HEART, JOAN JETT and CHEAP TRICK – Saratoga Springs NY

“Rock For All – Three For All” Tour, featuring Heart, Joan Jett and Cheap Trick pulled into the Saratoga Performing Art Center last Thursday. It was three full sets list, from three veteran rock bands. for an extraordinary night of music.

First to take the stage was Cheap Trick. In a classic Cheap Trick fashion, there were B&W checkerboard patterns everywhere! On the speaker, on the cabinets, on the risers, the illuminated backdrop and you even saw checkboard patterns in the crowd as fans were decked out for the occasion!

Cheap Trick came out to “Hello There.” The crowd jumped to their feet with excitement! They continued on strong, playing the songs and hits we love like “The Flame,” “I Want You To Want Me” “Dream Police” and “Surrender” and even threw in a cool cover of The Velvet Underground tune, “I’m Waiting For The Man” sung by Tom Petersson.

Frontman, Robin Zander’s vocals were spot on! Rick Nielsen (guitar), Tom Petersson (bass) and Daxx Nielsen (drums) didn’t miss a beat! It was fun to watch Rick Nielsen pull out his many guitars including the square Hamer guitar and the Hamer five neck checkerboard guitar.

Cheap Trick is out in support of their latest album,Bang, Zoom, Crazy… Hello. Once the Rock For All – Three for All tour ends, Cheap Trick will do a brief run in the US, including a stop at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA (not too far south of Binghamton NY) before heading to Japan.

Up next was first lady of Punk Rock – Ms. Joan Jett! She’s still edgy, has alot of class and style, and her music just makes you put your fist in the air!

She came out with “Bad Reputation” and then straight into “Cherry Bomb” This woman is untouchable – and although we weren’t allowed to photograph her, she looked amazing! They played so many of her hits, and the crowd sang and danced the night away!

Joan Jett and The Blackhearts had a tight, precise sound that filled the amphitheater! Their backdrop was huge LED screen that rotated different images, including many images of Joan’s past including a movie she did with Michael J Fox, “Light of Day” where Joan Jett covered the Bruce Springsteen song, “Light Of Day.”

She continued on with her hits like “Fake Friends” and the ever so popular “I Love Rock n Roll,” but the highlight of her set was probably when she did “Crimson and Clover.” The crowd was extremely loud, as they sang along. The stage was illuminated in an intense “crimson red” color, the crowd illuminated in a bright green Clover color. It was truly a sight to see. She closed out her set with “I Hate Myself For Loving You” and a Sly & Family Stone cover, “Everyday People.”

Joan will be doing one show on the Melissa Etheridge Cruise in Key West and will be back to New York on November 5, 2016 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY.

Headlining the night was the incredibly talented Heart. They came out to “Wild Child” and went right into “Magic Man” and “What About Love.” The crowd erupted and was once again on their feet – singing and dancing the night away. Vocalist Ann Wilson has an amazing vocal range, and just lit up the stage! Their sound was tight and solid. Nancy Wilson took over the mic, when she sang “Two,” a cover of NeYo. She also has great vocals.

They continued on with hits like “These Dreams” and “Alone.” I loved Nancy’s guitar solo just before they did “Crazy on You” and they closed out with that classic Heart rockin’ tune “Barracuda.”

For an encore, they came out surprising us with fun covers of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” and “Stairway to Heaven”. They were really impressive live.

Somehow Heart has just flown under my radar all these years and this was my first time ever seeing them live. I’ve always love their radio hits, but after seeing them live, I can honestly say I left the show saying I am a fan and can’t wait to see them live again! After this tour, they will be hitting the road again in North America in October. They are currently out in support of their latest album, “Beautiful Broken.”

Overall, “Rock For All – Three For All” is really a great night of classic rock!! There are only a few weeks left of the tour as they head down the east coast (See dates below). If you’re anywhere close to where this tour is heading – get out and catch this great line-up!

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PHOTO GALLERIES :

CHEAP TRICK :: PHOTO GALLERY :: SARATOGA SPRINGS NY

HEART :: PHOTO GALLERY :: SARATOGA SPRING NY

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TOUR DATES :

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REMAINING TOUR DATES:

9/14/16 Raleigh, NC @ Walnut Creek Amp.
9/16/16 Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
9/17/16 Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park Amp.
9/19/16 Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amp.
9/20/16 Pelham (Birmingham), AL @ Oak MT Amp.
9/22/16 Tampa, FL @ Mid Florida Credit Union Amp.
9/23/16 West Palm Beach, FL @ Perfect Vodka Amp.

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