The very first ever Poison Fan Appreciation Days or the Poison Convention was held in and around Cleveland, Ohio on July 18-19, 2001. It was an absolutely amazing experience, even with a few glitches. But nothing is perfect. So big thanks and kudos to Brynn and Faith, the two main organizers of the event, as well as to Poison and everyone involved on their end. I sincerely hope that this was the first of many and it can become an annual event :)))) If it does, start making plans to attend now, no matter where you live. I traveled all the way from Missouri for it and it was worth every mile :))) (For anyone that was at the BBQ, I was the one in the white Poison PTTP T-shirt.)

The BBQ

Just getting into Cleveland via the airport and driving on down to Akron was an event. But that was nothing compared to trying to find the park where the BBQ was held. The BBQ took place in Sand Run Park starting at 4 PM. I headed for the park about 4:30 and finally made it around 6 PM after many backtracking trips and detours down the wrong road. But it wasn't just my bad sense of direction in a strange city; after visiting with people, it seems just about everyone had at least a little trouble.

Once, in the park, I began looking for the 2nd parking lot and hoped I would find it easily. I drove past a group of people visiting by the cars that looked like Poison fans; it turned out later I was right on that score--who I had seen were the members of Wycked Heart. When I parked the car, I knew it was the right place. I spotted the welcome banner for the picnic. So off I went to spend the next 3 hours eating, visiting with other Poison fans, and taking pictures. Along with my chocolate chip cookies. I had to contribute something to the picnic :)

Now I'm not the most outgoing person in the world; it's just my nature that I'm kinda shy and reserved around new people even when I don't wanna be. And except for who I came with, I didn't know a soul at the picnic when it started. Many of the people, however, had spent a lot of time online chatting and, in a few cases, had even met in person before. So there were definitely times that the picnic felt rather like small cliques and I wasn't sure at all that me joining a discussion would have been welcome. I'm not trying to complain or have anyone feel guilty, just trying to explain how it felt sometimes as essentially an outsider to the group.

On the other hand, there were also many times that I was made to feel very welcome and part of something wonderful. And it was a wonderful experience overall :))) Brynn and Faith went around the park several times making sure that people knew there was food available for everyone and encouraging them to eat. They also stopped to visit for at least a few minutes with everyone, even the ones, like me, that they didn't know. My husband seemed to hit it off with their husbands and visited for a long time, which isn't something he normally does. He even visited with them some more the next day waiting for us to get in for the sound check. :)

Members of Look What The Cat Dragged In and Wycked Heart were present and they made that presence known. They were very gracious with their time. They posed for pictures, shared stories, and gave autographs. They all seemed like really nice guys. Randy, the singer of Wycked Heart, was especially making sure that everyone got a band photo and autographs. He told some really kewl stories. For some reason, it seemed to impress him that I had traveled "all the way" from Missouri and he remembered me and that fact at the sound check the next day. That was really sweet. Hopefully, someday I will get to hear the two bands. I recommend that you do if they play anywhere near you.

I wish I had more pictures to post here. Most of them from the BBQ didn't turn out :( The BBQ was a great idea. I wish more people had shown up. You missed a great experience and I definitely hope there is another one :)))

Day 2: Sound check

There were 2 to 3 times as many people at sound check as there was at the BBQ. The gates were supposed to open at 2:30 with the sound check starting at 3:00. It started late which turned out to be a very good thing. About 2:30, it started pouring and I started panicking. For just a minute, I wondered if I was enough of a Poison fan to sit in the rain for them; I decided I was (LOL). But by 3:00, the rain had turned to sprinkles and stopped altogether in a few minutes. The rest of the night was perfect weather--sunny, but not humid or too hot. I don't think Blossom was expecting as many fans for the sound check as were there. At 3:20, a man opened a small door and said whoever's here for sound check, come here. Imagine at least a couple hundred people approaching your front door all at once. That was what he suddenly was facing. The door quickly closed and the main gates were open to admit all the people.

The Sound check was truly awesome!! :))) Thank you, Poison!!! Whoever thought this part up had the BEST idea and I hope it will be repeated. To all the concertgoers who didn't come to the sound check, what were you thinking???? You ask, what did I miss out on? The chance to sit wherever you wanted in the venue, regardless of where your ticket said your seat was supposed to be. And yes, that included front row center if you could get there. The chance to take as many pictures as you wanted in a venue that doesn't typically allow cameras. And mostly, the chance to listen to Poison performing live as part of a small group of fans and they very obviously had a great time doing it.

Poison rocked the house at sound check for a five-song set. They performed Look What The Cat Dragged In, Your Mama Don't Dance, Every Rose Has Its Thorn, I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine, and Fallen Angel. I know that's correct, I wrote it down (LOL). At that point, Bret said to the effect of they needed to leave for a few to discuss some stuff and would be back in a few minutes to talk more and do a signing. Unfortunately, it didn't happen :( Someone came out and announced that they had to get the stage ready for the concert, meaning put the other band's equipment on the stage. I don't know who that was, if it was someone from Blossom or a crew member for Poison. Doesn't really matter at this point. So we were all told to go to our seats. With armed deputies wandering around, I figured it wasn't a good time to be arguing the point and left. Maybe that can change for the next time (which is also meant as a large sledgehammer hint that there needs to be a next time :)

The Concert

What can I say? Poison is the very best and they just keep getting better every year. This was the second time I had seen them this summer. Attending a concert at a different venue gives you a very different perspective. But this was a truly wonderful concert. Or should I say a wonderful party? :) Some of these pics were from KC, but most came from Blossom.

