Concert Review
Lita Ford
Nelson
Saturday May 10, 2025
West Herr Riviera Theatre
North Tonawanda, NY
Review/Photos: Joseph Suto
Both of the artists on the bill Saturday evening out at the West Herr Riviera Theatre had not played the area in quite some time. It had been some 9 years that Lita Ford had last hit town. This occasion was highlighted by being her first headlining show since 2009 out at the old Lockport Concert Series which is now defunct. Ford and her extremely capable band put on quite a compelling 75-minute set that showed she still has the desire and ambition to continue playing live shows for as long as she wants.
Ford now at 66 years old has not changed one bit in the nine years she had last played out at the Erie County Fair in Hamburg, NY. Ford first gained some notoriety as a member of the all female band The Runways who released four albums and did a lot of touring before the band had a dissolution in the late 1970s. After a hiatus from 1996-2007 due to her raising her family, she has come back and released two more albums with her most recent being 2012’s Living Like A Runaway.
Her band featured drummer Bobby Rock who has been around since 2014 and he was joined by guitarist Patrick Kennison and bassist Marten Andersson. These guys are solid players and this was the best sounding Lita Ford show I have attended. Rock also played with opener Nelson on their debut album After The Rain which came out in 1990.
Ford did not disappoint playing most of the songs she is known for touching on mainly her big albums including the 1988 platinum release Lita. The two top-40 smashes were there in “Kiss Me Deadly” and “Close My Eyes Forever”. Kennison was featured on vocals on the latter duet where he sang Ozzy Osbourne’s parts who had sung on the studio recording. “Gotta Let Go”, The Runaways cover “Cherry Bomb” and “Only Women Bleed” rounded out the highlights. The Alice Cooper cover was a bonus treat especially since Cooper has not performed the song himself in a few years.
Lita Ford is considered an avant-garde when it comes to females in heavy metal. She knows how to put on shows as she tends to give all the props to her band who were each mentioned several times throughout the show. Some artists barely or rarely mention who they are on stage with. Ford is definitely worth seeing as she is still a vibrant performer who delivers the goods.
Opening the show was Matthew and Gunnar Nelson who played an acoustic set. I have been fortunate over the years to catch them doing their tribute show to their dad Remembering Ricky Nelson and their traditional Christmas show. It had been a while seeing them in this type of a show.
You definitely get your money’s worth seeing these guys. They have so many stories about their adventures that the stories themselves simply entertain you. The fact they play music and sing songs is a bonus. I really like the way they did “Travelin’ Man” and “Hello, Mary Lou” two of their Dad’s biggest songs. Their #1 smash (Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection had the crowd singing along. There really only was one way to close out their show after they had already played their big hits and that was to bring it all home with their Father’s final top-40 charting gem “Garden Party”. “You can’t please everyone so, you got to please yourself.” They undeniably pleased the adoring audience at the Riviera, both bands did.
Lita Ford Gallery
Nelson Gallery
Set List
Lita Ford
Gotta Let Go
Larger Than Life
Relentless
Hungry
Playin’ With Fire
Back To the Cave
Can’t Catch me
Drum Solo
Cherry Bomb (The Runaways Cover)
Black Leather (Sex Pistols Cover)
Only Women Bleed (Alice Cooper Cover)
Close my Eyes Forever
Kiss Me Deadly
Nelson
More Than Ever
I Can Hardly Wait
Only Time Will Tell
{Can’t Live Without Your} Love and Affection
1,000 Wild Horses
Travelin’ Man {Ricky Nelson cover}
Hello, Mary Lou {Ricky Nelson cover}
How Can I Miss You
After The Rain
Just Once More
Garden Party {Ricky Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band cover}
