The Arena in St. Louis has always been one of the best to play in. I remember when we walked out there over 15 years ago for the first time...we had spent so much time playing the bars and night clubs for so long...I had almost forgotten what a room that wasnt covered in alcohol and piss smelt like. This place was nice. The air was clean, and the room was huge. We would be playing for thousands of people, not just 40 or 50. We walked out there and let the music sweat out of our pores.
Robert had re-written some of the songs to fit in better with the set list but we were all skeptical if this was going to pan out how we had been planning for so long. We wanted the perfect gig and now that we stood behind those big black curtains...we didnt even know if we could remember the way the song went. I'm standing behind those curtains again now as I write this blog as a last second update on whats going on. I want you all to know that I go out there to entertain you, but more so to entertain me. They are calling our names at this minute...see you when the show is over...haha, its never truly over.
Keep on Rocking,
The RockersThe following is a summary and review of the concert by a local newspaper..."The Rockers are a legendary group who are known throughout the world. Its hard to remember that they started their rise to fame and glory right here in the Gateway to the West. Like outlaws of the west, they have made their career out of doing what they want and bringing the fans along for the ride. This concert would be my first time seeing the band and admittedly it was not an assignment I particularly wanted but like any good journalist I packed my brief case and was on my way downtown.
The show was sold out, every seat had been full. The lights in the arena were bright up until the show began. It was then that everything went black and a sole purple spotlight shined down to the stage. It pointed out a black curtain in the right corner of the stage, and just as my eyes focused said curtain rose up revealing the band. Front-man Johnny Johnson stood high upon a pedestal with one arm raised to the sky as he looked out among the crowd. Seemingly pleased he looked back at the band and counted down to when the first notes would fill the stadium.
Fittingly, the opening number was "Cut Loose". A song from their "Break Free" album it was perfect for the opening as it propelled the crowd and the band into the right mood. The song is a powerful tune with some un-apologetically cliche lyrics. When the song was released the band said it was the type of song they had been writing for years and its only purpose was to bring the rock back to The Rockers. It did just that and their performance tonight was no less than stunning. Johnson stood high on his pedestal as it floated over the stage. Winking and pointing down to various crowd members he smiled as he burst out the long notes. For a man in his forties and having had a heart attack a few years ago it amazes me he can belt out the way he does still.
Lead guitarist Robert Kain takes center stage as the solo approaches and he lets his fingers fly over the fret-board. Nothing quite prepares you for a Rockers gig when you dont know much about the band beforehand. I had expected a cheesefest of old men wearing makeup and strange clothes but that was the furthest from the truth. Kain was wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans with his semi-long hair hanging over his eyes as seemed to be humming the solo as he played it. Johnson was wearing a black button-up with black jeans and his brother Joey was wearing the same. Drummer George Francis was in a red t-shirt and shorts. These were regular guys doing what they loved and the would only become more obvious through the night.
After the song ended Johnson looked out over the roaring herd of fans and the music came to be silence. "Man..." he said as he turned to the band, "What the hell were we thinking when we retired?" The crowd laughs and cheers as he looks back at them. No wider grin has ever been on a mans face. "I think we owe them another hard one eh guys?"
The second song, "The World I Knew" is sort of an apocalyptic song from their return from retirement album, "Where Did My World Go". The song is like so many in the Rockers catalog in that it expresses a deeper thought and mind while packaging it in the familiar rock n roll style. I found this song to be one of my personal favorites from the entire show and the theatrics were even better. Johnson jumped off his pedestal but instead of falling he rode a cable wire out into the crowd with one hand holding the hook which supported his weight and one hand clenched to the mic. He ended all this madness by stepping down onto a small island out among the crowd and he finished the song there.
He raised his hand as the last beat rang out and looked up to the cable wire. "I was really dreading that the whole night man..." he said as he breathed heavily. "Well I aint dead so lets move on!" He jumped down into the crowd and slowly fought his way back to the main-stage, stopping to shake some hands and accepts some kisses as well. The audience erupted as all this was going on and I noticed a slow drum beat begin...resembling a heart beat. It continued to build up until he climbed his way back up to his band mates and the song erupted into a performance from Robert Kain that may prove his place in the Guitarist Hall of Fame. Words cannot describe the awe in my mind.
Coming from the back ground I had come from, my knowledge of The Rockers before the show was little to none. They were a historic rock band who had some hits years ago. Thats all I knew about them. I am generally not a rock fan either, especially the classic style these guys are known for. However, I listened to the next three songs and began to realize what makes each and every member of the band special. Its not the music, or the theatrics, or even the way they suck the crowd into their world. What makes them special is how they can be up on the stage in front of this many people...and be completely alone. The look in their eyes is not because they want to get the fans blood pumping. Its because they are getting their own hearts going. They are having the time of their lives and are lucky enough that its the time of our lives too.
As Kain fell to his knees and raised his guitar up above his head, I smiled to myself. The Johnson brothers held each others arms up in the air and George through his sticks out into the roaring sea of people. I had been swayed. The lights went out and I walked out of the stadium a believer in the old phrase, "Rock n Roll Will Never Die.""
John here, sitting back stage with the guys. We finished about 10 minutes ago. I think we did alright, and we certainly gave it our all. There were a few things I think we can fix over the course of the tour but I dont think there is one single problem with anyone member of the band. We all knew what we were supposed to do and went out there and did it. Some songs were not as well received as others, so we may look at changing the set list a little as well.
I dont think I have ever drank more water than I have since I went through those black curtains the opposite way though. I dont remember looking for a couch when I got back behind it all those years ago either. Well, I guess times have changed a little. Still, I had more fun than ever and at least now I know why I'm having fun. Its not the sex, beer, or the roar of the crowd. Its the music and the people. Each person I shook hands with as I walked through the crowd had a face and a story just like me. I'm no better than they are. In those moments I connected with them more than I connected with most of my friends through out my life, and that my friends is special.
Keep on Rocking,
John-Set List-Cut Loose
The World I Knew
Too Tough
Break Free
Black
Camel and the Needle
The Paupers
The Red Book
Down the Way
A New Road
My Heart Be Open
Last March of the Forgotten One'sEdited by user 08 April 2011 02:55:32(UTC)
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