Jay About Saratoga!

This past weekend a few of my headbanging friends and I took a trip down to Saratoga and attended the Poison/Motley Crue concert at SPAC.  I have very fond memories of both bands from junior high and high school and enjoy them still, what can I say?  I enjoy crappy 80's hair metal.  Sue me.  When I was a kid I got my first boom box as a Christmas gift.  I also scored Crue's album Girls, Girls, Girls which I obviously tossed into the tape player for a spin.  Needless to say my mother shut me down 1.2 minutes into the first song.  For whatever reason she did not thing it really expressed the sentiment of the season?  I was not in total agreement... a perfect Christmas for me at that time certainly would have consisted of copious amounts of scantily clad girls.  And maybe one beer if I could get my hands on it, although I was not exactly sure what the allure would have been... I just knew it was the gateway to more girls in bikinis, w/ fake boobs.  Hey, I was 11. Around the same time we rocked out to Poison's anthem "I Want Action" at a 7th grade airband competition earning a few awards along the way.  We had jumps, fake guitars and background fake singers.  It was something.  I am not sure how that song got the green light from the faculty though?  We were in 7th grade miming about getting some action?!  Anywho, it was pretty special.

Fast forward to my 30s and we were finally going to see them live!  Of course these days rocking out meant scoring a pretty expensive hotel populated by old people on the historic grounds of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, a meal at a real restaurant, and golf before hand.  "Action" now consists of my wife and I making a sex date (just kidding), and Banana Republic shorts and flip flops.  But still!!!  We drank some light beers and rocked out.  The venue is great and the concert was solid.  We missed the New York Dolls but that was no real loss.  Poison was good.  They sounded great and put on a solid show of hits, hits, and more hits culminating in the classic "Every Rose Has It's Thorn".  Of course Brett Michaels now has a wig, dances funny, and used the word "awesome" a record breaking 18273 times in 75 minutes but shit... he is 65 and probably has syphilis!  We also enjoyed the C.C. Deville weird crazy guy face and the fact Riki Rachman is starting to look like Boy George.  Still, a great set.

Next up was Motley Crue.  Again, a great set of hits.  They sounded great, had a great set, and 2 hot strippers running around the stage... really took me back!  Vince Neal started great hitting all the high notes.  By the end he was short and ruined the last 3 songs but whatever.  Mick Mars for being almost dead was amazing and Tommy Lee did great Tommy Lee things.  "Shout at the Devil" really got the crowd going and was my favorite.  The Tommy drum solo on the roller coaster was also pretty intense.

I'll tell you, these old guys are professionals.  They have a tight set, know the game and bring it.  I would see it again.  Of course I am still unable to hear out of my right ear but f** it... I don't care what most people have to say anyway?