By Dan Wall
Photos By Steve Loftness

Last year at this time, things were looking bleak for the future of the Moondance Jam. Talk of taking on partners, or just shutting down the festival altogether were heard about the time that the 2017 MJ closed. When the jammers and staff left the backwoods of Walker last year, many didn’t know if they would ever be back, or what the festival would look like if they did come back.

Not to worry, rockers. Like the “Moondance magic” that we often talk about when describing the festival, the four-day party was back and as strong as ever this year with a huge headliner, a solid line-up of great bands and record crowd. So just what in cheese curd heaven happened?

No one really seems to know. There were no new partners taken on. As far as I know, there was no new money put into the operation. It was the same ownership, staff and crowd that we’ve come to expect that showed up for this year’s show. The weather cooperated for the most part, and aside from the usual problem or six that pop up every day, this year’s fest was a hit. There were certainly many more smiles on the faces of EVERYONE this year, while hopes for the future of the festival are high.

Now that all the money stuff is seemingly settled, let’s talk about the actual show.

Wednesday

The pre-jam party started years ago when original owner Bill Bieloh (RIP) decided to cut one day of major acts off the festival lineup and make Wednesday a smaller, more manageable event. It has turned out to be just as important as the other three days, now a huge bash, this year headlined by local touring favorites Hairball, with capable support from Def Leggend (a Leopard tribute act) and house band Mountain Ash.

Mountain Ash hits the stage first, as always, for a record 21^st time. MJ production manager Mark Kirchhoff and his right-hand Kevin Abernathy handle the axes, while drummer Tim Ellis (subbing for longtime band member Brandon Fjetland-get well soon!) and bassist J.J. Benson provide the proper thump. The party starter is vocalist Roger Anderson, who is the bastard child of Jim Dandy and anyone with a mild drinking problem (I wrote the same thing last year, but nothing has changed). The band rips up some well-placed covers that aren’t usually in anyone else’s set- “Marseilles,” “Spirit in the Sky,” “Raise A Little Hell” and “New Girl Now” are all played, as well as songs by Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Queen and Pink Floyd. The band goes down very well in this spot, and I’m sure the boys will be back for appearance number 22 next year.

Def Leggend is quite a revelation. Five guys from Texas pulling off note-perfect renditions of all the Def Leppard hits, and for the price of a veteran drum roadie. The real band might be a bit expensive for this festival, so the tribute act trots out most of “Pyromania” and “Hysteria,” much like the other guys, but are confident enough to pull out some deeper cuts (“Mirror Mirror,” “Promises” and “Have You Ever Really Needed Someone So Bad”). The group takes a special pride in an almost perfect replication of a Leppard show, and the sound is pristine. Check this band out if they come to your town.

Hairball is a very interesting tribute band and has made a living (the group has its own bus and semi) doing a two-hour show that very few can pull off. The band employs three lead vocalists who rotate every 2-3 songs, not only sounding like but looking like the best front men from the 70-80’s classic rock heyday. Gene Simmons, Dee Snider, David Lee Roth, Freddie Mercury, Vince Neil, Axl Rose, Steve Perry, Alice Cooper, Prince and Ozzy Osbourne are all trotted out, as the band’s trio of ace musicians hammer out nothing but big hits. The group also features a video show, great lightning and employs enough fire, smoke, bombs and brimstone to hit every major pop in the show.

Once again, we can’t forget my buddy Leni and his Pearl Jam tribute band Alive, who do two sets in the saloon and show off amazing chops with a tribute performance to one of the 90’s greatest acts.

Thursday

The forecast is for rain, and as usual, the weatherman is right around here. This does nothing to detour the 50^th anniversary celebration of Minneapolis’ Crow, a band that had some hits at home and were a Midwest favorite back in the 70’s. Now nearing their 70’s, the quintet play laid back blues rock that cooks nicely in the wet weather. Lead vocalist Dave Wagner had the chops to be a star, but for some reason, massive success wasn’t to be. The group did have hits though- “Evil Woman,” “(Don’t Lay No Boogie Woogie) On the King of Rock and Roll” and “Slow Down,” were all aired, and Crow rewards those who are brave enough to journey out of their campers with a nice opening set.

