LIVE: BRET MICHAELS – June 07, 2019

Venue: Promenade Park

City: Toledo, OH

Date: June 07, 2019

Review and Photographs by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur (www.toddstarphotography.com)

One of my favorite performers to check out tour after tour, year after year, is Bret Michaels.  Not only does he have a killer catalog to pull from – both Poison tracks and solo tracks, but the guy is a great performer and one of the nicest guys to meet, chat with, grab a picture with, or just be around.  As I pulled up to Promenade Park in Toledo, OH on a Friday evening, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the venue, the crowd, or Bret and his band.  The place was packed and the crowd energetic and engaged as a cover band opened the show with a slew of 80’s rockers from the glam / hair metal genre.  As the stage was shifted to Bret’s for the remainder of the evening, you could sense the anticipation at the waterfront venue.  The minute Bret’s cowboy hat was placed on his mic stand, the crowd exploded and we were off and running.  The band – guitarist Pete Evick, keyboardist Rob Jozwiak, drummer, Mike Bailey, and bassist Eric Brittingham – took their places and ripped from an introduction into the opening song, “Talk Dirty To Me.”  This one set the bar for the rest of the evening, and Bret didn’t disappoint.  With an arsenal of great tracks, including some covers and his latest single, “Unbroken,” there was something for everyone in the set.  Bret loves to share the spotlight with his band members, with Pete getting the nod for each solo her played throughout the evening.  Drummer Bailey was given the opportunity to showcase his skills during latter portion of the set.  Songs “Ride The Wind,” “Unskinny Bop,” and “Nothin’ But A Good Time” decorated the shows musical landscape and allowed Michaels to rock the capacity crowd from front to back and side to side.  Bassist Brittingham made good use of his time on stage, anchoring the bottom end of the songs while Jozwiak kept things moving with his keyboards in the mix.  Never one to shy away from the ballads, Bret treated the crowd to two huge hits, “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” and a personal live favorite, “Something To Believe In.”  As a vet, this song hits home every time I hear it live, as Bret not only dedicates it to the military, but typically greets veterans on stage to give them some spotlight as well.  After some killer rock and roll, as lot of banter with the crowd, and much more, the show ends with a cool cover of KISS’ “Rock And Roll All Nite,” which sends everybody home with a song in their head and a smile on their face.  Be sure to check out Bret LIVE when he heads to your town or area… it’s a guaranteed great night or rock and roll.

Complete set of BRET MICHAELS show photos HERE

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries