It has become an annual tradition to catch the Bret Michaels band during Thanksgiving week, and this year we found them in nearby Wheeling, WV at the beautiful Capitol Theater. As a major bonus, the show was a Parti Gras event featuring newly inducted Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Famer, Lou Gramm, who everyone will recognize as the voice being all of Foreigner’s hits.
This is the time of year when family and friends come together in celebration and reflection, and for us, it is the time of year when our concert calendar slows down and efforts turn to archiving and other housekeeping tasks. But, we can can always count on a few great shows to close out the year with a bang, and this year was no exception.
The first time I caught Lou Gramm performing with the Parti Gras show at Rokisland Festival back in January, it literally brought me to tears. He is truly a legend and I was honored once again to photograph his show from front of house as he looked to the crowd with those beautiful blue eyes and sang his heart out while shaking a tambourine to classics like “Cold As Ice.”
Lou Gramm performed a brief, but powerful five-song set that kicked off with “Feels Like the First Time” and “Hot Blooded,” and once again added his solo hit “Midnight Blue” to the mix. And, the Bret Michaels band, which includes long-time lead guitarist Pete Evick, bassist Norman Voss, drummer ‘Proud’ Meri Schaefer, keyboardist Rob Jozwiak, rhythm guitarist Dean Cramer, and background vocalist Becci Clark, had the heavy load of supporting both frontmen. Even though we had secretly hoped that Lou Gramm would return to the stage as he’d done over the summer at the Parti Gras show at Starlake with Chris Jansen and Don Felder, Lou ended his performance strong with “Jukebox Hero,” before leaving us wanting more.
After a brief intermission, we most certainly got more! Bret Michaels hit the stage with the energy we have come to expect from the Poison frontman, giving security and ushers the difficult task of keeping the orchestra pit secure as everyone in those first two rows was looking to shake Bret’s hand (and I’m pretty confident that they did before the night was through)!
The party truly began with a dose of Poison’s “Talk Dirty to Me,” as friends and families danced along in unison. Our cover photo is a great representation of the energy at the front of the house, but as you look at our live feed from our seats, you’ll quickly find that the energy was contagious.
In fact, one of my favorite things to do after I’ve caught the action up front is to take a walk through the venue aisles during the show. I love seeing the phones light up the crowd during “Something to Believe In” as I take in the enormity of the cheering fans. And, during Wednesday night’s show I was stopped in my tracks as I saw a man seated who was pumping his prosthetic leg in the air in sheer joy. My heart ached for his loss, and to find him busy having fun and cheering on the other vets that Bret pulled on stage to share the spotlight with his veteran friends and security Big John and Zeus.
At this time of year many are looking for ways to give back, and we’ve always found it cool that Bret does so all year round. In addition to honoring their service during the show, Bret Michaels raises money with his end-of-show auctions and meet-n-greet events that help veteran charities and children, who (like himself) suffer from diabetes.
Other highlights from the night also included a hard-hitting drum solo from Proud Meri (and if you look closely, you’ll see that a fourth-grader’s Flat Stanley, even came along for the ride). And, of course the closing of the set with the ultimate duet of party anthems: Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” and Poison’s “Nothing But A Good Time,” which have ended Bret’s set for as long as I can remember. But a mistake that the frontman took full responsibility for during the first verse of “Sweet Home Alabama,” led to the band starting the song again. But, I don’t think anyone seemed to care about the ‘do-over’ as it just meant that we had time for a little more fun before the night ended!
As I write this, it is hitting me how blessed I am that I was able to wake up early and run our five-mile Pittsburgh Turkey Trot in the rain the following morning, how grateful I was to bring both of my daughter’s to this show to celebrate the music I grew up on, and how thankful I am to still be writing concert reviews after three long decades here at TPRS.com. I wish each an every one of you a wonderful holiday, and thank you for helping me support live music!
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We are an independent, non-profit publication…in other words, this is a labor of love. If you enjoyed our photos and reviews, or if you want to share some love in appreciation of a photo we captured. You can help support our publication with tips through PayPal. You’ll find us under kara@tprs.com. Thank you for your support!
You can also show your support by following us @ThePureRockShop on Facebook and Instagram (or simply follow us everywhere here!) for more from the Bret Michaels Band, be sure to check out our captures of Pete Evick and Dean Cramer with Faster Pussycat’s Chad Stewart, who performed with their Ultimate Acoustic Rock Show in Irwin at the Core Event Center last weekend. And, check back for our annual review of Trans Siberian Orchestra at PPG Paints arena next month.
Live Photos by Editor and founder Kara Marie Uhrlen for The Pure Rock Shop. Posted on 11/29/2024.
