The holidays got off to an earlier than normal loud and fun start Friday, Dec. 15, when four of the ‘80s’ mainstay artists rocked the pavilion of The Espee downtown to show their fans they’ve still got it.
Warrant, Winger, Lita Ford and Steelheart teamed to take part in the inaugural 106.7-FM The Eagle’s Rock the Halls before an estimated crowd of 500 enthusiastic fans of what, for many, is the best era of hard rock and heavy metal music to have partaken in.
But before things could get rockin’, they got a bit rocky. Doors were supposed to open at 5:30, but Steelheart was doing a lengthy soundcheck that resulted in the band starting promptly at the scheduled 6:30 while many patrons were still in line outside the entrance. Sound issues continued to plague theirs and Ford’s sets until eventually, the rock, and the celebrating, went on without further annoyances.
Ford played the exact same seven songs, in order, that she performed Sept. 24, 2022, at the Boeing Center at Tech Port when she was part of the several support acts opening for Legs Diamond. That show actually saw Ford play eight tunes, with “Back to the Cave” drawing the short end this time.
Warrant was making its first appearance in San Antonio since a 2017 showing at the Tobin Center. Winger and Steelheart, meanwhile, hadn’t been in S.A. in seemingly forever. And Winger stole the show.
Believed to be the only rock band out there still going strong with all original members, singer/bassist Kip Winger and crew were proud of that distinction in marking 35 years as a band and its smash self-titled debut album. But Winger, guitarists Reb Beach and John Roth, guitarist/keyboardist Paul Taylor and drummer Rod Morgenstein also dropped Seven in May and showed they’re not resting on their laurels by opening with new tune “Stick the Knife in and Twist” and unveiling the album’s first single “Proud Desperado” (ATM footage below).
To be technical, Winger took their member milestone a bit further in 1992 when Roth was initially added to the original quartet. And they demonstrated in 2023 that their musicianship is as tight as ever. Watch them further in action via Facebook Live footage as they ended their set with first two album hits “Easy Come Easy Go,” “Madalaine” and even a brief instrumental jam of “You Are the Saint, I Am the Sinner” here.
With so many hits to play in a 50-minute stanza coupled with the fact they weren’t headlining, Winger cut out second verses of several tunes, including its biggest smash “Seventeen,” which was quickly inserted as the set’s second track.
Morgenstein was having a blast throughout the show, Winger sang and talked through his patented drive-thru styled mic, and Beach and Roth were steady as usual (see setlist in 72-photo gallery). Taylor received a bit of the spotlight as Winger introduced him on “Miles Away” while explaining Taylor wrote the song by himself after the two had initially come together in Alice Cooper’s band (watch below). For those remembering Taylor as he appeared in the group’s hit videos with curly long hair and a beard, you wouldn’t have recognized him on this night if he was standing next to you as he sported a baseball hat and clean shaven cut.
And for those who only know Winger songs from the first two or three albums, do yourself a favor and check out 2009’s Karma, which is right up there with the first two records if not better. It would’ve been great to hear “Stone Cold Killer,” “Supernova” or arguably their heaviest tune recorded in “Pull Me Under,” so hopefully Winger will return in headlining mode and play a few of those songs.
The Eagle’s “Crash,” Joe Calguero and Joe Rock told the crowd that “Rock the Halls” will become an annual event. But before that can happen, the inaugural one had to commence and end, and Steelheart etched its name into "Rock the Halls” trivia lore by becoming the first band to perform.
Vocalist and band founder Miljenko Matijevic, backed by guitarist Joe Pessia, bassist James Ward and drummer Mike Humbert, spotlighted his 2001 “Rock Star” movie contributions with second song “Livin’ the Life” — a track that also opens Jeff Scott Soto’s 2021 album The Duets Collection: Vol. 1. Matijevic, who lent his voice to Mark Wahlberg’s character Chris Cole and the fictional band Steel Dragon, will always be known for his incredible high-pitched range on smash ballad “I’ll Never Let You Go (Angel Eyes).”
Stunningly, however, the band was unable to play it when Matijevic was informed by Calguero that their 30-minute set only had time for one more tune. The unhappy vocalist had the crooning hit and one more track planned but was suddenly forced to only choose one. He began to give the option to the fans before declaring he would go back to “Rock Star” and closed with “We All Die Young.” Watch ATM’s Facebook Live footage of it here as Matijevic inserted himself into the middle of the crowd for part of the song.
The fact that the Croatian native, who moved to America when he was 6, and Steelheart were even able to play the Alamo City was a victory of major proportions. Matijevic was severely injured during a gig in 1992 when he climbed a lighting truss that wasn’t completely secure and suffered a twisted spine and broken nose, cheekbone and jaw.
So now that Steelheart, like Winger, has a solid reason to return to the Alamo City . . .
Calguero tried to lighten the programming blunder by telling the crowd, “Maybe we’ll sing ‘I’ll Never Let You Go’ “ as he began to introduce Ford’s band. In case you were wondering: no, that didn’t happen.
The 65-year-old Ford, accompanied as usual by San Antonio native Patrick Kennison on guitar, drummer Bobby Rock and bassist Marten Andersson, was solid again and engaging with the audience. She told a sentimental story about how her B.C. Rich guitar was made out of a tree trunk she found with her father on a fishing trip in 1980 prior to performing her hit with The Runaways, “Cherry Bomb,” and “Close My Eyes Forever” (ATM footage of both below). Watch the group in further action on the song Ford and the late Lemmy Kilmister co-wrote, “Can’t Catch Me.”
Warrant’s headlining set, naturally, was filled with hits from the first three albums: Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, Cherry Pie and “Machine Gun” from 1992’s vastly underrated Dog Eat Dog (watch here and see setlist in photo gallery).
Although accomplished vocalist Robert Mason has been in the group for 15 years following the departure, return, and eventual death of brilliant songwriter and vocalist Jani Lane, he has the difficult task of knowing the band is always going to have to fill its shows with Lane’s songs no matter how much new music the group chooses to make in the future with his voice. Still, Mason always puts his balls into his performances whether the songs are originally his or not, and he’s a big reason Warrant is always worth the price of admission.
On this night, original guitarist Joey Allen and drummer Steven Sweet did their thing as usual, but original guitarist Erik Turner and bassist Jerry Dixon, while still members, were nowhere to be found. A date with paying the bills necessitated an early departure halfway through the group’s set, so if an explanation of their absence was given, it wasn’t heard by these ears. But a familiar face filled in on bass in the form of Robbie Crane of Ratt, Lynch Mob and now Black Star Riders fame. Watch the group in further action below on “32 Pennies” and the ballad “Blind Faith.”
So there was no snow, and there were intermittent moments of audio and technical difficulties. But the first “Rock the Halls” had a slew of memorable hits from the past, plenty of energy and was a rockin’ good time. The way it was intended to be. And it gave future installments something to live up to.
