Halfway Jam – What Rock is All About – Pt. 2

***Originally published at Radio Riff***

Friday starts off (as every day) with regional act, Whiskey Tango on the Rhino Deck. These guys are a fun loving band with a large following who are excellent at getting the party started. I have to admit, I don’t envy having to wake up and prepare for a noon show, but WT takes it all in stride and throws down the exact kind of set needed to wake and warm the crowd for the coming day’s entertainment.

At 5 PM, Scarlet Haze took the main stage, throwing down some grooving metal tunes, they are fronted by a singer dressed, well, for the summer weather. It makes the combination of sound and sight a pleasing one indeed, and they deliver the goods with solid playing matched to excellent vocals. Scarlet Haze is a band out of the Twin Cities on the cusp of big things, and they certainly demonstrate that here.

They are followed at 7 PM by veteran band, Slaughter. They take the stage and pour out a massively entertaining show, bringing the crowd together and whipping them up for the post-sunset entertainment. Backstage they seem to truly enjoy and respect their fans, eager to take pics and mix with them, as well as giving a wonderful interview. Mark Slaughter himself is a hilarious man, and always ready with a smile and a bit of mischief.

At 9 PM, Lita Ford took the stage. Lita is one of the true queens of rock, and hasn’t slowed a step in putting on a fantastic show. She commands a huge stage presence and demonstrated just how well she works a crowd to the Halfway Jam audience. With a mixture of her classic and current hits, she put together an incredible display of good old fashioned rock and roll. Backstage, Lita was, despite her status, a truly genuine and down-to-earth personality, willing to show her fans what they mean to her as well as listen to what she meant to them.

Capping off Friday night at 11 PM was Cinderella. There are few front men in the business who can put on the caliber of show that Tom Kiefer can, and he demonstrated it once again here. Playing lead guitar, piano, lap guitar and even saxophone, Tom demonstrated a rare musical genius. Whether you are a Cinderella fan or not, seeing them live is an experience. Rarely do bands play with such passion, each note coming with an almost painful fervor. It would be hard to think of a better band to cap off the night at a festival geared towards the 80’s metal scene. Cinderella fit the bill perfectly.

Saturday kicked off on the main stage at 5 PM with Minnesota homeboys Hericane Alice. Coming into the ‘Strip scene at the tail end of the 80’s, Hericane Alice are no strangers to the uphill climb bands of that era had to overcome to achieve success. With a blend of high energy, personality and even a few unique takes on covers, they were a perfect choice to get the crowd rocking, despite overcast skies and patches of rain.

The sunset show at 7 PM was headed by Stephen Pearcy of Ratt. With a different backing band, Stephen still brought out the tracks that he built his career on. However, without the 2-guitar attack that Ratt had as a signature sound, one couldn’t help but feel something was a bit amiss with the show. Still, it was solid entertainment.

After Pearcy, the 9 PM show on the main stage was Kix. For those who have not seen a Kix concert, Steven Whitehead is an amazing and tireless frontman. He is constantly moving, constantly interacting with the crowd, and high energy both on and off stage. The band follows suit and their show was non-stop from beginning to end, leaving the crowd breathless and enthusiastic for more. Kix is a band the gives it’s all, every show, and this was once again demonstrated at Halfway Jam 2011.

The big guns were yet to come, however. Capping off the main stage shows at this years Jam was Skid Row. Blistering out of the gate with an assembly of huge hits, Skid Row threw down some serious rock in a straightforward no-nonsense style. Their show is about the music, as loud and proud as possible. They took the crowd to its limit and left them exhausted and happy.

That is exactly how we left Halfway Jam ourselves. We retired to the hotel room at the end of our 2 week adventure in the Minnesota festival circuit, our rock cravings satisfied for the moment, and with plenty of memories and new friends to follow up with.

Overall, the Halfway Jam lineup was an absolute pleasure to watch. The good-old-party attitude and rock atmosphere contributed to an enthusiastic festival, the quality of which is easily apparent. With the tireless work of the Henry family and Rockhouse Productions, this festival is only going to grow, and will keep turning more heads each year. Plan a trip to Minnesota in July, and take in this kickass festival.