What an ugly day in Northern Ohio- nearly everything mother nature can throw at us - rain, wind, lightning, hail, tornados. Bike week has started, and God bless and keep safe anyone on two wheels this day. The drive up from Pittsburgh was soggy all the way, but as we hit Sandusky, the rain just stopped, and we had nothing more than a few light sprinkles until after the show.
The fairgrounds was already quite crowded by the time the venue gates opened at 6pm. Despite the bad weather, everyone was making the most of it. We explored the various vendors and ogled the custom bikes for awhile while we waited for the music to begin. Power Trip took the stage first with an edgy mix of covers and original material. Jackie followed and really revved up the crowd with her solid vocals and stage presence. She also gave us a variety of covers and original songs, and the crowd was rockin’.
A lucky few had a meet-n-greet with Vince and his band while Jackie entertained us. Vince finally took the stage around 10pm, belting out such Motley Crue classics as Wildside, Girls, Girls, Girls, Live Wire and Dr. Feelgood. He also threw in a cover of Zepplin's Rock 'n Roll, but, surprisingly, did not include anything from his upcoming album, Tattoos and Tequila. As has been his tradition for some time now, he relinquished the stage to guitarist Jeff Blando for a bit. Jeff fronts his own band in Vegas, Blandini, and is a great vocalist and guitarist. His rendition of Heaven and Hell surely had Ronnie James Dio smiling down on him. Dana Strum, on bass, is a man who really enjoys his job, and tonight was no exception despite a few early technical difficulties. And what can I say about Zoltan Chaney on drums? He's a madman that attacks his drum kit in a way that is beyond comparison. If you haven't seen this guy perform, by all means, check him out with Vince or with Blandini. The set seemed a bit short, and no encore was performed, which was a bit disappointing since they usually do one of my personal favorites. Not sure if that was due to the weather or local noise ordinances, but regardless, a good time was had by all.
