Copyright © 1987-2026 | Updated 31 March 2026
3 Aug 2019, Route 66 Casino (Styx) Setlist was changed up this year to include songs from their last CD release, but the
keyboard player’s voice absolutely grates on my ears and JY should never sing. Tommy is phenomenal – sings and looks 40
years younger and has tremendous energy and playing ability.
29 Jun 2019, Route 66 Casino (REO Speedwagon) Setlist had no surprises; Kevin still sings well and the band is always
tight, but Kevin’s acoustic set was a snoozer and the bass player’s voice is fading fast.
27 Apr 2019, Route 66 Casino (Sammy Hagar and the Circle) Wasn’t sure to expect, as Sammy is 71 now - the new songs
in the setlist were mediocre at best, but the remainder of the songs (Montrose, solo material, Van Halen songs) were KILLER.
Sammy exhibited more energy than a 20 year old; Vic’s guitar playing was astonishing. Tons of hit songs and a REALLY long
show.. a definite must-see if he comes through town again.
3 Oct 2018, El Rey Theater (Stryper) This was the To Hell With The Devil anniversary tour, so the album was played in full +
bonus songs. KILLED IT!!!! This time Mike’s voice was in full strength. As we stood outside waiting to enter the theater,
Robert Sweet walked past us, down the sidewalk and returned 15 minutes later with a bag of food… and whatever he ate
went straight into his drum sticks, as I’ve never heard him play the drums harder than he did tonight. Perry on bass was a
new experience, having seen Tim on bass since the beginning (1983) . One of the best shows I’ve attended.. and the cover
songs were phenomenal!
11 August 2017, Route 66 Casino (Queensryche/Skid Row) Todd kills it on vocals… and sounds so much like Geoff that this
band iteration simply ‘works’. Much better Queensryche experience than the last time I saw them with Geoff on the
microphone - you could see the band was much happier playing on stage with Todd.
28 July 2017, Route 66 Casino (Lynyrd Skynyrd) Unfortunately this was a greatest hits tour with every song coming from
the 1970s-era setlist. Amazing show regardless, and you know you are witnessing a true musical legacy/event when they
play.
13 Aug 2017, Isleta Casino (The Brian Setzer Orchestra) One of the most amazingly melodic guitarists on the planet.
Probably the tightest band touring in the world.. a must-see!
21 Jan 2017, Route 66 Casino (Vince Neil) Vince’s backing band is 75% of the band ‘Slaughter’. which is a very good thing.
Vince can still hit the notes, but he is so out of shape and sings maybe 50% of the lyrics that it is not nearly as enjoyable as it
could be. Zoltan on drums is ‘the show’ - an absolute maniac to watch.
8 Oct, 2018, Route 66 Casino (Hells Bells AC/DC Tribute) Wow, this was a shocker! Never heard of this tribute band, but
WOW - the lead singer killed it on every single song. I would see them again in a heartbeat.. I’ve never seen that showroom
rock that hard (before or since) .. sheer pandemonium in that room.
10 Jul 2015, Route 66 Casino (REO Speedwagon) What an amazing string of hit songs that their setlist is comprised of!
Growing up in the midwest in the 1970s, REO was a constant staple of the song rotation. Kevin’s voice is a bit weak, but he’s
not a spring chicken and he still did justice to the music.
16 Jan 2015, Isleta Casino (Styx) A greatest hits show; too much of Dennis’ replacement on vocals for my taste. Tommy’s
voice still sounds amazing; JY can definitely play that Strat, and the drummer is phenomenal.
4 Jul 2014, Camel Rock Casino (Ted Nugent) Man, Ted was on fire for the holiday! There were protesters outside of the
small casino - the gig was in one of their largest general purpose rooms. The in-between song commentary was priceless,
and Ted plays with ferocity that is just not seen anywhere else. His control of his guitar is simply unbelievable.. say what you
will about his politics or his song lyrics, but the man wields an axe like no other.
