Exclusive Concert Review: Loverboy & Trooper at Casino Rama Resort

Loverboy/Trooper  

Casino Rama Resort Saturday, Jan 11th, 2020 

Review & Photos by Chris Preston

Two legendary Canadian classic rock bands performed at one of my favorite venues on a cold wintery Saturday night. The 5,000 capacity Casino Rama Event Center features outstanding sound, perfect sightlines, and always attracts great acts.   

Trooper (formed in 1975) has been rocking audiences all over Canada for over 45 years! Founding members RA McGuire (lead vocals) and Brian Smith (lead guitar) along with Paul Roland Gogo (keyboards), Clayton Hill (drums) and Scott Brown (bass) brought their iconic brand of party rock to an enthusiastic and energetic crowd at Casino Rama Resort.  

Trooper kicked off the night with their classic song (and perfect opener!) “Here For A Good Time (Not a Long Time)” which got the crowd up on its feet, singing along with every word. The set continued, covering all of the band's biggest hits from the ’70s including "3 Dressed Up as a 9", "Baby Woncha Please Come Home" and the ballad "Two For The Show",  for which the audience loudly sang along.  

Drummer Clayton Hill and bassist Scott Brown launched into a cool drum and bass solo following "Boy With A Beat". Although I usually use the drum solo as an opportunity to freshen my beverage, I stuck around for this one and was glad I did. Hill and Brown were excellent as they wowed the crowd with their outstanding musicianship.  

The hits kept coming, with new song "Cold Water" included amongst classic tracks "Round Round We Go", "General Hand Grenade", "Santa Maria" and "Pretty Lady". I was surprised at how many songs I recognized and found myself singing along as the show went on.  

The bands' energy was infectious and the entire audience was on its feet by the time the first notes of "The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car” played. This was a huge hit for Trooper when their 1979 compilation album Hot Shots was released and it continues to be a fan favorite.  At this point in the show, the audience knew which song was coming next, and the roar that went up when the band launched into "Raise A Little Hell" was absolutely deafening. Trooper’s signature song (and biggest US hit), Raise A Little Hell had the capacity crowd on out of its seats, belting out the lyrics to one of the great Canadian rock songs of the 70s. The perfect choice to finish off a lively and energetic set from one of Canada’s best-loved bands. 

Trooper came to rock and proved without a doubt that rock and roll definitely is alive and well in Canada in the 2020s!  

During the intermission, I decided to move from my seat right up to the pit in front of the stage in order to get the best vantage point of a band I have been a fan of since the mid-80s. I was introduced to Loverboy by my cousins, who were massive fans and played Loverboy’s self-titled debut album non-stop during one of the summer vacations I spent with them in Montreal. Needless to say, I quickly became a fan as well and have continued to listen to their music regularly to this day. Loverboy became one of the biggest bands in rock music during the ’80s releasing 4 multi-platinum albums from 1980-1985 and has sold over 10 million albums in the US and Canada. 

They first exploded onto the rock music scene in 1980 with their classic self-titled debut album and are now celebrating their 40th anniversary as a band in 2020. Original members Mike Reno (lead vocals), Paul Dean (lead guitar), Matt Frennette (drums) and Doug Johnson (keyboards) have been joined by Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve on bass, and they featured a hit-filled setlist for the raucous Rama audience.  

With such a huge catalog of hits, I knew the setlist was going to be outstanding and I was not disappointed. The show kicked off with Doug Johnson’s keyboards leading us into "Notorious", the 1st single from the 1987 album Wildside. This brought the crowd to its feet as guitarist Paul Dean emerged onto the stage followed by lead singer Mike Reno. Notorious has that perfect sing-along chorus and the audience was more than happy to oblige.  

From there the hits kept coming, with "Lucky Ones" from their 2nd album Get Lucky and a song I had hoped they would play, "Queen of the Broken Hearts" from Keep It Up. This one was a highlight for me and it has been one of my favorite Loverboy tracks for years. "Take Me To The Top" and "It’s Your Life" led into their beautiful ballad “This Could Be The Night” with Mike Reno showing that his vocal chops are still top-notch by hitting some of those unbelievably high notes. One couple even danced in the aisle!  

The musical talent in this band is second to none, and it was on full display on this night with a highlight being Matt Frennette’s spectacular drum solo. I’ve always thought Matt was one of the most underrated drummers in the business and it was such a thrill to see his prowess on the drums in person.  

From this point in the show, the band locked into high gear and delivered stellar versions of "The Kid Is Hot Tonite" (their 1st single ever!), "When It’s Over" and "Hot Girls In Love". The moment that "Turn Me Loose" started sent the crowd into a frenzy as the keyboards and that epic bassline kicked in. Turn Me Loose is still my favorite Loverboy song and I found myself screaming every word as Mike Reno delivered an unbelievable vocal performance. At this point, 5000 Loverboy fans were on their feet as the band finished their set with fan favorites "Working For The Weekend" and "Loving Every Minute Of It".  

