80’S WEEKEND
Kix & Vixen live at Choctaw Casino in Oklahoma and “fans left thrilled” says Music Mania Podcast
DURANT, Oklahoma — They called it the “80’s Weekend” at the fabulous Choctaw Casino in Durant, Oklahoma and Saturday night’s attraction brought Vixen and Kix to the stage at the Grand Theater. This show followed Friday’s concert, which featured Slaughter and Great White, two bands equally baptized in 80’s rock nostalgia.
VIXEN
The girls may have been without singer Janet Gardner (who was absent due to having surgery back in January), but that did not stop Vixen from churning out a memorable performance. Femme Fatale singer Lorraine Lewis filled in for Gardner on this night admirably and the festivities kicked off with a high-octane version of “Rev it Up.” At the conclusion of the song, bassist Share Ross introduced Lewis to the crowd after asking if they noticed if “anything was missing?”
Gardner’s stage presence and chemistry with the other band members were missed but Lewis is certainly no slouch in her own right as she flawlessly executed such Vixen hits as “How Much Love,” and “Cryin.” As the show progressed it became clear that the band’s rythym section of Roxy Petrucci & Share Ross represent the heart and soul of Vixen in 2018. Guitarist Britt Lightning is more than a suitable replacement for deceased founding member Jan Kuehnumund, and it is a fitting tribute that the band continue as a tribute to her endearing spirit and musical ability.
Ross took over on lead vocals for a couple songs “Streets in Paradise,” and a cover of “I Don’t Need No Doctor” before closing the show out Femme Fatale’s “Waiting For the Big One ( a song that appeared on the film “Licence to Drive” back in 1977 and, of course Vixen’s biggest hit “Edge of a Broken Heart.” The band likely had to cut a few songs from their set due to Gardner’s absence but huge props to the ladies for powering through and refusing to let their fans down.
KIX
The evening’s headliners took the stage to a loud and receptive crowd at 9:30 on the dot. From the opening notes of 1991’s “Hot Wire” Kix were on fire and validated the fact that they may be the most criminally underrated band that was forged from the ashed of 1980’s hard rock. Frontman Steve Whiteman dazzled the crowd with both his charisma and top-notch vocal abilities while the guitar tandem of Brian “Damage” Forsythe and Ronnie “10/10” Younkins was spot on in the mix providing a exemplary backbone to the band’s explosive sound.“Don’t Close Your Eyes” was certainly a major highlight of the evening and the song that went to #11 on the Billboard charts back in 1988 prompted a tender singalong before the band concluded with two more hits from the “Blow My Fuse” album including the title track and “Cold Blood.”
Overall, fans left the event more than thrilled to have taken part in this weekend so drenched in 80’s nostalgia. The venue itself is nothing short of stunning as the casino is one of the largest non-vegas casinos in the country. The Grand Theater is one of the best places to see a concert you will find anywhere with extremely convenient entry, a hospitable staff and a state of the art sound system. The theater will play host to a myriad of national-level acts in the coming months such as Huey Lewis and the News, Miranda Lambert and Kenny Loggins.
Above content courtesy of Music Mania Podcast.
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