19 Nov 2013, Isleta Casino (Pat Benatar) I love watching Pat perform, and her vocals are still extremely strong, but you can’t
help feeling that every word stated between songs is the same passage she said at the previous show.
25 Oct 2013, Route 66 Casino (Foreigner) A greatest hits show - Kelly always delivers as a showman with great vocals and
high energy, but there is always something ‘missing’ with this iteration of the band.
29 Jun 2013, Sky City Casino (L.A. Guns/Skid Row/Dokken) Three killer bands… all three sets were great. Didn’t think I
would care for Solinger singing for Skid Row but he surprised me. Phil’s voice sounded identical to the original L.A. Guns
records of the 80s; unfortunately Tracii Guns wasn’t back in the band yet, but the Oriental guitarist in his place was
extremely good. As a bonus, when we were eating in the casino’s buffet most of the band were eating there at the same
time - I chatted up the drummer for a bit at the serving line - a down to earth dude.
10 Sep 2011, Sky City Casino (Bang Tango/Nelson/Loverboy) Bang Tango was horrible - one of the worst sets I’ve ever
experienced. Nelson killed it - great harmonies and great music. Loverboy doesn’t know how to put on a bad show. As an
extra bonus, the Nelson twins did a free meet/greet after the show, so we got to meet them. Very nice, but one of the
brothers certainly enjoyed my wife’s attire a little too much <g>.
1 Sep 2011, Malarky’s Pub (Shit Happens/Bulletboys) It took forever for Shit Happens to finally hit the stage, which pushed
the start time for the Bulletboys back to nearly midnight. Marq’s voice hasn’t faded a single bit, and he killed it on lead guitar
(I never knew he played that well) - a high energy frontman who delivered the goods, but we had to leave during the set as
our batteries ran out.
2 Jul 2011, Hard Rock Casino (Rock Sugar/Tesla) I had never heard of Rick Sugar, whose career is mashing up two songs
from two different artists into one song. Rather unexpected but some of their versions were clever. Tesla played their hits.
15 Apr 2011, Buffalo Thunder Casino (REO Speedwagon) This concert was a warm-up for a late night talk show
appearance where they had to perform a two-song medley within a time limit, so within the set they took a stab at it - a
unique happening for a concert (in my experience).
21 Mar 2010, Isleta Casino (Loverboy) Amazing how tight the band was and how well Mike Reno could still sing. The jazzy
bass solo was astonishing.
11 Nov 2009, Sunshine Theater (Stryper) Mike was suffering from a cold so his vocals were a bit strained and he didn’t
attempt the high notes.
13 May 2009, Sandia Casino, Albuquerque, NM (38 Special, Styx, REO Speedwagon) 38 Special's sound was pretty low
and the lead guitarist's volume was buried in the mix. Donnie VanZant was a bit over enthusiastic with the "Rocky punches"
in the air and his vocals were shot on "Get Right With the Man", but overall a good performance with a non-changing setlist
(pretty much the same as 2005; please lose the greatest hits medley) - they played for roughly 45 minutes. Styx played
pretty much the same setlist as their 2007 Albuquerque show - solid but no surprises. REO Speedwagon was a surprise -
amazing that after 70 minutes of songs that every one of them was hit after hit. Hard to believe they have been around for
33 years! Styx came out to jointly play "Can't Stop Rockin" and then disappeared so REO could finish their encore. Kevin
Cronin looked old and frail but still moved around stage with authority and his voice sounded about 90% - the lead guitarist
was excellent (and has been with the band for 20 years now) .