Thank you Loverboy and Trooper for a spectacular show and for allowing us to relive some of the magical times that were the 70s and 80s…. even if it was just for a few hours on a cold, wintery night in January.  

 

 

Currently Booming: Van Halen - Full Concert - Oakland Coliseum Stadium (1981)

Throwback Thursday: Revisiting Whitesnake's 2016 Greatest Hits Tour

(This review of Whitesnake's Greatest Hits Tour originally ran in June 2016. Here it is again in case you missed it!)

In theory this is supposed to be just another fairly normal night in the life of an entertainment reporter. Show up at an event, gather info, grab photos and then make a quick get away. The same thing that I've done for better than twenty years. But on this particular evening the job itself is familiar, but the emotions attached to it, well they're larger than any high pitched screech that David Coverdale can hit. As Whitesnake's band members went through their own personal rituals to prepare for their recent show at The Fillmore Theater, a venue just outside of Washington, DC I found myself unexpectedly revisiting my own bit of history.

You see a few decades ago David Coverdale saved my life. Whitesnake and I go way back even if it has been a well kept secret. We go back thirty years to when my overly religious mother dragged me to church three times a week. I'd play hair band songs in my head just to survive the two hour sentence. Back to when I rushed to my after school job at a fish and chips place where I mopped up the baked potato bar and ran the register for hours. Having to strategically place the fast food joint's hat over my big hair was totally worth it just to escape the cult-like church's insistence that followers do as they're told rather than think for themselves.

Working a closing shift meant that I'd be coming home from work after mom fell asleep, something that did wonders for my love of music. MTV was banned from my house but what mom didn't know wouldn't hurt her and so once home after work I had my routine down. Every night I crawled out of my work uniform- the khaki pants and white polo shirt, threw them into the hamper and changed into my Esleep pajamas. I crept downstairs and took a deep breath as I turned on the small kitchen light. I'd quietly make myself a bowl of Ramen noodles and then I'd sit down on the floor right in front of the tv in the living room. My parents knew that I'd be up because I needed to eat something but mom had no clue that watching MTV was also part of my night.

I quietly turned the dial, making sure that the sound was completely off at first and once I was sure that there were no footsteps on the stairs a sense of relief would swallow me whole. This was my only hour at home that nothing and no one could invade. MTV always premiered new videos at the top of the hour and on one memorable night there was a song by Whitesnake called “Still Of The Night” coming up next on Headbanger's Ball. The song was brand new, off of the band's self-titled album, a record that would eventually go on to sell over eight million copies in the states alone. I can honestly say that I had zero advance thoughts about this band that I had never heard of before, but within two minutes about a million half sentences were flooding my brain.

The band's lead singer hit his opening pose and I swear the world spun a little faster for a second or two. A few minutes in and my jaw was on my lap. I realized that I had goosebumps all over and it was the singer's fault. This guy clearly still has IT, whatever that IT is. Maybe it was the way he ran his left hand through his hair or the way that he rocks back on his feet when he dances with a big grin on his face. Or it could be how graceful he actually is or the fact that my head rushes and I feel like jello every time that he mumbles “Oh baby” with a clear British accent.

David Coverdale and his fellow snakes went to church with me the following Sunday. The music in my head was far more real than anything going on in this building. I quite literally took David to church with me, a lot. His lyrics saved me from becoming an overachieving clone of my mother and also spared me her wrath. God forbid I actually fall asleep during one more message about how only 144,000 people would go to heaven while the rest of us would play with lions and tigers on a music-free paradise earth instead. I was pretty positive that Coverdale understood what it was like to feel completely alone while surrounded by hundreds of people. I would worship at his feet long before I would buy into the surreal church life that I was born in to.

Whitesnake really did help to save my sanity and in many ways also my life. Nothing around me made much sense at sixteen but those lyrics did. Somewhere along the way Coverdale went from being another hot rock star to an adult that actually “gets it” and I didn't have very many of those to look up to. Whitesnake brought me weekly salvation from a religion that cared more about controlling my every move than it did about the condition of my head or heart.

Eventually I found my way out and spending a few hours in the presence of modern-day Whitesnake meant that I would inevitably find myself reconnecting with that teenager that is usually a distant memory. As I stood near the stage waiting for the show to start I realized that the energy in The Fillmore was a lot different than usual. While it's generally a pretty popular venue, this near capacity crowd was really friendly. It felt more like a family reunion than a building holding a bunch of strangers and from the stories being shared around me I couldn't help but think that mine may not be the only life saved by this band.

