The concert on Friday, July 28th was held at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls in Ohio. It’s located right on the edge of Cuyahoga State Park and close to the River of the same name. It’s one of those venues where there’s one way in and one way out. Rod arrived about an hour before Lauper took to the stage and was fortunate to have a police escort. He commented on how bad the traffic was and thanked everyone for making their way there in spite of it. Blossom is the amphitheater closest to Cleveland, not only home to the Rock ân Roll Hall of Fame but also the city where the disc jockey back in 1971 turned a record over to play the B-Sided “Maggie May” and of course the rest is history.
We didnât make our way to our seats until the break when they were setting up for Rod because we had already seen Cyndi Lauperâs entire set at the other three shows and I just donât understand how some people can see the same artist playing the same music over and over again. Wait! What? Did I just say that? Rod himself asked me two years ago how we can come to so many shows when he plays basically the same songs? And of course my response to him was the same as it is to many others: Have you ever read a good book or watched the same exciting movie more than once. You already know what will happen each time but itâs enjoyable to read or watch and itâs a different experience each time. And this show was no different!
Rod was in a great Friday night mood! He surprised us with “It’s a Heartache” and an absolutely outstanding performance of âI’d rather go Blindâ which he explained that he and Ronnie Wood recorded in just 3 takes.Rod came out in a silver jacket with black trim and black pants and when he introduced Lauper for the duet as “Miss Kinky Boots herself” she came out wearing a gold jacket and black pants which blended together as well as the chemistry and charisma between them.
Rod received an unbelievable responsive sing-along to “Reason To Believe” which he seemed particularly surprised by and commented on. And when he asked folks to take their seats, most stood during most of the acoustic set and were on their feet during most of the show. It was great! During “Don’t Stop Me Now” the video screen showed close-ups of Rod back when he said he was about 18 years old. His hair and his nose and his clothes did look quite different then. I would have loved to see him sing live back then-but I wouldnât be âLost in You since â72â then would I. Rod made a point of sincerely thanking everyone for sticking with him over the years and said âotherwise I wouldnât be up here right nowâ.
This show was high energy like the others. Our second-row seats were on the other side for the first time this tourâover when Conrad is. When I think of Conrad. the song âItâs all about that Bassâ comes to mind. And I would describe this show as “Itâs all about that Band”. They were on fire with enthusiasm and having a fantastic time. You can tell they all have a good relationship and highly respect each other.
Jimmy âSaxmanâ Roberts gave every breath he had in his being during âDowntown Trainâ. Becka Susanâs Tap dancing (and I may have her name wrong so someone please correct me) toward the end of âForever Youngâ is such a welcomed treat and I think she should also Tap during âOoh La Laâ although Rod left that one out this time. Itâs evident with Beckaâs stage presence that she used to be on BroadwayâI think she was in âRentâ. Adrianna, the other violinist with JâAnna, who was initially in the string section in Las Vegas is a good addition to the band and she can be seen playfully joking with the other members.
Di Reed, who I didnât realize till recently is an actress as well as a singer/songwriter, belted out âProud Maryâ at least as well as Tina Turner and both Di and Bridget stayed on stage with their backs to the audience to jam with Dave Palmerâs drum solo. Iâm sure Rod knows his drummer is the backbone of the band and even when Rod taps on his stool at the end of âHave I told You Latelyâ it is courtesy of Dave.
Rod has three ultimate guitarists that all have back Stories: Emerson Swinford composed the theme and under-score music for the hit comedy âHot in Clevelandâ which won him multiple ASCAP awards. Not sure many know that Conrad Korsch has a Bachelorâs Degree in Jazz Bass from Temple University and graduated Magna Cum Lunde among other honors. Rest assured the band is like a family and they all showed up, including Rod himself, for a benefit for fellow band member, Don Kirkpatrick, when back in 2007 suffered through treatment for throat cancer. He married fellow band member, harpist and percussionist Julia Thornton in 2015.
I do miss the female singersâ vocal gymnastics at the end of “Rhythm of my Heart” and JâAnna singing with Rod during âMaggie Mayâ. And of course Chuck Kentis is missed greatly who I wish well in the healing of his broken wrist. However, having a piece of Rodâs early history from the â70âs in Kevin Savigar filling in on keyboards is pure magic. And on a lesser note, I miss the balloon drop during DYTIS just because it added to the frolic of the song and was a good way to end the show. But with the outdoor venues it probably isnât feasible.
What a show! Theyâve all been great! I wish I was going to more of them. Oh yes, thatâs right, weâre going to the first three Las Vegas show in August. See you there!
Review By Marcy Braunstein
Photos By By Marcy Braunstein
Montage By Tommy Kevitt