07/31/92 - 18 Years Ago Today in Bloomington, MN - REO Speedwagon/Eddie Money/Steelheart

(Image via: NYCDreamin Archives)

I woke up 18 years ago today and turned on the local TV news while I was getting ready for work. A few minutes later, I poked my shaving-cream covered face back around the corner into the living room as something was catching my ear: seemes REO Speedwagon and Eddie Money were gonna be playing that evening at the (now long gone) Met Center in Bloomington, sponsored by local FM classic rocker KQRS as part of their 24th Anniversary celebration. And the cool thing - if you showed up with a canned food item to donate to the local food-shelf, your ticket was FREE (note the $0.00 price printed on the upper right of the ticket stub). Well, that sounded good enough for me, so I mentioned it to my roommate "PriestFreakNo1" and he said he had to work that evening, but to ask his (now ex) wife, maybe she'd like to go. So I asked her and she said she'd indeed be interested in going. So it was on, all that stood between us and some good live classic rock was a day of slaving away for the man, which in those days, I believe, was Pizza Hut.

After I got off work I went straight to the liquor store and picked up a case of whatever shit beer we were drinking in those days (I think it was a Stroh's 30 pack) and cracked a few while I waited for PriestFreak's woman to arrive home. Shortly after she arrived, we each grabbed a few cans of some kind of food from our cupboard, packed the rest of the case of beer in the trunk of the car and we were on our way to Bloomington.

We arrived plenty early and spent over an hour sucking down several beers each in the parking lot before the show and as a result were quite nicely buzzed up when it was finally time to go in. Then we continued drinking more beers once inside the Met Center. I barely remember Steelheart and that's OK as I was never a fan of their overly-popped up hair metal ballads for chicks. Eddie Money was up next and I don't know who was drunker, him - or us. I always kind of liked Eddie Money, when I was a kid I heard him quite alot on the radio, but my memories of seeing him at this show are less than positive - he seemed absolutely wasted. Maybe it was just me though. But Eddie WAS known to like to tip a few drinks back in the day so maybe he was wasted, I don't know, he just seemd...off. Then REO Speedwagon came out and played and I thought they were really pretty good. Since it was a free show I definately felt we got our money's worth anyway and we had a lot of fun. And the place looked to be nearly sold-out, so plenty of food was donated to the food-shelf charity and that's always a good thing.

This was the only show I ever attended at the old Met Center where so many great rock and roll shows had taken place over the years, which was imploded about a year and a half later to make way for the Mall of America (see some photos of the implosion HERE) so I'm glad I got to see at least one show there.

07/30/93 - 17 Years Ago This Week In St. Paul, MN - Anthrax/White Zombie/Quicksand

(Image via: NYCDreamin Archives)

This was a great show. Anthrax was on tour in support of their (then) recently released CD "The Sound Of White Noise," their first with (then new) vocalist John Bush, formerly (and again currently) of Armored Saint. White Zombie, still rather new on the national touring circuit, having just graduated from playing club shows, was the support act and gave Anthrax a hell of a run for their money. The next time I saw White Zombie they would be headlining their own arena tour. The opening band was Quicksand - I think we missed them as I don't recall anything about them. The one thing besides Anthrax and Zombie both just kicking ass, was that Ricki Rachtman and his sidekick Dominic from MTV's Headbangers Ball were there with a camera crew. I don't know if the did some special episode about the tour or what, but we saw them wandering around on the floor of the Roy Wilkins Auditorium a few times throughout the course of the evening.

Here's a little Anthrax circa 1993 for ya...

07/29/05 - 5 Years Ago Today In St. Paul, MN: Ted Nugent/April Wine

Grocery Store Poster for Ribfest 2005 /W/ The Nuge
(Image via: NYCDreamin Archives)

A FREE show by the always entertaining and over the top Ted Nugent. At a Ribfest. Think about it. You KNOW this was gonna be over the top and true to form, Nuge hammed it up for the huge crowd that turned out in the sweltering heat for the show. It was in the high 90's I remember quite well actually. Our buddy "T" met up with "337" and I at Harriet Island for the show. "T" had with him his buddy, this guy, I don't remember his name - but he was here from London visiting "T". And he'd NEVER EVEN HEARD OF TED NUGENT?!? Wow. Well, he was about to hear about it in the best way - live and in person. Listening to Ted's albums from the 70's - they're classic. But the best place to hear Ted Nugent is really live - the phenomenal sound just does not come across on recordings. Of course Ted played up the "I Love Minnesota" thing because of all the great hunting and woods near here, and also the fact that he was playing at a BBQ fest - where the number of vegetarians in attendance might not have been to numerous. This was definately a meat eating crowd of beer drinkers and hell raisers and rock and rollers old and young. If I had to venture a guess at attendance numbers I'd estimate 12,000 to 15,000 people maybe. But don't quote me on that.

