Flash Back! Warrant and other metal rockers blow through Southwest Florida for one-night-only performance
By MELISSA SCHNEIDER
mschneider@breezenewspapers.com
Fellas, get that patched-up jean jacket out of the closet, and ladies, dig out those leg-warmers and pick up a few extra cans of Aquanet on your way home from work. The ’80s are working their way into the 21st century, and you’re not going to want to miss them, as Rob Lyons of JRRL Promotions introduces his Bringing Back the ’80s concert Saturday, Sept. 16, at the German-American Club, Cape Coral, featuring totally bodaciously rockin’ metal sounds of Firehouse, Winger, SteelHeart and Warrant!
“This is definitely going to be the biggest ’80s party to hit Cape Coral since the ’80s!” Rob said. “It’s going to be high-energy fun for the whole family.”
With doors opening at 4:30 p.m. and music thrashing at 5:30, this all-metal music mania promises to be a non-stop rock show full of wild hair whipping, rocker horns flaring and ’80s fun for fans of all ages.
“These concerts are so fun and great for the whole community,” Rob said, who helped coordinate the local Coolio/Tone Loc, Flock of Seagulls and Nonpoint concerts last year, as well as the recent Vanilla Ice show that came to town. “I was a child of the ’80s, and this is going to be such a blast from the past show.”
The bands
Warrant, the headliners of the show, have transcended the ages and phases of rock, and continue performing to sold-out crowds around the globe on a regular basis. Most well-known for their hit single “Cherry Pie,” these guys have decades of songs under their rock belts, including “Heaven,” “Down Boys,” “I Saw Red,” “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and “Sometimes She Cries.”
SteelHeart, hailing from the great state of Connecticut, was one of the very last hair metal bands to score a hit with a power ballad reaching platinum status worldwide before the music scene shifted to the grunge era.
Soon, the group released “I’ll Never Let You Go,” which reached No. 14 on the Billboard singles chart, along with “She’s Gone,” “Can’t Stop Me Loving You” and “Everybody Loves Eileen.”
Tragedy struck the band shortly after. On Halloween night, 1992, while opening for Slaughter at McNichols Arena in Denver, Colo., lead singer Michael Matijevic was struck in the head by a lighting truss, knocking him to the ground face first, and sustaining serious head injuries.
Since the accident, Matijevic spent years rebuilding SteelHeart to where it is today; a new beginning with a clear vision.
Winger first took the spotlight in the late ’80s, quickly coming out with multiple singles that took the fast track to gold and platinum hits, including “Madalaine,” “Seventeen,” “Headed For A Heartbreak,” “Hungry,” “Can’t Get Enuff,” “Miles Away” and “Easy Come Easy Go,” and nominated for an American Music Award for Best New Heavy Metal Band.
The group has been on world tours with the Scorpions, ZZ Top, Bad Company, Cinderella, Bon Jovi, Poison, Skid Row and Tesla.
Once going their separate ways years later, lead man Kip Winger moved on and currently produces, records and writes for multiple projects and movie scores, such as Blackwood Creek with brother, Nate Winger, and friend, Peter Fletcher.
Firehouse has been rockin’ for more than two decades now, along with the rest of these great metal bands, and has produced some great hits, including “Reach for the Sky,” “Sleeping with You” and “When I Look into Your Eyes,”climbing the charts as high as No. 6 worldwide.
As rock music evolved, so did Firehouse, coming out with nearly 10 albums into the early 2000s, with a greatest hits CD on the calendar for 2011.
Of course, no great ’80s bash is complete without a beneficiary of the show.
“The Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral will receive a part of the proceeds of this event,” Rob said.
Tickets to the show are $15 in advance, $20 at the gate, and may be purchased online by visiting BringingBackTheHair.com or by stopping by many local establishments.
There are still possibly a few VIP passes available, which include meet-and-greets with all the rockers of the evening, as well as some other fun perks.
“We’re really excited to bring back the 80s music, hence Bringing Back the Hair,” Rob said. “Come on out, it’s going to be a great time for the whole family!”
Be sure to become a fan of the concert on Facebook by searching “Bring Back the Hair,” don’t be afraid to show your 80s style and flash during the show, and for more information on the upcoming rock fest of pure metal and malarkey, visit BringingBackTheHair.com or call Rob at 677-9670 or email Rob@SupportCityUSA.com.