“For 42 years we’ve been taking kick-ass American rock and roll around the world,” exclaimed Jack Blades of Night Ranger on July 14, 2024. This concert at Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, New Jersey was especially kick-ass, because the crowd was just so amped to be in the room and rocking out with the classic act that is Night Ranger. This particular summer evening was not nearly as sweltering as those leading up to it and those that followed, because even though this is a band that brings the heat, they are also a band that is truly cool.
Blades, newly 70, is like a kid; in the best way possible, he could be 25-years-old on that stage with his backward cap on and antsy rock energy shooting out of him. (We wouldn’t be surprised if someone caught a glimpse of sparks coming off his body as he sang, shredded, danced, and called out to the audience with fervor. From the jump, I was inclined to turn to the row behind me (as I was graciously seated on the beautiful MPAC floor) and ask them if they, too, could make more than a handful of comparisons to The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger. Blades and Jagger have an irresistible stage presence that is not too different than each other, and we can easily see Blades taking this show on the road into his eighties (much like the legendary Stones frontman). That being said, drummer, singer, and fellow co-founder Kelly Keagy can still bang out a tune and entertain the masses with a lot of fun very clearly in his heart.
We could not tell you who had more fun on this night in Morristown – the crowd or the band. Almost every song brought at least half the audience up on their feet, and some concert-goers never sat down in the first place. However, a few personal favorite performances were of “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,” “Sentimental Street,” and “Higher.” (The latter felt extra special as it came a bit of a surprise not being a true Night Ranger hit; “Higher” is a fan favorite of Damn Yankees – another band of Blades’ from the same musical era. The singer hinted that they would play a Damn Yankees song, but segued into a Night Ranger track instead. Fans were seemingly disappointed, albeit only slightly, and that prompted lades to shout, “C’mon! We’re gonna have fun tonight!” He and the band ended up immediately playing it after, and that was the Damn Yankees’ own “Higher.”)
Smoke machines placed right in front of the guitarists clouded our view of them at times, but it was fairly chic and magical, actually, and it was done so in a very eighties-style/image-based/pyro way. It was rock’n’roll for sure, and not quite timeless in production, but it suited the decades-old catalog and peak-MTV nostalgia, as well as the power chord-laden hits that made up the setlist. The emotional moments in the set were hefty and memorable, too, though, as the power ballads that Night Ranger recorded were what rounded out their career. They were just as versatile as their hair metal peers (ie: Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Van Halen) and they continue to be.
Night Ranger proved themselves, their fans, and their discography right – this band has always rocked and always rolled; “Sister Christian” is just the notable single that put that on the map. Whether they’re playing their original tracks, covering their spin-off groups, or taking on Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer,” the 42-year-old iteration of Night Ranger is on the top of their game. Like Jack Blades himself said as he concluded the show alongside his riff-tastic and skillful bandmates: “And we are still Night Ranger!”