The London guy, after the show was over and we were all nearly deaf, seemed none too impressed. I was thinking to myself you have to be some kind of a tool if you're at the show and Ted is kicking ass on "Wango Tango" and the crowd is going wild and it's summer and it's warm outside and the BBQ is tasty and the beer is cold and chicks are looking so fine...and you're not impressed. Whatever London Dude...whatever your name was.

A Tune For Tuesday: Jan Hammer - Evan

For those of you still trying to shake off the heaviness of Sunday's "Triptykon" posting, here's somethng a bit mellower. Back when I was about 14 or so, I had a copy of the Miami Vice theme song on 45RPM single. This was the B-side. I always found it to be kind of a sad or lonely sounding track...

More Minneapolis RibFest: 1999, 2000, 2002

Print Ad for RibFest 2000 in Minneapolis, MN.

(Images via: NYCDreamin Archives)

So I'm just kind of cleaning house on my "Concerts Attended" list - anyone who has read this blog for any length of time has been subjected to my (sometimes sporadic) memories of the over 200 concerts I've attended since around 1985 or so. Thanks for putting up with it all.

Right now, I'm at a bit of a problem spot in the list. Each year up until about 2005 or so, there was this annual free event every July in Minneapolis (later moved over to Harriet Island in St. Paul) called Ribfest, or more accurately, "The Rainbow Foods Rockin' Ribfest." I attended several free shows at this event over the course of the years 1997 - 2005. I always put them on my list of shows when I got home. But at some point a few years ago, I lost my list...computer crashed and I had never backed up the list. So I began meticulously putting the list back together and had surprisingly little problem doing so as I have quite an archive of ticket stubs, handbills, flyers and posters to help me along. But I discovered I didn't really have documentation of a few years worth of RibFest shows. So I had to wing it. I think I got them all - but I'm still not 100% sure.

In the past few days, I've written about a few of the 2003 Ribfest shows, Soul Asylum and Night Ranger with Firehouse and Morris Day and the Time. Here, I'm just gonna dump the few remaining RibFest shows on my list into one half-assed post and be done with it.




RibFest 1999
See the small print ad above. Unfortunately, this is all the documentation I have for the 1999 Ribfest. I believe I attended the following shows that year:


07/2?/99 Soul Asylum/Unknown Opening Band
07/2?/99 Pat Benatar/Unknown Opening Band


You know the story: Hot weather, cold beer, tasty BBQ, free rock 'n' roll.





RibFest 2000
I have NO documentation for the 2000 festival. But I do remember who I saw and when:


07/26/00 Pat Benatar/Unknown Opening Band
07/27/00 Night Ranger/Unknown Opening Band

07/28/00 Joan Jett & the Blackhearts/Bogie Wonderland


More hot weather, cold beer, tasty BBQ. Joan Jett was someone who I'd wanted to see in concert for many years and I finally had my chance, for free too. And she was fucking amazing. I really need to see her again sometime.




I don't think I attended any RibFest shows in 2001. I don't know why, must have been busy or something. I can't imagine I'd pass up free rock shows unless I had a pretty good reason.





RibFest 2002
Again, no documentation for RibFest 2002, but I DID come across this small article (See below) (from Rolling Stone Magazine - 10/31/02 issue) about Pat Benatar. The article mentions that she was in Minneapolis for RibFest.


07/2?/02 Pat Benater/Unknown Opening Band


A Pat Benatar article from 10/31/02 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine. She was interviewed for the piece while in Minneapolis, making her 3rd appearance in four years (I think anyway...) at Rockin' Ribfest.


So, after seeing Pat Benatar 3 times in about 4 years, I decided I'd seen her enough. "337" and I both agreed, even if she played for free again, we'd probably skip it. And you'll notice that Night Ranger made numerous appearances at RibFest as well in that '99 - 2003 time-frame. Soul Asylum made multiple appearances as well during those years. Too bad Joan Jett only played once.

