Sunday night at Musikfest’s Main Stage, brought Eighteenth Hour, a Lehigh Valley local band, who has been receiving much attention as an opening band to headliner acts.  I last saw Eighteenth Hour open for Bon Jovi in Allentown, pre-covid.  With their hard rocking seventies sound, that band is tighter than ever, and a great opening act for Poison.

Poison took the stage, shortly after 8pm. lead singer, Bret Michaels, dressed in a black graphic Poison tank shirt and jeans. Michaels told the anxious crowd how much the band looked forward to this show, as they were orginally slated to perform two years ago..

Poison opened with ‘Look What the Cat Dragged In”, with it’s fast beats and hyped guitar lines, set the tone for the entire set. “I’m fired up”, Michaels exclaimed frequently to the crowd, who equally were just as fired up as the band,  and the energy levels ran high all around.

Next came “Ride Like the Wind”, followed by “Your Mamma Don’t Dance” as Michaels wailed on the harmonica. The crowd received an active role in “Something to Believe In”, Michaels ordered phones up, which lit the darkness. Michaels brought onto the stage local veterans, and became very emotional, as he said, “These are the real rock stars”.

While providing band members a much needed break between songs, C.C. DeVille ripped through a guitar solo, and later, Rikki Rockett pounded on a drum solo.

Of course all the hits were included, “Unskinny Bop”,  “Every Rose Has it’s Thorn”, “Talk Dirty to Me”, and a cover of Grand Funk Railroad’s “American Band”, off their first album rounded out the set. Poison returned for a one song encore, “Nothing But a Good Time”

Time has passed since Poison’s debut in the 1980s.  Their spandex tights,  the long over teased and sprayed hair styles are long gone, but what remains are the musicians who performed these classics just as well now, or dare I say better than ever.  Poison remains a hard working band, and have introduced their music to new generations of fans.

Poison is currently on tour as part of the mega ‘Stadium Tour’ featuring Motley Crue, Def Leppard, and Poison through early September.