One From The Archives: 07/18/07 Poison/ Ratt/ White Lion @ Myth, Maplewood, MN

(Image via: NYCDreamin Archives)

06/24/11 Motley Crue/ Poison/ New York Dolls @ Target Center, Minneapolis, MN (Part I - New York Dolls)

(Images and video via: NYCDreamin Archives)



After waiting excitedly for a few months for the day of this show to arrive, it was kind of a drag to come home from work yesterday only to find the Gorgeous One not feeling very well. By the time it was time to leave for Minneapolis, her headache was still pounding away and she was really not feeeling much better. So, after some discussion and with more than some regret, she decided to skip the show and sent me on my way to rock and roll solo. I tenderly kisssed her soft pouty lips goodbye and was soon on my way for a date with the Dolls and the Crue! Oh, and Poison, too.

After doing battle with the always horrid Friday-at-5:00pm Twin Cities rush hour traffic conditions for the better part of an hour, I arrived in downtown Minneapolis, parked the car and walked several blocks out of my way to grab a quick and as-always tasty bite to eat at Chipotle. Meal almost inatantaneously devoured and a ravenous hunger satiated, it was time to walk over to the Target Center and enjoy one of the finer things in life...a good old fashioned Friday evening rock and roll show.

A few blocks from the arena I spied a guy on the street looking for a ticket. I said I had one (since the Gorgeous One was forced to sit this one out) and I'd give it up for $15.00. He said $10.00. Or no deal. So I said OK...figuring $10 back out of the $25 original price was better than nothing. It would buy me a soda and nachos at the show or something I figured. I handed him the ticket, took my money, thanked the guy and continued on my way.

I arrived a at the Target Center a few minutes later. The doors were already open and people were making their way inside the arena. I fished my ticket out of my wallet and joined the line and was quickly inside and on my way up to the upper deck. I stopped by the concession booth and grabbed a large soda and M&M's. Then I checked out the t-shirt booth - nothing really jumped out at me except the $60.oo Motley Crue "Pentagram" hoodie - but I wasn't spending that kind of cash, so I passed - and went in and found my seat, ate my M&M's and slurped at my soda and waited for the show to begin. The people continued to trickle in slowly but it was soon obvious that the Dolls would be playing to a nearly empty hall as it seemed people were taking their sweet old time to arrive late to catch the headliners. Their loss. Just after 7:30pm, the house lights went out and the Dolls sauntered out on stage to a smattering of applause from the scant crowd that had assembeled thusfar. I was on the edge of my seat...ready and waiting for it. I don't think most of those in attendance knew what to expect...I did.

Looking For A Kiss



Dance Like A Monkey



And around this point it the set, the band locked into their groove and really began to lay it down...

Cause I Sez So



Who Are The Mystery Girls?



And then they took it down a notch...

Talk To Me Baby



Kids Like You



...and then it was BAM! Right back to kickin' some serious ass!

Pills



Trash



Personality Crisis



I was thinking to myself, "They almost sound like a metal band!" They were kicking serious serious ass at this point and those who arrived late really missed out. Before the show I was afraid the Dolls would be swallowed up by the "bigness" of the stage production and the size of the Target Center - they're mostly a "club" band after all...but I needn't have worried. Their set was brilliant, they came across with HUGE personality - rocking as if the hall was filled to capacity, which, by the time they finished up, was still not the reality of the situation unfortunately. But after each song they got a nice applause from the people who were there, which was nice to hear. I'm hoping they won over some new fans here because they worked hard for it. Bravo Dolls...thanks for bringing a bit of that beloved NYC 70's R&R sound to Minneapolis.

And they still had one more blast from the past left up their sleeve before their all-too brief set was over...

Jet Boy



...and then they were gone. The house lights came up and I got up from my seat to stretch a bit and to go outside and have a smoke. I didn't really feel the need to sit and watch the set change for Poison...or to actually even see Poison at all for that matter. So I got up and made my way outside to smoke...and to call The Gorgeous One and see how she was feeling and report to her the smashing brilliance of the Dolls' set.