We'll have one more FINAL RibFest post later this week, from 2005. And like I have for the past few summers, I'm beginning to wonder why there has been NO RibFest this July or for the past several years for that matter, in Minneapolis OR St. Paul. I believe 2005 was the last one.

07/26/03 - 7 Years Ago Today In Minneapolis, MN - Night Ranger/Firehouse/Morris Day & the Time @ Ribfest 2003

(Images via: NYCDreamin Archives)

This was the third day in a row of FREE outdoor concerts for me in July of 2003. On Thurdsay, July 24th, we saw Cheap Trick in Stillwater as part of the LumberJack Days festival. The following evening, on Friday, July 25th, we saw Soul Asylum in Minneapolis. Now, feeling a bit run-down and a bit hung-over, I was back on my way into Minneapolis for another evening of BBQ and rock and roll. I actually went downtown around mid-afternoon to get a jump on drinking some beers. "337" had to work that afternoon, but had phoned me and we'd made plans to meet up someplace around 6:00pm. So I had a few beers and then wandered over to the parking lot on Nicollet Mall where RibFest was being held and within minutes of arriving I had ordered myself some delicious, award winning BBQ from one of the many vendors on site.

Just after 4:00pm, another one of the local bands who made it out of here for a brief time in the 80's to achieve some momentary fame, Morris Day and the Time, took the stage. There were probably several hundred people milling about as they started their funk-infused set and by the time they finished up about an hour and a half later, the size of the crowd had grown to several thousand, and more people were packing in by the minute. The smell of BBQ made your mouth water as you strolled around, I'd already had something to eat but every time I caught a whiff of BBQ smoke from the vendors grills, I was tempetd to have some more. Around 6:00pm I went to the spot where "337" and I had decided to meet up at and he was there waiting when I arrived. We immediately hit the beer booth and sucked down a few cold ones. These, in addition to the few I'd had earlier in the afternoon, left me feeling quite buzzed and more than ready to rock.

But first, we'd have to suffer through that most horrible of 80's Hair-Metal bands - the abyssmal "Firehouse." Apparently someone around here loves them though - to this day - seven years later, they STILL seem to play here about 10 times a year or so - always opening for someone I wouldn't mind seeing, but with them as the opener I'm always a bit less tempted to shell out money for a ticket. At least this was a free show so I didn't have to worry about these guys making a dollar off me.

I thought they were horrible, as always. I've seen 'em maybe 5 times or so I guess, and they always suck. At least they are consistent in that regard. But the chicks love 'em. I don't know why, but they do. So Firehouse limped their way through a set of their weak-ass tunes and for some reason, I don't remember how at all, but I wound up with one of the set lists off the stage. A Firehouse setlist. In the NYCDreamin Archives. I have to admit, I'm a bit ashamed to own it, but it's there, so I guess I'll hang on to it.


Firehouse setlist from 07/26/03 Minneapolis, MN concert.

Night Ranger finished up the evening in fine style, always a high-energy classic rock show and the crowds here in Minneapolis still love them. Even though it was 7 years ago, the show was pretty much exactly like the Night Ranger show we just attended just over a week ago as part of the 2010 Aquatennial in Minneapolis. They even played in the same parking lot, although the stage was in a different corner of the parking lot this time. They finished up just before 11:00pm and "337" and I were off immediately to have a few more cold beers before going our seperate ways and heading for home.

It had been a long weekend of hot summer sunshine, free rock and roll and way too much beer. I was glad I had Sunday to recover some of my hearing and sober up a bit before heading back to work on Monday.

Tom Gabriel Warrior Returns With Something So Heavy...You Can't Handle It. Please, For Your Own Safety, Look Away.

From the ashes of Celtic Frost (may their demise be mourned eternally......sniff - a tissue please...somebody?) - witness the rise of Triptykon:





And now, stand in awe and bear witness the sonic devastation that is the mighty Triptykon for yourself. Go ahead, push the play button and turn it up nice and loud.

If you dare.