8 May 2009, Sky City Casino Showroom, Acoma, NM (Firehouse/Skid Row) A bingo room served as a concert hall for this
concert (a first for me!) - supposedly the show was sold out. Firehouse put on an excellent show - amazed that the lead
singer could hit all of the high notes after all of these years and the crowd was very appreciative of their set. Wasn't aware
the lead singer also played keyboards - he did use a playback device so he could harmonize with the songs (as they were
released that way originally with dual harmonizing vocals) - the machine screwed up a few times but he recovered quickly. I
wasn't 100% looking forward to Skid Row - after all, how can someone fill Sebastian Bach's shoes - but was pleasantly
surprised by Johnny Solinger's stage presence and vocal ability. He isn't Sebastian (who is?) but was a whole lot better than
I expected. Scotti on guitar was a maniac - he looked like a man possessed or high on crystal meth, but he hit every single
chord as expected and really interacted with the crowd - it was hard to tell if he was simply putting on an exaggerated show
for the crowd or if he was stoned. Both setlists covered all of the hits - Skid Row was a whole lot rowdier (duh) and the
show was well worth $25.
19 Sep 2007, Journal Pavillion, Albuquerque, NM (Styx/Scorpions) Styx, in my opinion, aren't the same without Dennis
DeYoung - they choose to not even play the songs that he performed on, which is a huge chunk of hits. The new
keyboardist sang about half the set list and was good; performed a great Beethoven medley during his solo and even played
backwards at times. Tony Shaw still sounded/looked 30 and was very enthusiastic. James DeYoung's voice is still irritating
but can play the hell out of the Stratocaster. Scorpions blew Styx out of the arena with their long set - close your eyes and
you'd swear that you're listening to Blackout-era Scorpions! The new songs from Humanity Hour 1 were very well received.
Great concert .
17 Jul 2007, Sandia Resort Casino, Albuquerque, NM (Pat Benatar) An outdoor event; concert area similar to a crater, so
high notes bounced around for the first portion of the show and obliterated everyone's eardrums. Pat wasn't happy at all
with the sound guy and frequently made it known to him. Neal played great and Pat sounded great - she chose not to
attempt many high notes but when she did they were spot-on; maybe she has to save her voice? She played her new Jello
commercial song, which was a pop-type of song but not bad. Claimed they were working on a new CD (turned out to be
false)!
9 Jun 2007, Route 66 Casino, Rio Puerco, NM (Slaughter/Ratt) What a killer set! Slaughter put on a great show - I'm a fan
of Jeff Blando's (lead guitarist) as he has that Randy Rhodes vibe to his playing/appearance. Mark hit every high note, which
was astonishing (he isn't a spring chicken anymore and those are HIGH notes!) . Ratt were the stars of the show - this was
their first show of the reunion tour and the roof nearly caved in from crowd response! Pearcy's voice couldn't hit high notes
and wasn't strong but 'good enough'. Great to hear Ratt back together again; Blotzer is still a monster behind the drum kit!
16 Oct 2006, Journal Pavillion, Albuquerque, NM (Journey/Def Leppard) No idea why Journey (featuring the fabulous Jeff
Scott Soto on vox) warmed up for Def Leppard. JSS, aside from being one of the best front men in the biz, absolutely
ENERGIZED the band - a MUCH better show than the Aug 05 Journey concert in the same venue. Non stop show; JSS hit
every high note and resembled the Energizer bunny as he occupied every inch of the stage. Def Lep's show was decent but
the new material REALLY slowed down the pace (and crowd's enthusiasm) ; Joe Elliot's inability to hit high notes or maintain
a note very long was the other detraction. Stage show was great. Sucks seeing Vivian Campbell playing rhythm guitar - he
belongs playing lead guitar (ala: Dio) . Didn't even bother to stay for the last 2-3 Def Lep songs.
18 June 2006, Journal Pavillion, Albuquerque, NM (Huey Lewis/Chicago) Huey's voice was a little strained on the high
notes but otherwise sounded great. Played all the hits and the crowd was into it. Chicago's set suffered when the played the
earliest material (jazz-flavored) ; Huey came out onstage a couple of times to accompany their set with great crowd
response. Ended up leaving a few songs early as boredom set in - as luck would have it we could hear the songs we most
wanted to hear as we approached the parking lot. The tickets were free from the base so nothing lost.
