rock and roll

But let’s just focus on POISON.

Yes I scored yet another Saturday night off of work…no idea how?? Oh yes I do–I had to work the crappy 9:30 am shift instead! Well, I guess that’s the price that I’m willing to pay to see my very FIRST true loves–POISON!!! 💚💚💚

Me: “what’s that you say?”

You: “but wasn’t it a Def Leppard show? I mean they were the headliner…..”

Me: “Watch!!! Poison will be 100 times better than Def Leppard!!”

—And they were!!!
But let’s start at the beginning…
So I worked a completely and totally uneventful day bartending at Kona Grill. But I could feel my anticipation and excitement building with each and every minute. Any chance that I have in life to even be in the same sheer radius of Bret Michaels makes me as giddy as the school girl I used to be. I set out from work to find the perfect “I might run into Bret” outfit. So I actually bought four different looks…none of which even remotely worked by the way. I began to get into my full rocker chick mode. Starting with my favorite part…I smoothed on my blackest eye makeup, which is like my rocker armor and makes me feel fearless. I straightened my insanely long black hair, threw on my favorite tank top and black wedges and set out to meet my Lyft driver.

The temperature was a blistering 108 degrees and I looked like a vampire so much that I’m pretty sure my pasty skin was glistening in the sunlight.

My Lyft driver was a rough, blonde woman named Sherry. Traffic was beyond a complete mess because EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival) was in town and of course she chose to take the highway. Sherry was weaving in and out of the lanes and just down right driving like a bat out of hell! At one point I looked at her and said if she killed me before I got to see Bret Michaels she definitely wasn’t getting a tip!! The show started at 7 pm and Tesla actually had started at 6:58 pm. What the??? Since when do rock bands start early?? Sherry and I were still stuck in traffic and only inching our way to the MGM Grand. But finally we had arrived after sitting through the SAME stoplight 12 times. The place was a complete madhouse boasting a strange mixture of scantily dressed EDC ravers, lost tourists with their cameras in the air and my personal favorite 80’s glam rockers!!!

I’ve never walked so fast in wedges my whole life…until I saw the freakin line to get in. The time was already 7:30 pm…why were are these people still outside?? Tesla had been on for 30 minutes already. I really didn’t care and neither did the hundreds of people wearing Poison & Def Leppard shirts pushing their way through the doors. The only thing that I cared about was NOT missing POISON!!!

I was IN!!!! The place was sold out and jam packed. The sad 80’s groupie looking chicks were in full affect. I was secretly hoping I never looked that desperate, but accepted the fact that I probably already did. I fought my way through the beer line, got a Bud Light and ascended to my solo seat. My seat was Section 2, Row K, Seat 5 (5 is my lucky number, so that’s why I chose it). Damn my seat was perfectly positioned a little above the floor and damn near center stage. Definitely worth the money!!!

And then the lights went down!!!!

Enter….Bret Michaels!!!!!!!!!!! 😍😍😍😍

POISON SET LIST:
1. Look What The Cat Dragged In. This is usually the first song played at every Poison show and I when I hear it I know it’s gonna be a good night! Poison’s debut studio album that dropped May 23, 1986 and completely molded my childhood. I was 7 years old.

2. Ride The Wind. Straight from the Flesh & Blood album of 1990. This song never gets enough credit. But I’m obsessed with this line…”taste the wild, lick the wind!”

3. Talk Dirty To Me!!! This was the bands first international hit and really put them on the map. And I go CRAZY when this song comes on! I had an entire choreographed dance routine that I performed every Thursday night at Woody’s KC…after I filled myself with liquid courage of course. Pretty ridiculous now that I think back on the visual of me dropping to my knees and throwing my hair around violently.

4. Something To Believe In. Power ballad with a lot of heart behind it. Bret wrote this about his bodyguard/friend who died alone in a hotel room and his cousin who was in Vietnam. Pretty heartbreaking lyrics.

5. Your Mama Don’t Dance. Actually a cover of a 1972 hit by Kenny Loggins.

6. C.C. Deville guitar solo. I’m just thankful he’s not doing that “every bone in your body but mine” song anymore!!! Man is a beast on guitar, always has been.

7. Fallen Angel. Love, love, love this song!! And now that I’m an adult it holds a different meaning for me. Now it reminds me of my move from KC to Las Vegas.

8. Unskinny Bop. Enough said. What’s got you so jumpy? Why can’t you sit still???

9. Rikki Rocket drum solo. This man kicked cancers ASS!

10. EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORN!!! 🌹 🌹🌹 To this day…and I’m NOT exaggerating…every time I hear this song live, I cry like a baby. I love this song soooooo much!! Seeing it love puts me on another level! When I was little, I honestly had no idea what the song was even about.

11. Nothin But A Good Time. Last but definitely not least. If you’ve seen Poison before than you already get it. The ultimate party song and great ending for a great show!
It’s always amazing seeing my first rock love…
Oh and apparently Def Leppard played too…. but that’s a different story.