POISON
Xfinity Theater
Hartford, Connecticut
June 14, 2018
It had been 10 years since a studio album has been released, but these guys are back on the road again drawing in crowds that cant get enough of their 80’s rock music. It has been over 30 years since the release of their freshman album “Look What The Cat Dragged In”, the album that brought me into the fold as fan, and the title track of that record is what started their set off and the massive 10 song singalong that followed.
An enthusiastic crowd sang along to Bret Michaels and watched in awe as CC Deville played. Personally, I was enthralled watching Rikki Rockett play drums, especially after his recent fight with cancer. There is a flair to his playing that is fun to watch. Bobby Dall on bass, just seemed so down to earth, looking relaxed in jeans and a plaid shirt. Definite change in image from 30 years ago, but then we all have changed a bit in that time. One thing remains though, the music is still great, the fans still fill the seats and the music still plays on the radio.
As Bret jumped and ran all over the stage, CC and Bobby stayed mostly on their sides of the stage, working the crowd in front of them.
The setlist seemed short, 11 songs in all. “Look What The Cat Dragged In”, “I Want Action”, “Ride The Wind”, ‘Talk Dirty To Me” followed by “Something To Believe In” when they brought some local first responders and veterans to the stage and thanked them and all the others there that night for their service, most appropriate on what was Flag Day. Next up was “Your Momma Don’t Dance” led into CC Deville’s guitar solo, “Fallen Angel”, then into one of my favorite songs, “Unskinny Bop” another one where the crowd’s noise level went up, Rikki’s drum solo was next then followed by Bobby’s bass solo. It slowed down a bit as the lighters and cell phones lit up to “Every Rose Has a Thorn” and then the tempo ramped back up as they closed their set with “Nothing But a Good Time”.
As the crowd screamed Poison and stomped their feet, they came back out on stage and played a song that everyone knows and loves, “Rock N Roll All Nite” by Kiss.
This is a fun band to see live. Bret puts 110% into every show and they always deliver a set list of great tunes that everyone who is there knows. Hopefully, they will be back around Hartford soon.
