Route 66: 2010

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Scorpions with Cinderella @ 1st Bank Center - Broomfield 8/17/10

Tonight is Tuesday & it's the second night this week we are rockin'!  Gotta love live music!!!

Tonight's show is Scorpions "Get Your Sting & Blackout" World (retirement) Tour with Cinderella opening up.  This was a night for a couple of firsts.  This was the first time I had been to the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield.  I'd been past it a few times before, on my way to Boulder on 36.  It's tucked back in a little neighborhood that is just starting to fill in with some businesses & condos.  Anyway, good close by parking, (we were there early enough to get Free parking).  We had a couple of beers at the nearby pizza place and then walked to the venue.  I gotta tell ya, I LOVE being able to walk to a venue after enjoying a beverage.  Kinda like Vegas, but WAY cheaper drinks.

We were a little bummed that it seemed to take forever to open up the doors.  Luckily, the weather was nice, so it wasn't all bad, but I have to wonder what it would be like in winter.  The show was to start at 8pm, so 7pm doors wasn't altogether out of line.  The venue is what you'd expect of a multi-use place and according to the website holds up to 7000.  It wasn't sold out, (too bad) for the Scorps, so we figured about 5k for the show.  They had the sound dialed in pretty well and security seemed to be doing a pretty good job; you know escourting out the knuckleheads that just got to a concert to drink, smoke & get stoopid.  It seems pretty crazy to spend a pretty good chunk of change on a ticket, $7+ on a beer and whatever on other substances only to get tossed out & not see the show...Duh!

OK, now on to the Fun!  Cinderella hit the stage at 8ish,  (that's rock n' roll for nearly on time).  The band from the 80's is back with all the original members, (as we know 'em) and put on a really good solid Rock & Bloos show.  They did all their hits, Night Songs, Shake Me, Gypsy Road, Shelter Me and of course,  Don't Know What You've Got, (til it's gone).   This was the second "first" this night as I hadn't seen Cinderella before.  I was suitably impressed.  Tom Keifer, lead vocals & "stuff'" plays 6 & 12 string & double neck guitars, piano & even sax.  Not bad, not bad at all.  The rest of the band put together a very solid show and they rocked out for about an hour.  I'd have to say, based on the show here, I'd definitely seem them again. 

After a relatively short stage reset, Scorpions hit the stage and man did they Rock the House!  From the first chords of Sting in the Tail, (I think...I'm Old, so I forget sometimes), throughout nearly ALL the hits you would expect, the Scorpions Kicked Major Butt!  The guys had a major huge video screen (or three) set up at the back of the stage that showed members of the band as well as video clips that went along with the particular song.  The show started with James Kottak's drum kit probably 20 feet or so in the air and the rest of the band running around the stage.  By the way, perhaps one of the coolest things about the stage was the section that jutted out into the crowd so that everyone was able to be out in the midst of the crowd during the show.  The band has been around for roughly 40 years and they know how to rock & roll. 

These guys rocked like guys in their 30's and didn't look at all like this was a "retirement" tour.  The Scorps brought all the tunes you would expect, The Zoo, Loving You Sunday Morning, Blackout, several tunes from the new (latest) album and for the encore, No One Like You, (Denvah....) and you got it, Rock You Like  Hurricane!  If you have the chance, you might want to pick up the new album; "Sting in the Tail".  All around very good tunage.

Each member of the band was showcased for a solo with James' being the longest.  While good, it might have been a touch too long.  Rudolph ran around the stage and looked like he was still back in the day when the Scorpions Ruled MTV and their videos were everywhere, (you DO remember when MTV actually played music, right??), Mattias played all over the stage and Truly looked like he was having the time of his life.  It's a Great feeling for the crowd when the band are enjoying themselves.  You know how it goes, when the band is having a good time, they feed off the audience and the audience feeds off them and so on.  I've been lucky enough to see the band on several occasions and I have to say that this was definitely one of the best and most energetic shows I've seen from them.  It's nice to see a band go out near the top of their game, unlike, (insert OLD /tired band name here).

Throughout the show, the lights and pyro played a integral part of things and on more than one occasion, the crowd was singing right along, not me of course, well, with the exception of Still Loving You...perhaps.  For me, I think one of the highlights was seeing the band rocking out together on the stage extension and shaking hands & bumping fists.  For a true music lover, it's the things like this that make the difference between a good show & a great show.

Besides a great show by a great band, having my brother there also made it special.  This was also Dave's first time to see the Scorps and likely the last, but he had a Great time & then it was time to close the show.  Sad for us, but great that we were there to see it.  In addition to watching the band, before the show, during intermission & a bit after the show, it's often entertaining to people watch as well.  Always interesting and fairly eye-opening.  It takes all kinds and really, I guess it doesn't matter what folks look like, it matters what's in the heart.

I must say that nearly everything about the night and the show was great, except for the pictures.  I was pretty disappointed in the pictures I took, (my fault or at least my Blackberry's fault).  Now I'm looking for both a small digital camera AND a video camera...here's at least one or two that came out OK.




Peace and may the music be guide for your soul!

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