CONTINUED in "06/24/11 - Part II - Motley Crue"

06/24/11 Motley Crue/ Poison/ New York Dolls @ Target Center, Minneapolis, MN (Part II - Motley Crue)

(Images and video: NYCDreamin Archives)



Read Part I - New York Dolls HERE.

After a nice amount of time spent outside to smoke a few cigarettes and to call the Gorgeous One to see how she was doing (she reported not feeling much better and was glad she hadn't come to the show), and mostly to purposely miss as much of Poison's set as possible, I felt that maybe they were just about finished so I went back inside the Target Center and headed back upstairs to the upper level. I returned to my seat just in time to witness C.C. Deville finish doing his guitar solo. It wasn't mind blowing, but it wasn't too shabby either...the man can play a guitar, there's no denying that.

From there Poison continued on through their set, the crowd, now noticably much higher in numbers but not quite sold out, on it's feet partying like it's 1989 as the band rocked it's wasy through Unskinny Bop, Fallen Angel and Nothin' But A Good Time. Then, mercifully, it was over. I guess you can't argue with the fact that the entire place was rocking out, hands in the air like they just don't care...but for my money, I still could have done without them. It's just me...I liked 'em in back in 1987...not so much so in 2011. Sorry to all you mega Poison fans but that's just the way it is - I'm over it. But congrats to the band on a well received set.

The stage crews set about the task of removing Poison's gear and replacing it with Motley Crue's and thankfully the set change between the evening's co-headliners took maybe just under 30 minutes. The standard between-set intermission music was coming over the PA and then suddenly, without any warning...

BAMMM! BAM! BAMBAM! BAMBBBAAAAMMMBOOOM!

Fireworks!!

Curtain Drop!

Motley...Fucking... Crue!

Wild Side





Saints Of Los Angeles





Sounds pretty good, eh? I'm not gonna waste alot of time writing about the show - you can see for yourself the band was in pretty good form last night and delivered a smokin' set of musical nostalgia that kept the nearly-sold out Target Center crowd on their feet for the duration of the evening. Even Vince Neil was a bit more impressive than I'd hoped for, he seemed to have a bit better vocal control, not gasping for air and actually seemed to be trying to sing as many of the lyrics as possible, something he's not always known for these days.

Live Wire





Shout At The Devil





S.ame O.le S.ituation





Primal Scream





Home Sweet Home





And then...the moment that people in the crowd had been anticipating all evening... Mr. Lee's fabulous 360* roller-coaster drum-solo! Hang on!

Tommy Lee Drum Solo





THAT was pretty impressive. All the haters will say, "Yeah, but his solo sucks." To which I reply, "Yeah, probably. But that was entertaining as hell and there's nothing wrong with being entertained once in a while either." And all you have to do is listen to the rest of the show to see that Tommy Lee does NOT suck as a drummer, he's a powerhouse...always has been. Maybe his solo isn't so technically proficient...and I don't think he's really trying to outdo Neil Peart or anything anyway. Tommy just wants you to watch him and go..."Bro, that is fucking bad-ass!" There's not another drummer out there that has consistenly brought you visual entertainment on that kind of scale for three decades.

Looks That Kill





At this point in the proceedings, my trusty Nikon was about to give out, so I reached in my pocket and grabbed the reserve unit, our old Sony that I haven't used in almost a year. I finished shooting the rest of the show with that and as you can see the picture quality is not quite that of the Nikon, but I did the best I could as the band continued on...

Dr. Feelgood





Too Young To Fall In Love





Girls Girls Girls





About midway through G.G.G., I decided that I'd had just about enough for one evening and that it was time to head for home. The band continued blasting away as I rose from me seat and made my way to the exit, I didn't even pay attention to what song it was though. The band had proven their point...after 30 years, Motley Crue are still a bunch of bad m.f.ers - and they still deliver the goods when it comes to getting your entertainment dollar's worth for a great evening of classic rock and roll.

This photo sums up the evening perfectly...



UPDATE:

Check out the Minneapolis Star/Tribune show review and some great photos HERE.