June 13, 2018

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Two classic rock acts, Poison and Cheap Trick put on a great show at the rolling hills of Blossom Music Center on Tuesday evening.   

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Cheap Trick technically opened the show, but these Hall of Famers proved that they still know how to rock and easily could/should have been the headliners.

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Robin Zander has never sounded better.  The ageless wonder can still belt out the tunes and he did just that during their fourteen song set.  

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Opening with the familiar "Hello There,"  the band went through their entire catalog playing deep cuts from earlier albums like "Big Eyes" and "Hot Love" to their latest single "The Summer Looks Good On You," which was released two weeks ago.

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Rick Nielsen is still a bundle of energy.  Pacing across the stage and changing guitars after every song has been his trademark for years.  He may not be jumping off the riser like he once did, but his playing is still spot on.

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Tom Peterson expertly holds down the low end with his 12-string bass.  He did give Zander a breather as he got to sing lead on their cover of "I'm Waiting for the Man."

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Making it a family affair, Nielsen's son Daxx has been behind the kit now since 2010 after the departure of Bun E. Carlos.   However, there was another family member on stage as Robin Zander's son Robin Taylor Zander played rhythm guitar and sang back-up.  

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The highlight for me was hearing "Tonight It's You" from 1985's Standing On The Edge LP.

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The band ended the set with their big hits,  "The Flame," "I Want You To Want Me," "Dream Police" and "Surrender."  

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It's hard to top those songs in a rock and roll show, but Poison sure tried.

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Coming out with guns-a-blazing, Poison kicked things off with four of their biggest hits.  "Look What The Cat Dragged In" segued into "I Want Action," which led to "Ride The Wind" that went into "Talk Dirty To Me."  

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As Bret Michaels would say, "That right there is a party!"  

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Things finally slowed down a bit with "Something To Believe In."  In a cool moment towards the end of the song, Michaels invited several veterans on stage to honor them and to help him sing the chorus.

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The only negative thing about this show was the extended guitar, bass and drum solo's that C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall and Rikki Rockett took throughout the set.   Time could have been better spent playing a few more songs like "I Won't Forget You" or "Stand."  

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Of course, it wouldn't be a Poison show without "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" and the party anthem "Nothin' But A Good Time."

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The boys came back to close the show with another party anthem, "Rock and Roll All Night" by Kiss.  

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Pop Evil kicked off the festivities with a forty minute set that got the crowd on its feet.  

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Review and photos by Greg Drugan

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