07/25/03 - 7 Years Ago Today in Minneapolis, MN - Soul Asylum @ Ribfest 2003

Flyer for Ribfest 2003 in Minneapolis, MN.
(Image via: NYCDreamin Archives)

So after rockin' out in Stillwater with Cheap Trick the previous evening and then driving back home, we were back up and at 'em rather late in the morning and by mid-afternoon we were in downtown Minneapolis, alternating between drinking in bars and drinking down by the bridge on Hennipen Avenue. It was gonna be one of those kind of days. The reason we were slacking off like this (like we needed a reason) was we had plans to go over and eat some of the best BBQ (as judged by various Ribfest events around the country) on the planet and check out the hometown boys Soul Asylum when they played a free show later in the evening. The weather was beautiful and the beers were cold and going down way too fast. We didn't catch the opening bands, Cowboy Mouth and HairBall. We were busy. Drinking beer. We eventually found our way into the Rifest grounds and ordered up some food, ate it, and then kind of milled around a bit on the perimeter of things - checking out the scene. I remember SEEING Soul Asylum, but I don't really remember much about the show or how good or bad the band was, sadly, for those of you who read this far hoping for an amazing review, I cannot give one. I blame the beer.

I have to say I was never a huge fan of Soul Asylum or anything, almost the opposite actually - this was more like one of those "let's go see Soul Asylum because it's FREE and there's BBQ there and we don't have anything else better to do" kind of things. And it was a reason to go to a second concert in two days. And we planned on being right back here again the following day, making it 3 in a row, for Night Ranger and (ugggh!) Firehouse.

Check back tomorrow for more on that one...

07/24 - 25/03 - 7 Years Ago This Week - Cheap Trick @ Lumberjack Days in Stillwater, MN & @ Conan O'Brien TV Show in NYC, NY

7 years ago today "337" and I hit the road and headed over to Stillwater, MN to catch Cheap Trick playing for free on a barge in the St. Croix River at the annual Lumberjack Days Festival. This was the second time in just a little over 3 months I had the chance to catch Cheap Trick, (having just seen them at the State Theatre in Minneapolis on 04/08/03) and I was pretty excited for this show. The price was certainly right. We arrived as the opening band (I have no idea who they were) finished up and we wandered around a bit, checking out some of the Lumberjack Days attractions including - but not limited to - pole climbing, a chainsaw sculpture contest, and that thing where two guys get on a log in the water and try to spin one another off the log. Riveting stuff, I'm telling y'all. The weather was beautiful and we treated ourselves to a few cold beers. We even ran into a friend of ours who was there with some people he knew. They decided to hang with us and we all worked our way down to the front rows on the left side of the stage, directly in front of where chief Trick crazy man Rick Neilson would be killing in just a few minutes. While we were waiting for the show to get underway, we also spotted Brynn Arens and Chia Karaoke from Flipp hanging around, luxuriating in the rock and roll mood that was enveloping the crowd.

All of a sudden there is a burst of guitar - and from the left us and directly in front of us comes Rick Neilson - quickly making his way to the stage while hammering away on the first of what would be like 12,500 guitars or something like that that he would use throughout the course the evening. The rest of the band entered directly on the stage. And then they proceeded to rock the fuck out. I'd seen the band previously a few times, but this by far stands out as one of the better performance by them I've seen - they were just ON that night. And loud...and crystal clear, the sound was amazing. They played a nice, long set of old classics and stuff from the then new CD "Special One". At one point about midway through the set, in between songs at one point they said hello to two people who could be near the back of the stage on the left. We could see them back there just rocking out and singing along with the band, obviously not part of the show - but they sure had choice viewing spots. Turns out they were superstar Olympic Skater Kristi Yamaguchi and her husband, who live in Minnesota. They seemed to know alot of the words to the songs as they just rocked out behind the band, obviously having a great time. All I really have to add is that we had a great time as well. The band was loud like I said previously, and there were a few times the guitars were sending chills up my spine they sounded so good - I'm sure some of you know what I mean by "that perfect guitar sound" you hear it in your head...this was IT. Unreal.

During the show the band also announced that everyone should make sure to tune in to NBC the following evening and cath the band live on Conan O'Brien, as they were flying out to NYC just after they finished up the evening's show, definately the best CT show I've seen to this point. I missed them on Conan the following night though, I was in Minneapolis attending Ribfest 2003 where hometown boys-done-good Soul Asylum were entertaining a large crowd of BBQ & beer loving carnivores. More on that tomorrow.

But thanks to the wonderous YouTube, here is Cheap Trick's performance of "Scent Of A Woman" from the Conan O'Brien show, originally aired on 07/25/03.

