Concert Review
FireHouse
del Lago Resort & Casino
Waterloo, NY
Friday November 2, 2018
Review/Photos: Joseph Suto
Firehouse returned to the Vine at del Lago Resort & Casino Friday night to a near capacity crowd. Billed as the Rock You Tonight Tour, the band proceeded to do exactly that. This was the second time the band has played venue since it opened in February 2017. If the response from the crowd was any indication you can almost bet that the band will be back again in the near future.
Firehouse has been one of the most consistent touring bands on the market largely due to their nucleus lineup of original members vocalist C.J. Snare, guitarist Bill Leverty and drummer Michael Foster. The lineup is complimented by bassist Allen McKenzie whose solid background vocals also aids the bands sound to a higher degree. This version of the band has been together since 2004 and it shows in the band’s performance. This is also the longest tenured lineup the band has had since its inception.
“Overnight Sensation” got things rolling as it usually does. The song has opened a Firehouse concert more than any other song with its infectious uptempo riff. The band surprised many by following with “Crash”. “All She Wrote” has always been the 2nd song due to how well it fit in that slot but the band decided to change things up on this current tour. The band also played rare songs such as “Get In Touch” from Hold Your Fire and “Temptation” from Firehouse 3, so rare in fact you’d be hard pressed to find out if the band had played them much live until recently.
The band played two of their big ballad hits in “I Live My Life For You” and “Love of a Lifetime” back to back. While it slowed the pace down a bit, it helped set up the one-two double punch of “Reach For The Sky” and show closer “Don’t Treat Me Bad”. A solid way to end the 90-minute show.
While it was great to see the band play a full headlining set in the warm and cozy confines of the Vine, it would be even better to see this band land on a major tour package for the 2019 summer concert season. While they have done some shows with many of the bands from their era, it has been quite a while where they were on a huge tour like they were when they opened the show on the Poison/Damn Yankees/FireHouse tour in 1993. Those kind of tours helped make great memories last forever.
Set List
Overnight Sensation
Crash
Shake & Tumble
Oughta Be A Law
All She Wrote
When I Look Into Your Eyes
Hold Your Fire
Don’t Walk Away
Get In Touch
Temptation
Drum Solo
Love Is A Dangerous Thing
I Live My Life For You
Love of a Lifetime
Guitar Solo
Reach For The Sky
Don’t Treat Me Bad
The Final Word
The Good- Really shaking up a set list especially for those who may have seen the band during recent years. Keeping great songs such as “Shake & Tumble” and “Hold Your Fire” in the set.
Our suggestion- Good seeing rare songs in set but would like to see “You Are My Religion” “Dream” and “Sleeping With You” added in at some point. Oh and if you name the tour Rock You Tonight, it would be great to hear that song in the set as well!!
For more on Firehouse visit www.firehousemusic.com
For more fabulous shows check out the del Lago Website at www.dellagoresort.com