Enuff Z'Nuff took the stage at 5:59 PM for a 30 minute set. To start on time is bad luck, and this tradition has been continued throughout the three Poison tours of recent years. I'll be honest; I don't really remember the band in the 80s. I know their song Mother's Eyes, but that isn't one on the set list. The only songs I recognize by name on their set is Fly High, Michelle and a cover of the Beatles' tune Revolution. Musically, they put on a good show, especially considering there tends to be a lot less people watching them than later in the evening. But could someone please help them come into at least the 90s with their wardrobe? It's not 1987 anymore, but they still look like it.

Quiet Riot started around 6:45 PM and played for 50 minutes. Kudos to the road crew; they got the stage ready very quickly :) When Kevin DuBrow came on stage, I was pleasantly surprised to see he had on the same outfit as he had worn in KC. Somehow that made it seem more like home being there. But unlike in KC, at Blossom he was wearing a vest and did not encourage the ladies in the audience to go topless as he was. Guess the deputies made people nervous to do that or something. But anyways, they put on an awesome set and I wish it was longer. I didn't think to write down a set list for them, but some of the songs I remember are Feel the Pain, Viscious Circle, Rock the House (all 3 from their newest album), Mama We're All Crazy Now, Thunderbird, Metal Health (Bang Your Head), and, of course, Cum on Feel the Noise. There are more, but that's all I can think of. A few highlights are the tribute to founding member Randy Rhodes of Thunderbird, getting the crowd really involved with the "original f**k you" song Metal Health, and when Kevin Dubrow puts Carlos Cavazo on his shoulders during the guitar solo, only I can't remember which song it was on. Someone help with the name (LOL). For those who haven't been yet, Quiet Riot does a meet 'n greet autograph session after their set at each venue. It's free so bring whatever you want signed.

Warrant hit the stage around 8:00 PM. Quality-wise, their set at Blossom was so much better than it was in KC. Maybe it was because their families were in the audience. I love Warrant's music, but they just don't seem as together as when I saw them in concert 10 years ago. Could be time, age, different members, lack of drugs in the system. Who knows? But it'll be interesting to see what happens with them. They played for 65 minutes. I wrote down the songs I knew of theirs, but there were a couple I didn't recognize so pardon any gaps. Their set was Down Boys, D.R.F.S.R., Hole in My Wall, Machine Gun, Sure Feels Good to Me, 32 Pennies in a Ragu Jar, Heaven, I Saw Red, Bed of Roses, Subhuman (from their new album), Uncle Tom's Cabin, and Cherry Pie with a bit of We Will Rock You thrown in the middle for good measure. A highlight of the set has to be the acoustic versions of Heaven and I Saw Red. They're very well done and kinda cool when the band joins back in with Jani Lane on them. Something special for Blossom was Jani's brother (I didn't catch his name) joining Jani onstage and playing the acoustic guitar solo on Uncle Tom's Cabin. That was a nice b-day present for his brother :) Afterwards, the band dropped to their knees in front of the brother.

The 20 minutes between Warrant and Poison seems like the longest wait just because you know what's coming. You can tell when its time to start because the song Highway to Hell by AC/DC is always played just before Poison takes the stage. And, man, do they ever take it!! :))) It's a 90-minute set of pure energy, hits, and party. This year's set is Look What the Cat Dragged In, I Want Action, Ride the Wind, Cry Tough, Something to Believe In, Your Mama Don't Dance, Guitar Solo, I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine, Fallen Angel, Let It Play, Rock Star, Drum Solo, Every Rose Has Its Thorn, Unskinny Bop, Nothing But a Good Time, and an encore of Talk Dirty to Me. I have been to many concerts over the years, but none of them can compare to Poison. There's no one else I would travel 800+ miles to see in concert.

The pyro that is used is awesome to see. Its not overused and fits in just perfectly in the songs. The dragon cannons are unbelievable. If you haven't seen these, they are essentially flame-throwers, one on either side of the stage. I can only imagine the amount of heat those things produce. They especially fit in well with Unskinny Bop on the chorus, not to mention at the end of Rikki's drum solo.

I don't see how it could be missed, but just in case, Rikki's drum set is the first one made entirely of titanium. It produces an unreal sound. It's so different from a regular drum set sound. Very hard to explain the difference, but it is there and it sounds wonderful. Ok, that's the music major in me talking. But it truly sounds great and be sure you don't miss Rikki's drum solo. It just gets better each year and each time :)

C. C. is likely to be found doing his solos and the bigger guitar solo in just about any position imaginable as well as anywhere on the stage imaginable. Watch him for a while and you'll be either smiling or out right laughing. It's the little things he does that are so kewl, like curtsying after his guitar solo or telling himself to play the solo in I Hate Every Bone. I got to talk to him for a minute in KC, and he said the reason he does all those things is he figured people would be sleeping after hearing 3 bands and he had to do something to wake up the crowd. It works for me :)

Bret and Bobby. Impossible to forget either of them. Bobby manages to make playing the bass look incredibly easy, but yet there's no doubt that he's a very skilled musician. It's also obvious that he's having a great time just being on the stage :) Bret is the front man for good reason. He has a stage presence that captivates an audience the whole time. And after 16 years, his voice has only improved :))

The members of Poison are very diverse and they all bring something unique to it. And its just not Poison without the four original members. Bret said they have been playing for 16 years. That's how long I've been listening, literally for half of my life. The best news I've heard all summer is that Poison will be touring again next summer and will have a brand new full-length studio album to go with it. Personally, I can't wait. :)))