Whitford/St. Holmes delivered a pretty fierce opening set with music from their recently released Reunion album. By the time they wrapped up with a medley of classics by Aerosmith and Ted Nugent it was obvious that they had made some new fans to go along with the large crew already singing along. During the quick changeover between sets people packed in a little tighter and settled in for whatever the snakes had up their collective sleeve.

A fifteen song set played to perfection was what Whitesnake delivered up to this electric Silver Spring audience. “Bad Boys” kicked things off and really set the tone for the rest of the show. Coverdale, Reb Beach (guitars), Joel Hoeskstra (guitars) Michael Devin (bass), Tommy Aldridge (drums) and Michele Luppi (keys) were ready to rock and the crowd responded immediately. The mixed demographic for this show was pretty interesting. The college kids behind me sang along just as loudly as the forty-something's beside me. Up ahead was a seventy-year-old in a vintage Whitesnake concert tee that played convincing air guitar right along with Joel.

Speaking of Joel, his solo featured him working magic on both his electric and acoustic guitar's with equal finesse and ease. He is certainly a legend in the making and his ear to ear grin is as genuine as it is infectious.

This show is dubbed as a “Greatest Hits Tour” and it really is exactly as advertised. The band ripped into classic songs like “Fool For Your Loving” and “Love Ain't No Stranger” early in the evening with Coverdale completely owning his place on the stage. Front men like him are truly few and far between and every movement feels intentional. While pacing the stage Coverdale makes eye contact and has real interactions with those in the audience. The exchanges are random, real and prove that the recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee not only values his fans, but understands just how far a second of acknowledgment can go.

As the evening rolls on there are a few surprises, one being the inclusion of “Sailing Ships” to the setlist. The gorgeous acoustic intro gives way to proof that Coverdale's voice is as stunning as ever and I was personally thrilled when this song was followed by a particularly forceful “Judgement Day”. Within about eight minutes the snakes went from one musical end of the spectrum to the other without missing a proverbial beat.

“Crying In The Rain” has always been another favorite and quite frankly it alone is worth the ticket price because it includes an absolutely insane drum solo by Tommy Aldridge. If dancers leave everything on the dance floor then he left it all on his drum kit, quite literally. Halfway through he ditches his sticks and starts using his hands, fists and even forehead to stay on beat. The Fillmore crowd was loud all the way through the show but the eruption after his solo should have taken the roof off.

Whitesnake band leader RebBeach seemed to have a bit of a fan club of his own in attendance and why not? The man makes his guitar wail in ways that other musicians can only dream of doing and his solo was a testament to that. Michael Devin and his bass also had a moment in the spotlight during a really cool solo.

It wouldn't be a greatest hits show without a few of the classics that everyone knows, right? “Here I Go Again”, “Is This Love” and “Give Me All Your Love Tonight” were particularly inspired performances. Watching these guys together it's kind of hard to believe that they haven't been playing together for decades. Coverdale has said that adding new people and feeding off of their energy is part of what has kept him out there for so long and I believe it. They really do seem to not just feed off of each other, but bring out the best in each other musically.

There was one encore and only one was necessary. “Still Of The Night” brought down the house as only it could. Aside from it being a guitarists wet dream it is also Coverdale at his best. His scream is still legendary and he projects a kind of heat that is only possible by living completely in the moment. He has probably sang this song thousands of times and still completely connects himself to it. This song is a must-see-live for every hard rock fan out there and it was truly the only way to end such a fantastic evening.

I know that this is rumored to be Whitesnake's final tour and if that ends up being true then David Coverdale will most definitely be going out on his own terms because nothing is forcing him into retirement. The band is rock solid and appears to be having a great time performing together and people are still more than happy to plunk down money for tickets. Whitesnake is built to last and probably has a few more good years in them if they choose to continue touring the world.

It has been decades since I clung to the lyrics of “Judgement Day”, “Saints An' Sinners” and “Here I Go Again” as if my next breath depended upon it but seeing the latest incarnation of Whitesnake left me feeling equally winded.

What do you say to an artist that has no idea the impact that they've made on your life? Over the years I've had so many people tell me that music saved their life and I have admittedly thought that those words, that notion was just a little bit dramatic. But as I stood staring at Coverdale, in his black long-sleeve shirt, ripped jeans and still-perfectly tousled hair I realize, I am one of those people. I understand too that no matter how eloquent my words, they'll never capture the gut-level love and gratitude that I felt while watching him leave the stage.

Setlist

“Bad Boys”
“Slide It In”
“Love Ain’t No Stranger”
“The Deeper the Love”
“Fool for Your Loving”
“Sailing Ships”
“Judgement Day”
Guitar Solos
“Slow an’ Easy”

Bass Solo

“Crying in the Rain” (with Drum Solo)
“Is This Love?”
“Give Me All Your Love”
“Here I Go Again”

Encore

“Still of the Night”

A few clips from the June 29th show.