Show Review and Live Pics: Night Ranger - Still Rocking America

In the cool city, in the heat of the night
Looking for adventure, on the face of the light
Night Ranger, Night Ranger

Night Ranger: Carolina Theatre, Durham, NC on May 8th, 2019

No words better describe the feeling in the air the evening Night Ranger came to the historic Carolina Theatre in Durham, NC. With a career spanning nearly 40 years, 17 million in album sales, and a killer Top Ten hit, Night Ranger put on a show worthy of any stage anywhere in the world.

The lineup consists of three of the band’s original members Jack Blades, Brad Gillis, and Kelly Keagy who are joined by Eric Levy and Keri Kelli. Night Ranger’s classic variety of hard and fast metal riffs juxtaposed against sweet melodies and tight musical performances gave the crowd plenty to cheer for. Opening with Somehow Someway they filled the next two-hour show with high energy performances putting their musical proficiency on display. Tearing their way through classics like Night Ranger and Don’t Tell Me You Love Me the band kept the audience on their feet. Taking a slower more intimate turn during songs like Sentimental Street and Goodbye gave members of the band the opportunity to share stories of nights spent bouncing between the Rainbow Room, Cathouse, and Whiskey A-Go-Go in L.A . and writing songs together at 3 am in the studio.

Another treat for the audience was the performance of a couple of Damn Yankees songs including, of course, High Enough, which brought down the house. One of my personal favorite moments of the evening was hearing the guys perform their biggest hit, Sister Christian. Every single person in the audience was singing along and throwing their hands up in the air during this one. Night Ranger was able to write a song that has become a true classic and cemented their rightfully earned place in Hair Metal history and everyone in the building was feeling the magic that night.

Performing on a simple stage that allowed the music and the men playing it to be the main focus of the evening, Night Ranger closed the show with the answer to one simple question; Can we still Rock in America? The resounding answer? Hell yeah!

A special thank you to Josh Thompson Photography for capturing these great images and to the Carolina Theatre of Durham for hosting Gruesome Magazine Music.