Friday, 15 November 2024, and the ’80s hard rock and Heavy Metal world went back in time as Warrant, Lita Ford, and Nelson provided a triple bill at the near-capacity crowd at the MGM Northfield Park in Ohio.
Warrant – Lita Ford – Nelson
MGM Northfield Park, Northfield, Ohio – 15 November 2024
Words: Donna Balentine
Photography: Jim Balentine
Warrant
Warrant, who became known for their 1989 MTV success, rolled into town with a powerful 17-song set list which covered mostly their first three albums. Billed as the Let The Good Times Rock tour, tonight the crowd would sing along and pump their fists for almost the entire hour and 15 minutes set.
Robert Mason, who has been the lead singer in the band since 2008, still has the pipes to belt out all of the classic songs made famous by the late original singer Jani Lane. Tonight, he would lead the crowd in singing along with the popular choruses of these ’80s classics.
Original members Eric Turner (guitar), Joey Allen (guitar), and Steven Sweet (drums), along with Robbie Crane playing bass, methodically pounded our senses with a fantastic musical composition that would rival the sound of the songs on the albums.
My husband Jim, who is a photographer, has seen Warrant 13 times since there were opening up for Paul Stanley in March 1989. He says that this is one of the best shows he has ever seen by the group.
So make sure if Warrant is a headliner in your area, please go check them out. This set is an epic run-through, culminating in Cherry Pie, one of THE Hair Metal anthems. You will not be disappointed.
Two more shows to go this month – Anderson on 21st and Lima on 22nd.
Lita Ford
Lita Ford, who began her professional career with the influential all-female group The Runaways in the 1970s, has aged like fine wine into her ’60s.
Ford, who recently appeared on the new Ricky Warwick single Don’t Leave Me In The Dark, still looks and plays like she was still on MTV in the late 1980s.
Playing songs from The Runaways up to her latest album, Lita kept the crowd energized during the right song set.
Former Vinnie Vincent Invasion drummer Bobby Rock still pounds the drums as hard as he ever has.
If Relentless and The Bith Is Back were early set highlights, Lita closed her show with her two MTV greatest hits, Close My Eyes Forever and Kiss Me Deadly. Epic.
Nelson
The brothers Nelson opened the show with a special acoustic 30-minute set. Matthew and Gunnar told stories of their musical career and their Hall Of Fame father Ricky.
The boys even played Garden Party, the song that was their father’s last Top 40 hit. This song, released in 1972, was written after a concert at Madison Square Garden where Nelson heard booing. Nelson believed this was directed at him, though there were always suggestions that this was due to unrelated police action.
The Nelson brothers ended their set with their most popular song, After The Rain.
