Concert Review: Warrant at Crocodile Rock in Allentown, Pennsylvania on July 23, 2009

Warrant returned to Lehigh Valley on the evening of July 23. The line-up features Erik Turner on lead and rhythm guitar and background vocals, Joey Allen on lead and rhythm guitar and background vocals, Jerry Dixon on bass and background vocals, Steven Sweet on the drums and background vocals and Robert Mason, formerly of Lynch Mob, on vocals and guitar. Robert has been Warrant's vocalist for the past ten or so months. This was a great night for old school Warrant fans [at this point, the band no longer plays any material from Ultraphobic or Belly To Belly (or later) and now that Jaime St. James is no longer performing vocal duties, songs from the CD he recorded with the band are no longer in the setlist either]. The first LP was played almost in its entirety and more than half of the songs from the second LP were performed. There were two songs from the third LP and a cover of a Queen song that the band recorded for the Gladiator soundtrack.

As usual, the band opened up with "Down Boys" followed by "Big Talk" ... at the beginning of the song, Robert said it hadn't been played for a while and he's right - I have seen Warrant a few times since 2001 and I have never heard them play the track before. "Sometimes She Cries" had a really crisp sound - it was good! The band got really heavy with the rockin' and powerful "The Hole In My Wall" from the Dog Eat Dog era. As the evening progressed, the guys slowed it down for fan favorites "Heaven" and "I Saw Red". Business picked up again for "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "D.R.F.S.R.". The lights went down until Steven hit the drums for that familiar beat ... "We Will Rock You". The crowd went wild for the last song of the evening, the Glam Metal anthem "Cherry Pie".

It was a Thursday night gig and a 70-mile drive one way, but it was well worth the trip. It was an awesome show and I had a blast! There were a few microphone problems early in the set, but it was taken care of. Robert did very well and overall the band did the songs justice. Steven's background vocals were great as were the other members'. Erik and Jerry were spot on with their guitar playing. Joey was sporting a cool glittery guitar.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Down Boys
02. Big Talk
03. Sure Feels Good To Me
04. 32 Pennies
05. Sometimes She Cries
06. The Hole In My Wall
07. Heaven
08. So Pretty
09. Machine Gun
10. I Saw Red
11. Bed of Roses
12. Ridin' High
13. Blind Faith
14. Mr. Rainmaker
15. Uncle Tom's Cabin
16. D.R.F.S.R.
17. We Will Rock You
18. Cherry Pie

Pics of the show (all taken, cropped and uploaded by the author):









Cool shot!










A lot of enthusiasm.


Good one.




Look at this action!






Many more live photographs can be found here:
http://s744.photobucket.com/albums/xx90/mafd1974/Concerts/Warrant/Warrant%20July%2023%202009/

Here I am with some of the guys after the gig:

Robert Mason


Joey Allen


Jerry Dixon


I brought some rad memorabilia with me ...

Autographed photos (taken in 2007 and signed in 2009):


I finally completed this t-shirt! Jerry Dixon was the final signature I needed. Through the years, when meeting members of Warrant, Jerry was never around for some reason, but I finally got him! I told him he was the last one I needed and he asked if I had Jani on it and I told him "oh yeah". He then said "I feel bad now". No need, haha. It took me six years, but it's complete now - all five! Photo:


Warrant banner signed (as Jerry was signing it, Steve said that he doesn't have any of this ... referring to the banner and perhaps the other items I had with me) by four out of five members now (the others signed it in 2007 ... the only autograph I need now is Jani Lane):


Trading cards signed that evening (I also have cards signed by Erik and Jani so the set is now complete - I'll have to photograph all of them together someday):


What a night! It's too bad Warrant didn't have any local dates following the Croc Rock show. Here's to 2010!