Bret Michaels brought his Pardi-Gras 2.0 2024 tour to Charlotte,NC on Saturday July 6th. This was held at The Palladium Ampitheater at Carowinds Amusement park. Bret brought Dee Snider, Steve Augeri, Great White and Slaughter along with him for this show. I am not one that usually attends “solo” shows, but I figured Hey, riding rides all day then a show that night, Hell, I have nothing to lose!
Rain and Thunderstorms were in the forcast for the day and I really thought I’d be spending the day elsewhere. Well, like usual the weatherman was completely wrong and it was sunshine and (what seemed like)1000 degrees all day. It was HOT, scorching, but we had a blast(I took my wife, Daughter, Son and his girlfriend Mackenzie). By 4 pm we were looking forward to getting under the roof of the ampitheater and out of the sun!
We got in line for the show at 4 pm and doors were scheduled for 5. The arena ended up letting us in at 4:40 and we were headed in. It was GA and we ended up getting 10th row center…SCORE!!!!! Slaughter was up first at 6:20 and they sounded very good. Dana an Jeff were full of energy and Mark threw out about 1,000 picks during the set. I have seen these guys many times and knew exactly what to expect. Great White came on at 7:20 and I was very interested in seeing Bret Carlisle(A.O.N.) front the band. Bret sounded great but the band sounded flat, like they were just there going thru the motions. Coming on after Slaughter was not the right move and in all they were kindof a mood killer…most people i saw were sitting whereas during Slaughter they were on their feet ROCKIN”!
Now was the time…it was 8:30 and intros were beginning…the mood quickly went up a few notches and i was excited! You know the feeling, you’re bouncing up and down, adreneline starts flowing and you cant contain yourself. I had no idea what to expect, but I was hoping for the best. Thunderstruck by AC/DC was blasting through the speakers and the band was starting to take the stage. Smoke was engulfing the stage and the lights were going crazy! It was time, c’mon Bret Michaels Band, do not let me down!!! Bret hit the stage and immediately went into Talk Dirty To Me then Ride The Wind. Following them was Your Mama Don’t Dance then Look What The Cat Dragged In! I thought riding rides all day was going to be my rush for the day, NOT TODAY! 95 mph coasters, 300+ hills, loops, corkscrews, upside down, right side up did not prepare me for this show…and we were only 4 songs in!!! The band didn’t just play the tunes, they played with heart and soul! You felt passion coming from that stage, you felt their energy! This was no “backing band”, this was a band that put everything they have, and more, into these tunes! Bret now introduced Steve Augeri and he did 3 Journey tunes(Separate Ways, Don’t Stop Believin’ and Any Way You Want It) and Steve sounded fantastic! this was no longer just a BMB show, this was a music extravaganza!!! Bret Came back out and headed into Something To Believe In(which he welcomed many veterans to the stage) and then powered into Unskinny Bop. He didnt just “do” Poison songs, he added FLAIR to them. Poison already has catchy songs but Bret took them up a notch, I cant put it into words, you gotta experience it! Dee Snider was up next and that Twisted Sister took over the stage!!! He immediately went into We’re Not Gonna Take It and the crowd was in a frenzy! Fists in the air, singing at the top of our lungs. Dee did some hilarious banter and then like a crazed lunatic went into I Wanna Rock! More fists, this crowd and the band were on a super adreneline rush and noone wanted to come down! I thought the heat during the day was intense, NOPE, I was sweating and rockin’ and there was no place I’d rather have been! Dee went into Highway To Hell after he explained the “Rock Hands” and that was another comical back and forth from him. Bret came back out and did Every Rose Has Its Thorn. This man’s voice is still strong and powerful, this man is what a Rockstar is. BMB ended the night with Nuthin But A Good Time, but like a good thrill ride, there was twists and turns, not just the song!
I have to say, this was a show of SHOWS! You didnt have time to catch your breath! The crowd was completely enthralled in the music, we were one giant organism feeding off the band. BMB was so tight and on target and the stage antics of Pete Evick and “Stormin'” Norman Voss kicked this whole thing up another notch. I suggest you catch this show for yourself, this is one that will surely stand out in my memories for a long time.
One final note, my 20 year old Daughter Sara who loves Poison said in a post on Facebook the next day, “Last night was unforgettable I saw THE Bret Michaels and the cat dragged in DEE SNIDER and STEVE AUGERI, INCREDIBLE. LOOOOOOOVED Great White and Slaughter, all first timers for me. ….I would re-do this night over and over again”.
I. Had. Tears.
Bret Michaels’ Pardi-Gras 2.0 Tour – Charlotte, NC (2024)