The last time Lita Ford appeared here in 2009, she was married to Jim Gillette, lived on island and had just put out a “comeback” album that nearly killed her career. Not long after, divorce from Gillette and separation from her two children nearly caused Ford to abandon that same career. Thank God she rallied, because Lita is back and kicking ass in 2018. This set was a vast improvement over that one nine years ago, with a great trio featuring drummer Bobby Rock (Vinnie Vincent Invasion, Nelson) on drums backing her. Ford and company played an 11-song, 60-minute set of classic songs (“Gotta Let Go,” “Cherry Bomb,” “Out For Blood,” “Black Leather” and “Can’t Catch Me”) and big hits (“Close My Eyes Forever” and “Kiss Me Deadly”). She looked like a million bucks and played every solo in her biting, shredding style. A welcome comeback from a true rock warrior.

Speaking of rock warriors, Ace Frehley followed with another hour-long set of sleazy, sloppy, vile, loud rock-just the way any longtime (like yours truly) KISS fan likes it. Backed by drummer Scot Coogan, bassist Chris Wyse and guitarist Richie Scarlet, Frehley, looking much healthier than the last time I saw him perform live, led the band through his big solo songs (“New York Groove,” “Rip It Out,” “Rock Soldiers”) and a slew of classic KISS (“Parasite,” “Love Gun,” “Strange Ways,”” Shock Me,” “Cold Gin,” “Detroit Rock City” and “Deuce”). Coogan sang the Paul Stanley parts brilliantly, while Ace aced the solos-kinda. It wouldn’t be an Ace Frehley show if he didn’t miss about 500 of the 800 notes he played during the smoking guitar solo after “Shock Me,” but once again, that’s Ace for you-just close enough for rock and roll, but we like it.

Kansas is all about perfection, and the seven-piece band delivered just that as the special guest on Thursday night. With new vocalist Ronnie Platt’s amazing voice, the group’s back catalog is wide open now, allowing the band to play just about anything from its now 45-year career. Songs like “Can I Tell You” and “What’s On My Mind,” two of my all-time favorites, ride nicely right next to the big hits (“Point of Know Return,” “Dust in the Wind,” “Carry On Wayward Son”) and well-chosen deep cuts (“Miracles Out of Nowhere,” On The Other Side,” “The Wall,” “Play The Game Tonight”). With new blood Dave Manion (keys) and Zak Rizvi (guitar) kicking butt next to the core of guitarist Rich Williams, drummer Phil Ehart, bassist Billy Greer and multi-instrumentalist David Ragsdale, Kansas has a whole new lease on life and has returned to its roots as a powerhouse live attraction. After last year’s tour that featured the band performing “Leftoverture” in its entirety, the band will take to the road in 2019 to do “Point of Know Return” all the way through. Don’t be silly enough to miss that experience.

I like Bret Michaels, I really do. Heck of a nice guy, and a great performer no matter what you think of Poison. But when you headline a festival this size, you must do at least 80 minutes of your best material. Michaels might have done about 50 when you consider all the talking and posturing that went on during his closing set on Thursday night. Michaels and his backing band-a unit that might play Poison better than the real band-managed to play just 10 songs (7 Poison songs, 3 covers). The talking got to a point that we devised a drinking game where you had to take a drink every time he said “Minnesota,” and yes, I was sloshed after the show. The big Poison numbers such as “Talk Dirty To Me,” “Nothing But A Good Time,”” Every Rose Has Its Thorn” and “Something to Believe In” went down a storm, but it just wasn’t enough to headline a festival this big. The crowd and the performers would have been much better off if Michaels and Kansas would have switched time slots, allowing Kansas to do its two-hour headline show and letting Michaels to do exactly what he did.

Friday

Friday turned out to be the day that the crowd was tasked with this simple question-can you name the one original member of the band that is performing?

