Review by Shawn Perry
Photos by Joe Schaeffer
In the fog of stageside dry ice, Night Ranger angled for recognition in the early 1980s alongside Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe and Quiet Riot — even though their roots and rumination stretch back to the late 70s among other formative groups and associations. They had all the necessary ingredients for success — the songs, the chops, the looks. They rode the MTV wave and headlined arenas. Definitely a band of their time.
The first time I saw them, around 1983, they were opening for Sammy Hagar at the Forum in Los Angeles. I was immediately struck by their energy and collective musicianship, bounded by an inherent chemistry and hooked-filled songs. There was Kelly Keagy, playing drums that faced the band, not the crowd, and doubling as one of the band’s two lead singers. Jack Blades, the other singer, stood in the middle and handled the bass, while guitarists Brad Gillis and Jeff Watson occupied each side, madly swapping leads. Allan Fitzgerald, who once played bass with Montrose, inconspicuously manned the keyboards and stayed out of the way.
I picked up Dawn Patrol, their debut, on vinyl and spun it endlessly. When they followed it up in 1984 with Midnight Madness, I purchased the cassette and caught a show behind the album at Irvine Meadows. I remember little of the night except that Night Ranger had finally made it to the top of the heap. Their third release, 7 Wishes, was huge, but did little to stir my interest. I missed the tour and wouldn’t see Night Ranger play live again for another 36 years. It took a double header featuring both Dawn Patrol and Midnight Madness played in their entirety to get me out to this show.
The Grove of Anaheim was a full house. All five tiers were overflowing with anxious bodies, restricted to rows — a different layout for a showroom that usually accommodates reserved tables and chairs for the dinner crowd. With no opening act in sight and the prominent Night Ranger logo in position as the backdrop, the lights finally faded and the players ambled on stage. Aerosmith’s “Back in the Saddle” blared across the room. Original members Blades, Gillis, and Keagy, along with keyboardist Eric Levy and guitarist Keri Kelli, immediately fell into “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,” the first cut from Dawn Patrol, and the band’s very first hit single. It was a strong beginning.
Blades extended the middle section, and gave everyone in the band a chance to sing the chorus on their own. Keri Kelli was introduced as “our Orange County” guy. He may look like he fell off the tour bus of any given metal band from the 80s, but the Huntington Beach local has etched a claim for himself as a guitarist co-op of the first order, serving under both Alice Cooper and Slash, and becoming a celebrated Las Vegas restaurateur and craft brewer in the process.
Gillis, never a singer and more of a slinger, soulfully delivered the chorus before turning it over to an audience thirsting to bellow out, “Don’t tell me you love me!” over and over and over again. It intensified each time, then erupted as Gillis and Kelli traded leads and brought it all home. “Sing Me Away,” the catchy second single sung by Keagy, kept the party rolling and everyone on their feet.
“At Night She Sleeps” was equally upbeat, while “Call My Name” dialed it down a bit. “Eddie’s Comin’ Out Tonight” took things in a different direction, providing a platform for some of the night’s best guitar work from Gillis and Kelli. When they weren’t getting blasted by smoke on their respective elevated platforms, the pair was huddling up with Blades for photo-ops. For his part, Gillis attacks his instrument like a sculptor molding a piece of clay. He makes it squirm and scream and whine, arching his legs with each bend of the string, shaping notes, cracking the air between himself and the audience. No wonder Ozzy hired him for a gig. He’s as entertaining to watch as he is to listen to.
After “Eddie’s Comin’ Out Tonight,” Blades gave a shout out to the late Eddie Money, whom he remembered as a jokester. Behind every song, there was a story. “Young Girl In Love” was an early one, written when the group was stilled called Stereo. Blades wrote “Penny” about his wife’s best friend. The capper was to hear that “Night Ranger” inspired the group to change their name (well, that and another band called The Ranger). No one said anything about the song being the group’s theme song, but if a lengthy jam, including a group drum solo, is de rigueur of the band’s stage show, it should be.
Instead of going right into Midnight Madness, there was a slight detour as the players sat down with their acoustics for the Damn Yankees’ “High Enough” (written and sung by Blades) and “Four In The Morning” from 7 Wishes. Keagy came out front while his drum tech tapped out a light beat. Someone later said the idea of a drum tech subbing for his boss is nothing new. Just ask Aerosmith.
Afterwards, Blades talked about how successful Dawn Patrol was, even though their record label went under. The band managed to get a new deal and recorded Midnight Madness, which outsold its predecessor. Unlike Dawn Patrol, the songs from Midnight Madness were not rolled out in order. Instead, they launched right into “Touch Of Madness,” bringing the wayfarers and mood dwellers back to the dance floor. “Rumours In The Air” followed, and no one was complaining as Gillis expressively unveiled a load of licks, choking the life out of his guitar.
It was announced that “Chipping Away” was one of those that the band hadn’t played live since the early 80s. The rust slipped off easily. “Let Him Run,” another early one recorded when the group first came together, brought Keagy back out from behind his kit once again to share the lead vocals with Blades. Once the dust settled after “Passion Play,” it was time for the three big hits from Midnight Madness.
It was hard not to visualize the MTV video, which I watched the night before, as the band played through “When You Close Your Eyes.” The constant interaction between Blades, Gillis and Kelli kept it all on the up and up. “Sister Christian,” of course, conjures up all sorts of ideas, from the engaging MTV video to that disturbing scene in Boogie Nights. Kelly Keagy wrote it for his sister, and his heartfelt vocal performance and well-sequenced drum breaks tonight sealed its legacy.
As expected, the all-out crowd-pleaser of the night was, without question, “(You Can Still) Rock In America.” Whether it’s the polarizing times in which we live, or the badass riff that pushes the chorus, here’s a song that had the aisles scattered, many hearty and zestful souls pushing their way to the front for a last glimpse. Surprisingly, the band came back out for an encore, playing “Goodbye” from 7 Wishes. It proved to be an appropriate closer that evolved into a spectacular display of harmonic and guitar histrionics. After 36 years of missing out on the music of Night Ranger, I was glad to have found my way back.
