Night Ranger opened the show with high energy. I was familiar with the San Francisco band’s biggest hit, ‘Sister Christian’, but little else. They have a great, pure rock and roll sound. Good music and a camera in hand… what more could I ask for?

Foreigner was up next. The list of former members of this band is as long as both my arms! Until this past August, this band had only one remaining original member, English guitarist Mick Jones. He has now been sidelined due to illness. Throughout the late 70’s and all through the 80’s, this band had multiple hits. I guess it’s due to this success that this excellent cover band is able to play ‘Head Games’ with their audience. On their feet, singing along, they remembered their enthusiasm for the music back in the 80’s and convinced themselves this was the real deal. They either didn’t know this was no longer the band they had known and loved, or they simply didn’t care.

Staying on my cover band soapbox, the last band of the evening was the most appalling and perplexing of all. This version of Journey (also originally a San Francisco band) features a kid from the Philippines, Arnel Pineda, mimicking the sound of former front man Steve Perry. Like Foreigner, Journey has held on to one original member, guitarist Neal Schon. Ironically it was Schon who recruited new lead singer Pineda after seeing him singing covers on YouTube! Perry gave Journey its signature sound and now Pineda, half Perry’s age, struts around on the stage daring the audience to doubt his delivery of all their favorite songs. But of course they did not. They cheered and sang and danced under the stars, thinking about their youth and loving it. Long live Rock and Roll, I guess, in whatever form you can get it!