5 Aug 2006, Route 66 Casino, Albuquerque, NM (Thund-Her-Struck/Foreigner) While eating inside the casino restaurant
we sat down behind a table of four women and a couple who looked out of place. Turned out the ladies were the warm up
act and the couple were from a local radio station who conducted a recorded interview after eating dinner! The ladies put on
a GREAT show, playing Bon Scott era Ac/Dc songs. The lead singer is dating Foreigner's current lead singer (Kelly Hansen,
who also produced their first CD) . We had decent seats (center stage, about 30' from the stage) . Foreigner's show was
excellent (again) , but the set list was identical to the Mar 2005 show that we saw in the same venue. I bought both band's
autographed CD's after the show; the Foreigner disc contained two extra live tracks that the commercial release didn't have
from the Las Vegas 2005 concert!
21 Jul 2006, Isleta Casino, Albuquerque, NM (? Opening Act/Pat Benatar) After waiting 20+ years to see Pat her
performance was everything I hoped for and more. The casino had set up metal chairs in the part-time bingo hall (aka: low
rent) ; we sat on the floor, stage left, about 15 rows back from the stage. Normal drunks around us that wouldn't shut up.
Stage was decorated with a tropical theme. Pat & Neil looked great and performed just as well - Pat's voice is STILL
phenomenal and Neil is one of rock's greatest unappreciated guitarists. GREAT show!
6 Dec 2005, Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM (? Opening Act/Dokken) One of the BEST Dokken shows I've attended!
Don played guitar for two songs; John Levin played acoustical guitar for the opening to "Alone Again"; Don chose to sing off-
harmonies with great effect instead of blowing out his voice with high notes (which he still pulled off) . An unusual
assortment of songs was performed during the long set. When the show was finally over, Don stayed on stage to continue
singing acapella with the crowd. Wow!
12 Oct 2005, Cowboys, Albuquerque, NM (No Opening Act/.38 Special) This show was depressing. Having seen the band
fill an arena in the mid-80's and this small C&W bar was barely half full (< 200 people?) . The show started VERY late and the
band was missing Donnie Van Zant, which made for some interesting song interpretations. The band played the hits, to
include the infamous hits-medley that .38 Special has included with their live set since the 1990's. Don Barnes voice hadn't
changed since the 80's, and the drummer was phenomenal. Deserved a much better turnout from Albuquerque for the great
show that they performed.
3 Aug 2005, Journal Pavillion, Albuquerque, NM (No Opening Act/Journey) Played a 3 hour show with an intermission.
First segment was 1970-1980; second segment was 1980-recent. Free copy of "Generations" CD provided to all ticket
holders. Guitar solo included Voodoo Chile and Third Stone From The Sun medley. Drummer, keyboardist shared vocals with
Steve Augeri.
20 Jul 2005, Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM (Shurman / Ted Nugent) Shurman sucked bad.. Ted was on FIRE! Ted
was in great spirits, and was extremely funny at the expense of the Democrats that walked out of the venue! Played 20+
minute version of "Baby Please Don't Go". Barry Sparks sang vocals on two songs; Mick Brown played drums.
26 Mar 2005, Route 66 Casino, Albuquerque, NM (No Opening Act / Foreigner) Great inside venue with large screen TV's.
Jeff Pilson (Dokken) on bass; John Bonham on drums; Kelly Hansen (Hurricane) on vocals. Kelly was fantastic - came into
the crowd several times! Played a medley of Led Zeppelin songs. Mick Jones played keyboards and guitar - he looked pretty
old, but sang and played like it was 1979!
