I've been fortunate to attend some great concerts; here is the list of shows and what I recalled about them:

19 Sep 07, Journal Pavillion, Albuquerque, NM (Styx/Scorpions)

Styx, in my opinion, aren't the same without Denis 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 except for the asshole crowd once again; between sets I had to get security to move the talkative jerks behind us to move back a couple of rows as the screamed to each other nonstop during the entire Styx set. Why do people pay $40 a ticket and then want to gossip during an entire show - and then they scream that YOU are the jerk when you tell them to shut up? Can't they get the hint to be quiet when EVERYONE in front of them keeps turning around and shoots them repeated dirty looks? Is this an Albuquerque phenomenon? Can we export these jerks to your city?

17 Jul 07, 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!

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. Vine 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.

30 Aug 1987, Hampton Coliseum, Hampton Roads, VA (Whitesnake / Motley Crue)

I went to hear Whitesnake, whose "1987" album was #1 on the charts (and Headbangers Ball). Motley Crue BLEW ME AWAY - Tommy's drum set was insane (drum kit went backwards/forwards over the first dozen rows of the crowd).

20 Sep 1986, Hampton Coliseum, Hampton Roads, VA (? Opening Act / .38 Special)

Don't remember the opening act. Dual drums onstage for .38 Special with a huge stage setup - great show!

10 May 1987, Hampton Coliseum, Hampton Roads, CA (? Opening Act / Bon Jovi)

Remember the Bon Jovi VERY well, as my room mate and I helped out quite a few ladies see the stage from our shoulders. One of the top 5 concerts I've EVER experienced!

1985?, Tucson, AZ (Loudness / Ratt)

I had no clue who Loudness was - THAT changed after the set, as the lead guitarist was phenomenal! The lead singer's English wasn't that great. Ratt was KILLER, with Juan Croucier bouncing all over the stage like a madman

????, Tucson, AZ (Jeff Healey / ZZ Top)

Jeff's set was jaw-dropping.. to see a blind man bouncing all over the stage, playing his heart out - WOW. ZZ Top's stage was amazing, with elevator tracks on the floor to move them side-to-side, and a huge crane behind them that moved cars and other items all over the stage while they played. They brought out the white fuzzy guitars that spun 360 degrees for a few songs!

6 Feb 1985, Phoenix, AZ (? Opening Act / Kiss)

Another great Kiss show.

1983?, Tucson Convention Center, Tucson, AZ (Blackfoot / Ted Nugent)

Two KILLER sets from two killer bands! Remember driving home with my dad in his 240Z - the music was so loud that we were literally screaming at each other in the car, but were only 2' apart! Ted opened his set with massive guitar feedback while standing on top of a 7' high speaker stack.. he also wore his loincloth (and nothing else) with the tail sticking out the back.

26 June 1977, Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN (Sweet Inspirations / J.D. Sumner & The Stamps / Elvis Presley)

To witness Elvis' final performance as your first ever concert experience - what a way to start! We had nose-bleed seats that my grandmother (who had seen Elvis in Indiana in the 1950's!) gave to our whole family. Dad took pictures (which I have, along with the concert book and ticket stub). The entire arena lit up like it was daylight when Elvis walked onstage, and the craziness never stopped. Widely acknowledged as one of Elvis' finest 1977 concerts...