First Avenue Classing Up The Joint With "The Depot"

(Image via: NYCDreamin Archives)

As we previously reported HERE, the infamous First Avenue in Minneapolis has opened a new restaurant called The Depot Tavern on the premises. City Pages reviewed it in this weeks issue and had had good things to say - check out the review HERE and a photo gallery of the place HERE. Sounds like I'm gonna have to get down there soon and give it a whirl...

A Tune For Tuesday: Motley Crue - Welcome to the Numb

When this CD was released back in 1994 it was quickly dismissed by many (most?) and quickly fell off the radar. To this day you can look in your local CD store's budget bins and you're likely to find several copies marked down to just a few dollars. Unfortunately for new Crue vocalist John Corabi, it seemed the general public were just not that interested in a Motley Crue without Vince Neil.

I purchased the CD shortly after it was released and I have to say at the time it didn't do much for me. But I'd listen to it every once in a while and it seemed to grow on me over time. It's no secret that Corabi blows Vince Neil out of the fucking water as a vocalist, and looking back he brought a much welcomed element of "Heavy" to the Crue sound. Where Vince Neil is more of a screamer, Corabi can actually sing. Eventually this CD became my favorite CD in the Crue catalog and is really the only Crue CD I listen to with any regularity at this point.

Crank it!

Easy Action Issuing 1984 Johnny Thunders LP "Hurt Me" As Special 2-CD Set

I received an email in my inbox the other day asking me to pass along this cool Johnny Thunders news that was originally posted at There Is A Site That Never Goes Out:

Easy Action is rapidly bringing their first Johnny Thunders project to fruition. Hurt Me, Johnny's 1984 "rebirth" LP, will be remastered and re-issued as part of a 2-disc set. The second disc will be Johnny's 6 December 1983 acoustic performance at Dingwalls in London. The Dingwalls show was essentially the London launch party for the LP, and JT played a long set full of classics and new stuff. Just him and a guitar.

I have personally listened to the Dingwalls show, a first-generation copy of the master cassette, and it sounds quite good. EA and the Chatterbox forum thought very hard over which live show to include with Hurt Me, and the fans chose Dingwalls over all others - hands down. Who knows, EA may even have access to photos from this performance.

The liner notes have been composed by the inimitable British journalist Kris Needs, who is one of my personal favorites right next to Nick Kent and Legs McNeil.

Easy Action is working with the members of the Chatterbox forum to bring you long-out-of-print and never-heard JT material. And just to remind you, this is not a bootleg enterprise; JT's estate is fully involved.

Stay tuned here for further details.

07/16/10 - Nightranger Rocks Minneapolis Aquatennial

Usually things like this don't sneak up on me, but while I was reading this week's copy of the City Pages, I discovered that Nightranger would be headlining the big stage at the 2010 Minneapolis Aquatennial Block Party on Nicollet Mall between 3rd & 4th Street on Friday evening. As always at the Aquatennial, this would be a free concert so we decided we better take advantage and get out of the house and attend.



(All Images and Videos via: NYCDreamin Archives)

We arrived downtown just as opener Corey Stevens finished a set of what sounded like some absolutely blistering blues jams with his band. After about a half-hour or forty-five minute stage change-over, Nightranger came out and played for about an hour and thirty minutes, rocking their way through a 15 song set which saw two Damn Yankees tunes thrown in for good measure.

The show was high energy as always, with bassist/vocalist Jack Blades running all over the stage trying to be as entertaining as possible. Currently the band features only 3 of the original 5 memebers - Blades, guitarist Brad Gillis and drummer/vocalist Kelly Keaggy. Original keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald has been replaced with Christian Cullen (who has played with America, Alan Parsons, Eric Martin ( Mr. Big ) , Jimi Jamison ( Survivor ), Jim Peterik ( Ides of March ) , Live, Kevin Cronin ( Reo Speedwagon) , and Joe Lynn Turner ( Deep Purple ) to name a few. Original guitarist Jeff Watson's spot has been filled by Joel Hoekstra ( Eric Martin (Mr Big), Kevin Cronin (REO), Tommy Shaw (Styx), Don Barnes (38 Special), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow), Rik Emmett (Triumph), Alan Parsons, Kip Winger, Tom Keifer (Cinderella), Matthew & Gunnar Nelson, Jimi Jamison & Jim Peterik (Survivor), Martha Davis (The Motels), Mickey Thomas (Starship), David Pack (Ambrosia), Hugh Jackman, Donnie & Johnny Van Zant, John Waite, & Mark Slaughter. He has also toured with 60's acts The Turtles and Big Brother & the Holding Company, as well as with the show Love, Janis).