Saliva started the day at 3 p.m., and if you guessed guitarist Wayne Swinney, you get a free beer. Swinney has kept Saliva alive despite a never-ending stream of departures, as every member of the original band except him has left over the past eight years. When Saliva was on its game back in the day, mixing thundering hard rock with a touch of rap, it was one of the best live acts in modern rock. Thankfully, despite all new members (even the bassist here was subbing for the bassist who is subbing for the original bassist), Swinney and his current partner in crime, vocalist Bobby Amaru, started the party off with a very nice 45-minute set. Amaru isn’t original vocalist Josey Scott, a giant man with a huge voice and bigger personality, but he is no slouch, either. Swinney is a very good guitarist, covering the parts once played by two men, and new drummer Tosha Jones is quite a revelation as well. I’ve always rooted for this band, and with a set that included “Ladies and Gentlemen,” “Superstar,” “Survival of the Sickest,” “Always,” “Click Click Boom” and “Your Disease,” it’s no wonder Saliva was afforded such a nice reception on its first visit here. A new album is coming in the next six months.

Was that Sweet drummer Mick Tucker up there? Vocalist Brian Connolly? Guitarist Andy Scott? Unfortunately, no, since Tucker and Connolly have left us, and Scott runs his own Sweet band in Europe. In America, its bassist Steve Priest who holds the title to the band, and he has put together a crack quintet of Hollywood vets and an up-and-coming singer named Pauli Z. who can easily pull off all the group’s big hits and even deeper album tracks. Pauli does justice to Connolly’s voice, hitting even the highest notes in “AC/DC,” “Set Me Free” and “No You Don’t,” and the backing trio of guitarist Mitch Perry, drummer Richie Onori and keyboardist/class clown Stevie Stewart are rock solid. All five handle the harmonies, and if you know the band’s catalog, you know it was those harmonies in songs such as “Action,” “Little Willy,” “Fox On the Run” and “Ballroom Blitz” that made the band stars here and abroad in the mid-70’s. The crowd knew the tunes-the huge, throaty hoard sang those songs back to the group so loud, you could barely hear the band playing over those classics. Before the amps stopped ringing, there was talk of bringing Sweet back as early as next year.

Brett Scallions is the only original member of Fuel still left in the band, and I think that it is starting to show. This is one band that needs to re-group now, if it is to keep any interest in an act that had a bunch of hits between 1998-2003. That original band was another great live proposition and even gave Aerosmith a run for their money when they toured together in 2001. Now, Scallions tries mightily to replicate that original sound with three unknown musicians who don’t do anything wrong; consequently, they don’t do all that much to elevate the show, either. In another weird decision, Scallions decides to play the band’s first album, “Sunburn,” in its entirety-this doesn’t work as well as playing its second-long player “Something Like Human,” would have, because that album had a much better flow and included a number of those big songs. When the group plays the hits (“Shimmer,” “Sunburn,” “Jesus Or A Gun,” “Bittersweet”) the show picks up, and the set-closing “Hemorrhage” still rocks hard. But the rest of the time, it looks like the band is just going through the motions.

What did Paul Stanley say about rock critics-how come 20,000 people can go crazy for a band, but the guy who writes the review doesn’t get it? Well, today I’m the guy that Mr. Stanley is talking about, because it’s no secret that I will never be the president of the Kid Rock fan club. I not a big fan of hip hop or rap, two major components of his act. But I was in a very small minority here, because one of the biggest crowds to ever come to Walker showed up on Friday night for this show. The parking lot was completely sold out for the first time ever, and people are bused in from all over the area for the experience. Everyone in the massive crowd seemed to dig it-ticket money came in, beer was sold, t shirt sales were off the chain and the owners were ecstatic. Kudos to all for the sake of the future of the festival and the decision to book Mr. Rock.

Truth be told, Kid Rock did an amazing set-if you like his act. He played all the songs I know and a whole bunch that I don’t. He played rock, country, rap, hip hop, metal and even pulled out snippets of songs from AC/DC, Ted Nugent and Bob Seger. It didn’t matter what I though; it only matters that the crowd loved it and left happy. I’m glad that this booking (despite the heavy price tag) was a success.

I will also give Kid Rock credit for this-he said he wanted to come on early at 9 p.m. (headliners usually come on at 11 p.m.) so he could do a two-hour show complete with video, pyro and extra lighting, and he did just that. I like to give credit where credit is due, and he deserves it here for keeping his promise.