19 Mar 2005, NM Expo Grounds, "Blarney Bash",Albuquerque, NM (Hit Parade / Shit Happens /L.A. Guns /Dokken) An
amazing 13 year old boy played guitar solos between sets with his dad - brought down the house! Hit Parade was an
excellent covers band; same with Shit Happens, which ought to have a record deal - they were THAT GOOD! L.A. Guns were
far better than I thought they'd be; the lead guitarist smoked, and the lead singer, aside from his gut hanging out, was able
to hit 95% of the high notes. Dokken was a disappointment, with Don being the problem. His voice was off, and he couldn't
remember lyrics (Escape, one of my favorite songs, was ruined) . John Levin played great, and Barry Sparks was all over the
stage.
27 Feb 2005, Launchpad, Albuquerque, NM (Enuff Znuff / Mike Tramp's White Lion) I didn't care for Enuff Znuff's music
(too much like the Beatles for my taste) , but the lead singer/guitarist had some of the fastest fingers on a fret I've ever seen.
During the White Lion set he autographed a picture using my chest as a backdrop for some guy standing next to me - I then
got his autograph. White Lion ROCKED! The lead guitarist was certainly no Vita Bratta, but he didn't try to be. The entire
band waited at the sales table to sign autographs; I got a drum stick from a roadie and several autographs; Mike was very
personable and appreciative. GREAT SHOW!
25 Oct 2004, Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM (Fireball Ministry / Dio) I had never heard of Fireball Ministry; the lead
singer/guitarist was horrid and kept making "evil eyes" while singing to the crowd, which looked ridiculous. The bass player
was a short Asian woman who was KILLER! She was the star of the band; apparently her band mates didn't think so, as she
was recently fired (big mistake) . Dio was AMAZING! Lead guitarist still has little stage personality; having Rudy Sarzo (ex-
Quiet Riot) on bass was extremely cool - Rudy goofed a couple of times, and he and Dio just smiled at each other. Very long
show, several encores. Sound problems irritated Dio several times during the show (sound guy behind keyboardist, stage
right)
13 Mar 2004, NM Expo Grounds, "Blarney Bash", Albuquerque, NM (Suicide Solution / ? Local Band / Booger /
Queensryche) Suicide Solution was an AMAZING Ozzy Osbourne tribute band that ROCKED! The second local band was
also killer, but I don't recall their name - they played quite a few original songs, but their cover songs were fantastic. Booger
is a local band that features a local rock DJ - they were pretty good and played mostly cover songs. Queensryche did a
great job, with Geoff Tate hitting more high notes than I though the could.
21 Aug 2003, Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM (Motorhead / Dio) Not much of a Motorhead fan; drummer and lead
guitarist were certainly impressive. Dio SLAYED the crowd, which unfortunately were a typical Albuquerque crowd (rude,
drunk, mosh pit) . Some a-hole threw something at Dio 2/3 into the set; I thought the show was over but Dio forged ahead
like a pro. Sound problems plagued the show, which pissed Dio off immensely. Lead guitarist has the stage presence of a
stick.
13 Jul 2003, Midnight Rodeo,Albuquerque, NM (Vince Neil) Vince was a little overweight but his voice was dead-on, hitting
every high note. Backup band wasn't anyone I recognized but did an admirable job. 80% Crue songs, 20% solo material.
Vince got pretty upset several times with the sound guy (stage left) , and I thought he was gonna chug a beer bottle at the
poor guy several times.
3 Jun 2003, Journal Pavillion, Albuquerque, NM (Kenny Wayne Shepherd /Ted Nugent / ZZ Top) KWS played a solid set
with Double Trouble (ex-Stevie Ray Vaughan) backing him up. Ted played a short set (60 min or so) - I got his autograph at
a book signing event earlier that day at Winrock Mall (his wife Shemane was present also - both very pleasant) . Ted played
his butt off! ZZ Top seemed a little sluggish, and the crowd didn't respond well to material from the last 2-3 albums, but
older hits tore the house down. Billy played some really cool guitars; Dusty's voice was pretty rough sounding.