Naturally, we brought the camera along to capture what we could, which turned out to be most of the show. The setlist was as follows: (Songs with an * following the title were NOT filmed.)

Intro/This Boy Needs To Rock/Sing Me Away/You're Gonna Hear From Me/Rumors In The Air/Coming of Age/Secret Of My Success/Accoustic Medley-Fuckin' Around */High Enough */Goodbye */Sister Christian */Sentimental Street/Eddie's Comin' Out Tonight/When You Close Your Eyes/Don't Tell Me You Love Me/You Can Still Rock In America.

So, without further ado, we give you Nightranger as filmed on Friday evening in lovely downtown Minneapolis...

Intro/This Boy Needs To Rock


Sing Me Away


You're Gonna Hear From Me


Rumors In The Air


Rumors In The Air (Conclusion)


Coming Of Age


The Secret Of My Success


Sentimental Street


Eddie's Comin' Out Tonight


When You Close Your Eyes


Don't Tell Me You Love Me


You Can Still Rock In America

Members of Kiss, Starz and Flipp Remember Bill Aucoin

(Image via: NYCDreamin Archives)

As previously reported HERE, rock and roll super manager Bill Aucoin passed away at age 66 on June 28th. On July 8 there was a memorial for the man held at Le Tub in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, reportedly his favorite restaurant. In attendance were Bill's longtime partner Roman Fernandez, photographer/author and ex-wife of Kiss drummer Peter Criss Lydia Criss, her significant other, Richie Fontana, Peter & Gigi Criss, Ace Frehley and his girlfriend Rachel, Richie Ranno & Joe Dube of 70's rockers Starz, former Kiss security chief "Big" John Hart, and Brynn Arens and Chia (Kii Arens) Karaoke of Minneapolis glam-punks Flipp.

Lydia Criss and Brynn Arens have both posted a few photos from the friends-only gathering:

#1 - Lydia Criss/Roman Fernandez/Richie Ranno
#2 - Lydia Criss/Richie Ranno
#3 - Peter Criss
#4 - Ace Frehley
#5 - Members of Flipp & Starz
#6 - Roman Fernandez & Friend

A Tune For Tuesday: Nuclear Assault - Critical Mass

The message still seems relavent...

07/12/96 - 14 Years Ago Today in Minneapoils, MN: Black Crowes

Black Crowes concert item from City Pages A-List.
(Image via: NYCDreamin Archives)

Back before they built the horrid Block-E complex on the parking lot that used to sit at the corner of Hennepin Avenue and 1st Street, directly in front of the Target Center here in Minneapolis, each summer in mid-July, as part of the greater Twin Cities Aquatennial celebration there was usually a FREE concert by a big-name artist. In 1996, the free event was a concert by the Black Crowes. I went downtown and met up with a few friends and we all had a blast. I think I heard somewhere in the days after the show the attendance had been somewhere in the 60,000 range. I was never a huge Black Crowes fan, but I did develop some appreciation for them after seeing them live...they are most definately talented musicians and they put on an excellent show, making for some great summer memories of that already long-ago summer of 1996.

07/11/08 - 2 Years Ago Today in Minneapolis, MN - Macy's Day Of Music 2008

For the past few years, each summer there is this event in Minneapolis called the "Macy's Day Of Music" held at Peavy Plaza in downtown Minneapolis. It's basically a 24-hour showcase for local musical talent of all generes. Anyway, back in July 2008, I found myself downtown for some reason on the afternoon in question, July 11th, and I figured I might as well stop for a while to check out a few of the acts that performed in the early evening around 7:00pm or so. I even had a disposable camera with me for some reason and snapped one photo of each of the two artists I got to watch...


Haley Bonar performs at the 2008 Macy's day of Music event in Minneapolis.


The Honeydogs on stage at Peavy Plaza in Minneapolis as part of the 2008 Macy's Day of Music event.

(Images via: NYCDreamin Archives)

07/11/99 - 11 Years Ago Today in Minneapolis, MN - Ted Nugent/Night Ranger/Quiet Riot/Slaughter

A page from one of my numerous scrapbooks of old concert ads and flyers - a newspaper ad for "The Rock Never Stops" tour. Autographed by members of Quiet Riot.

