Review of 2010 Rock N America Festival
Rock N America July 24th and 25th written by guest blogger Shelley Turner
First off, let me say, I had an amazing time at the Rock N America festival in Oklahoma City. It was a three day event, but I was only able to attend Saturday and Sunday.
What a venue! Having never been to a show there before, I did not know what to expect. First of all, there was free parking which really surprised me! Second, there is hardly a bad seat in the place since the amphitheater is built on a slope. Last, but certainly not least, even if you didn’t pay extra for VIP tickets, you could still get close enough to the stage to get some good pictures and see the bands.
The line ups were phenomenal to a die hard hair band fan like me! Saturday’s bands included Steelheart, Firehouse, MSG, Cinderella, and the Scorpions on the main stage. Sunday’s main stage hosted Warrant, Slaughter, Lita Ford, Dokken, and Ratt.
The majority of the bands sounded just as good as I remember them, but there were a few stand out performances…..
Cinderella, though predictable, put on a good show and played all of their hits and fan favorites. Everyone was on their feet as soon as they heard the opening guitar riff of “Gypsy Road” and stayed that way until Tom Keifer and crew left the stage.
If any of you get a chance to see the Scorpions on this, their farewell tour, see them. They were amazing! I had never seen them in concert, so they were one of the main reasons I went to the festival. They far exceeded my expectations. They tore the place down with favorites like “The Zoo”, “Rock You Like a Hurricane”, and “Big City Nights”. Concert goers also got the treat of seeing past band members Michael Schenker and “Herman ze German” Rarebell jam with the band.
Sunday, though there were many problems with sound equipment and a torrential downpour with no umbrellas allowed in the park, a good time was had. Slaughter wins my best of show for Sunday simply because they sounded amazing, played all of their old hits, and Mark Slaughter came out into the crowd. A band that caters to the fans gets me every time. They also had a guest back up singer for the 80’s anthem “Up All Night“…..Vince Neil.
Lita Ford, who I am convinced brings the rain (if you were at Rocklahoma in 2008, you know what I am talking about!) sounded great and ended her set with predictably asking the crowd if any of them went to a party last Saturday night!
Though not as high pitched as the old days, Don Dokken and band delivered the goods! Hit after hit after sing along hit. They really got the crowd going….. as they always do. They are and always will be one of my favorites of that genre.
In closing, the Rock N America Festival was definitely worth the trip to OKC! I don’t know how they will top this year’s line up, but hopefully they will try it again next year. If you get the chance to check out this venue in the future, pack some sunscreen and a poncho….just in case Lita Ford is in the area. And to all my peers and fellow fans….Keep on Rockin’!!!
Thanks for the review Shelley, I think we may have to attend this festival next year, awesome line up.
