a song, and see the band add another song or two to the set – I missed the LWTCDI ballad, I Won’t Forget You…and there are several songs from Open Up And Say Ahh, such as Love On The Rocks, Good Love, or Look But You Can’t Touch, that would make good additions to the setlist as well.
But the above not withstanding, the show was enjoyable because Poison made it fun. Having fun has always seemed to be the band’s mantra. And nobody seems to be having more fun than Bret Michaels, whose charm and enthusiasm is infectious. He’s always working the crowd, high fiving people, making eye contact, holding the mic out to give folks a chance to help out with a chorus, and just generally making people feel welcome, like a host at a party. And if that wasn’t enough, when the show was over and the band had taken their bows and exited the stage, Michaels stuck around, sang the AC/DC song on the PA system and had his own informal meet ‘n’ greet by coming to the edge of the stage and shaking hands and giving face time to as many fans as he could before he had go. And it was that personal touch throughout that made the show nothing but a good time.
(gallery below setlist)
www.poisonofficial.com
SETLIST:
- Look What The Cat Dragged In
- I Want Action
- Ride The Wind
- Talk Dirty To Me
- Something To Believe In
- Your Mama Don’t Dance
- Guitar Solo
- Fallen Angel
- Unskinny Bop
- Drum Solo
- Bass Solo
- Every Rose Has Its Thorn
- Nothin’ But A Good Time
- Rock ‘n’ Roll All Nite (Encore)