Saturday

Kix finally showed up here in 2016 and kicked the shit out of the place. It took awhile to convince the bookers at MJ that Kix was a must-see attraction, despite its reputation as a festival legend (credit the band’s Rocklahoma appearances for those kudos, especially the quintet’s hurricane-ravaged appearance in 2008 that still goes down as one of the greatest live performances I have ever seen). Vocalist Steve Whiteman, guitarists Jimmy Chalfant and Ronnie Younkins, drummer Brian Forsythe and bassist Mark Schenker should be applauded for becoming a festival favorite and putting on some of the best live shows in the business. Nothing has changed in 2018, as Kix went down huge once again, playing a set that featured the entire “Blow Your Fuse” album that includes three of glam metal’s best songs- “Cold Blood,” “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” and “Blow My Fuse.” The encore of “Midnight Dynamite” was just a nice cherry on top the cake for group that is welcome back anytime.

It’s your typical loud, rowdy, over-the-top presentation from Jackyl that kicks off at 7 p.m. Jesse James Dupree and the wild bunch (guitarist Jeff Worley, drummer and brother Chris Worley and bassist Roman Glick) have no problems warming up the crowd. The group has honed its act over the years to become one of the festival circuits’ top acts. As a matter of fact, if any group can claim a career off the success of playing the Midwestern festival circuit, it’s Jackyl. Too bad the band can’t get on a major tour-I’m sure that won’t happen because there aren’t a lot of bands that want to follow this group onstage. Jackyl’s intoxicating mix of aged Black Oak Arkansas and the riffage of AC/DC is just a bit too much for some bands to deal with. Dupree roams the stage like an over-sexed teenager, while his band lays down a heavy, thick groove for him to sing over. There is some new material and a few chestnuts, but its still the biggies such as “Down on Me,” “When Will It Rain,” “I Stand Alone,” “Redneck Punk” and “The Lumberjack,” which features Tesla’s Jeff Keith as guest chain saw artist, that keeps the party rolling right along.

Joan Jett hasn’t really changed since she was in The Runaways-her pants I mean. Aren’t those the same black leather pants she wore on the Japanese tour of 1977? Just teasing, but she hasn’t changed much, just aged like a fine wine. Jett and the Blackhearts played a typical Joan Jett and the Blackhearts show in front of a typical Joan Jett and the Blackhearts crowd. Opening with “Victim of Circumstance,” the set included “Cherry Bomb,” “Light of Day,” “Do You Wanna Touch,” “Bad Reputation,” “You Drive Me Wild,” and “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” all straight ahead, sleazy rockers from one of rock’s original female stars. Jett’s backing band still features guitarist Dougie Needles, but the new guys (drummer Michael McDermott and bassist Hal Selzer), blaze through 18 songs in 70-minutes that hardly changed time or tempo-aside from “Crimson and Clover.” But it’s the version of “I Love Rock and Roll” that must be heard to be believed, with the crowd clearly singing the song louder than the band is playing it.

Tesla is the consummate American rock band and is as professional and consistent a group that is currently touring the States today. The band’s 90-minute headline set features 15 songs (just about every hit and an acoustic set) that are still being played on FM radio or Pandora. Lead vocalist Jeff Keith still kicks ass (that high-pitched shriek is loved by many but not by all), backed ably by guitarists Frank Hannon and Dave Rude, while bassist Brian Wheat and drummer Troy Luccketta are still as rock solid as they were in 1988. Always welcome at a show like this, Tesla proves along with Kix, Jackyl, The Sweet, Kansas, Lita Ford and Ace Frehley just what it takes to be a welcome addition to a big festival like this-big songs and a big heart.

Once again, thanks must go to Mark Kirkhhoff, Kevin Abernathy, the Mountain Ash guys, Kathy Bieloh, Bernie, all the security and Jam staff, all my media friends and the DJ’s and all the others who make this such a memorable happening. And thanks to my buddy Jeb for introducing me to this place back in 2006. I’ve made a lot of good friends and always look forward to the week in Walker. See ya at MJ 28!!

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