16 Dec 2002, Santa Ana Star Casino, Albuquerque, NM (Brian Setzer Orchestra) Unfortunately the set list revolved around
the new Christmas CD instead of the earlier releases - while eating dinner in the casino buffet we sat next to most of the
band who were eating a small meal before the show!
20 Dec 1998, The Outback, Tucson, AZ (Dokken) A solid show; didn't really care for Reb Beach on guitar (loved him in
Winger though) . Got into the club early with my dad; as we walked in Jeff Pilson was walking next to us, so we struck up a
small conversation. Jeff sat down next to Mick and Reb - I got their autographs on a small flyer before the show started!
Great show.
2 Jun 1997, The Outback, Tucson, AZ (Dokken) Last time I'd see George Lynch with the band. Great show; could hear them
rehearsing Shadowlife material while we stood in line. George swapped out guitars often from his son (standing behind him,
stage left) . Solid show - Don in great voice!
13 Aug 1995, Fort Bliss Army Field, Summer Fest, El Paso, TX (Ann Wilson (from Heart) , Dokken, George Thorogood)
Don't recall Ann's set. Dokken played a short set - guy standing next to me ruined the tape recording due to non stop yelling.
George Thorogood played a long set.
20 Mar 1995, Sneakers, San Antonio, TX (Stepchild / Cinderella) Don't recall opening act at all; Cinderella were excellent!
13 Mar 1995, Sneakers, San Antonio, TX (Blackfoot) WOW! A killer show! Played all the hits, great crowd interaction.
12 Mar 1995, Sneakers, San Antonio, TX (Warrant) This show surprised me - Warrant rocked a LOT harder than I thought
they would. Encore included Queen songs, with several band members changing instruments.
13 Aug 1988, Hampton Coliseum, Hampton Roads, VA (Cinderella / Judas Priest) Don't remember Cinderella's set at all;
Judas Priest was AMAZING! Started out with a blacked out stage with Rob above the stage singing Electric Eye to start the
festivities. Amazing high notes!
12 May 1988, The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA (Ted Nugent) Remember having trouble finding the venue, which was an old
warehouse next to the ocean. Ted was on fire - halfway through the set the power was shut down, which REALLY made Ted
mad - when it was restored he promptly walked to every amp onstage and maxed the volume to every one and resumed the
concert. My ears never rang as bad as that EVER! Killer show!
1 April 1988, Hampton Coliseum, Hampton Roads, VA (? Opening Act / George Thorogood) Don't remember the opening
act; I do remember George standing stage left on the floor next to the stage enjoying them though (I was about 6 rows up
from George!) . George's set was KILLER! The whole coliseum was rocking BIG TIME!
20 Jan 1988, Norfolk Scope, Hampton Roads, VA (Ted Nugent / Kiss) Ted Nugent was killer! Played quite a few songs from
his just-released "Ted Nugent" album (black cover version) . Kiss was their normal "over-the-top" self and owned the show.
Gene Simmons used a bass guitar that shot fireworks across the stage when a string was plucked during his solo.
16 Nov 1987, Hampton Coliseum, Hampton Roads, VA (Dokken / Aerosmith) I went to see Dokken, whose songs were
EXTREMELY popular on MTV's Headbangers Ball at the time - they put on a killer, but short, set. Aerosmith put on a great
show, whose set was broadcast over local FM radio (and widely bootlegged) . Unfortunately the Dokken set hasn't turned up
in collecting circles; I have several versions of the Aerosmith show on CD.
7 Oct 1987, Hampton Coliseum, Hampton Roads, VA (Tesla / Def Leppard) One of the "in-the-round" shows; security kept
walking around scolding those who stood up, which ended about 10 minutes into the show (crowd ignored security!) . Don't
recall much about Tesla's set; Def Leppard had an amazing light show that was displayed onto the coliseum roof; played all
the hits, and were spot-on for every song.
Concerts Attended