(Images via: NYCDreamin Archives)



Back in early July 1999, this guy I used to know says to me one day, "Hey, I've got a pair of tickets to see Styx at [some casino or other] on July 11th, you wanna go?" "Free ticket," I ask? "Yeah." So of course I'm gonna take him up on it. So a few days go by and I'm looking forward to a road trip and free concert and dude calls me the day before the show: "There's a problem with the tickets. I can't get 'em now." "Oh...that sucks," I reply, "But that's cool, whatever."

So, being the knowledgable guy that I am, I immediately call up my good buddy "337" and tell him that I'm no longer busy for the day, would he want to go to Minneapolis and see The Nuge with me at the Target Center, along with Night Ranger, Quiet Riot and Slaughter? It was called "The Rock Never Stops Tour" and I believe it was sponsored by the now defunct "Metal Edge" magazine. Ticket price was just under $20.00 so it seemed like a no brainer..."337" said he'd meet me downtown.

The show was pretty cool. I think Slaughter was the least interesting group of the day. Quiet Riot was pretty good, good enough that I went to see them again a few months later as a headliner at the Medina Ballroom and had them sign my ad from this show (see above). Night Ranger was really good - I've seen them about 5 or 6 times and they're always good. And then finally the main event, the wildman himself, Mr. Motor City Madman Ted Nugent took the stage in a fury. I don't recall who he had playing bass for him at this show but I'm pretty sure his drummer was infamous skin basher Tommy Aldridge.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this story, Stxy was playing in this neck of the woods on this same day. Well, it was getting on well into the evening. Nuge was about half-way through his set and he came up to the microphone and announced that he had something special in store. He wanted to introduce a few friends who wanted to come out and play a few songs with ole' uncle Ted. He then makes the introductions...from Night Ranger, on Bass and vocals, Jack Blades. And on the other side of the stage out comes the real surprise guest, guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw of Styx, who had already finished up their late afternoon show. Shaw had jumped in a car and been driven to Minneapolis just to get a chance to jam on a few Damn Yankees tunes with Nugent and Blades, with the aforementioned Tommy Aldridge on drums. So yeah, to have 3/4 of the 90's supergroup Damn Yankees on stage together here in Minneapolis was indeed a very cool thing to witness. They did 4 or maybe 5 songs from the Damn Yankees (too small) song catalog and then just as fast as it had materialized, it was over. Shaw and Blades left the stage, leaving Nuge and his band to finish up their set and wrap things up for the evening. This was definately a fun and memorable day and evening of classic 70's and 80's hard rock.


June/July 1991 Issue of "Ted Nugent's World Bow Hunters" Magazine. Autographed by Ted Nugent and Tommy Shaw.

Since this story concerns a reformation of sorts of the Damn Yankes group, I figured I'd throw this in here as well. Back in the early 90's I was busy putting together some really over-the-top Kiss scrap books. I was always on the lookout for more old rock magazines for material for these. This girl I used to work with mentioned to me that she had a box or maybe two of old copies of Metal Edge, Hit Parader, Circus, etc. She said if I wanted 'em I could have 'em for free. She just wanted to get rid of 'em. So, of course, I agreed to take them off her hands. A few days later she brings these two boxes in to work and man - she wasn't kidding when she said she had a few old magazines. There were tons of em.

A few days later, as I'm digging down into one of the boxes, looking to see what all is in there, I come across a real gem - something I don't think she meant to throw in this box. Staring up at me is an issue of Ted Nugent's World Bow Hunters magazine, autographed by Ted himself and his Damn Yankees band mate Tommy Shaw. I pick it up and look at it and yes, the autographs are real. I ponder this for a minute and decide the decent thing to do would be to mention it to my co-worker. But what if she wants it back? That would suck. What to do...what to do?

Well, we don't always do the right thing in this world. In the interest of truth and full disclosure...I have to say...I did NOT mention it to her. I know. I'm an evil, evil man. I tucked the magazine away among some of my other autographed items and didn't mention it to anyone for a long time. She never mentioned it to me either. Several years later I had it framed and it hangs now on a wall in our living room - rather guiltily - with some of my other autographed items, the rest of them acquired quite legitimateley I assure you.

07/10/93 - 17 Years Ago Today in Minneapolis, MN - Foreigner/Chris Hawkey Band

(Images via NYCDreamin Archives)

The price was sure right. And I think Foreigner was pretty good actually. I think it was a last minute deal - some friends called me and asked me if I wanted to go - I figured, "Why not?"