The FBO are exhausted at the lack of inventiveness it's seeing on rock stages of the non-failed and failed rock world. Rolling into Stillwater, for example, a band unloads equipment, and then -- without thought -- set up drums center stage, toward back.
In a word: no.
Night Ranger's exceptionably talented Kelly Keagy receives a retroactive FBO Ribbon of Choreographical Merit for setting up his drums differently. Whether backing Jack Blades on 'Don't Tell Me You Love Me' or pouring a bit too much emotion on the never-caught-on catch phrase of 'you're motoring, mo-to-ring' with fist pumps at the end of the bombastic 'Sister Christian,' Kelly does it like you want him to: PERPENDICULARLY, at the SIDE OF THE STAGE, drum set pointed inward toward the chest-bearing rhythm-guitar prowess of Jeff Watson, allowing the crowd full site of his skin-pounding chops and forehead-perspiration below a tuffle of frizzy hair:
Kelly also deserves special praise for his daringness in concert attire, as the following photo (taken in St Louis in 2000) attests:
Night Ranger deserves praise for meaning what they do -- no matter how misguided -- and for creative stage design. I saw them -- with Ratt opening -- in 1985 and was so impressed that I bought a white muscle t-shirt with the 'Midnight Madness' cover on it. Time passes though and Night Ranger, these days, add considerable strength to the age-old argument that San Francisco may be rock'n'roll's worst rock'n'roll city (Starship, Santana, Huey, G-Dead, Steve Miller, Night Ranger are among the 'highlights').
Night Ranger, Kelly... we just want to thank you.
Props also to photography by Ellen Kozisek (www.geocities.com/rainbow2/NR).
Let's all make 2007 a PERPENDICULAR YEAR!
FBO Admin
Mobile/Semi-Permanent HQ -- Brooklyn, NY
2 comments:
I'd like to add that the failed bands of San Francisco, however, easily rank with the best failed bands in these United States.
"easily rank with the best failed bands in these United States. "
Behind Oklahoma, of course..
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