***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.

***reposted from Radio Riff***

While the vibe at Moondance Jam is definitely a huge draw and a big factor of its appeal, music festivals are still about music. This being the 20th Anniversary of Moondance Jam, I had the opportunity to peruse various adverts and information detailing the bands that have played the festival throughout its history. In doing so, I was stunned by how many true rock legends had played here over the years. Their history reads like a who’s-who of rock itself, and this year was no exception.

In the last few years as the legends of classic rock have departed, Moondance has turned its eye towards more modern acts, mixing them into the fold and gradually transforming the festival while maintaining its true spirit. Thursday started off with Cracker on the main stage, showing old audiences and new their easy-to-listen to mix of clever tunes to get the crowd warmed up and grooving.

At 5 PM, Candlebox took the stage in what was, at least to me, one of the biggest surprises of the Jam. They came out all guns blazing with a high energy set, working the crowd and definitely setting the bar for acts to follow. Their frontman, Kevin Martin, did a masterful job interacting with the crowd and getting everyone into the show.

Following Candlebox were rock veterans, Great White. Initially, I was behind the stage when their show began, and thought Jack Russell was in fine form. Imagine my surprise when I came out front and saw that it was not Jack singing, as he is recovering from surgery, but Terry Ilous of XYZ. His vocals were dead on, and the band’s performance as a whole was tight, well played and excellent, making for an enjoyable show.

As night settled and the crowd kept growing, .38 Special brought their own special blend of southern rock to the stage. With a vigorous and driven performance, they pushed out their host of hits and had the crowd right along with them. These guys are masters of their craft, and demonstrated it once again at Moondance Jam.

The night ended with a bit of a surprise in 3 Doors Down; surprising moreso because of the choice in a closer than their actual show. While 3 Doors Down may be a top-selling national act, their show turned out to be a bit slower paced and mellow compared to the previous shows.

Friday opened with the Belfast Cowboys, a Van Morrison tribute. They played well and sounded good, but sadly I was away from the stage for most of the show.

Following them, however, was a shocker of a set from the Outlaws. They threw down a 3 guitar attack of southern rock that actually pulled people from out in the campsites in to see just who it was playing. Tight, high energy and utterly enthusiastic, it was a killer show. The best part was the band was going all-in for it, throwing themselves into the music with abandon. There’s nothing like passion in a band to make a show special.

One of the all time classics took the stage next in Eddie Money. Eddie has been a working man’s rocker for years, with plenty of hits to back up his repertoire. He nailed them all in this show, and even earned a round of applause from the backstage crew while walking back to the bus.

Paul Rodgers followed, one of the true legends of rock. The man behind Free, Bad Company and The Firm hasn’t lost a step with his singing and performing. The set he threw down at Moondance was heavy on Bad Co. due to the American audience, but also included a wonderful Jimi Hendrix tribute with a rendition of “Little Wing”. The audience was captivated, and Rodgers proved why he is a legend in rock & roll.

Friday closed with a contradiction to the subtle and amazing stylings of Paul Rodgers by bringing out another troupe of legends in KISS. The energy for this show had been building all day amongst the crowd, with plenty of face paint and costumes from the KISS Army popping up amongst the milling crowds. When the show finally arrived it did not disappoint. Kiss brought out their army of effects and host of radio anthems, and fired off enough pyrotechnics to almost be mistaken for a small-scale tank war. For 2 solid hours, the crowd was rocked by pure spectacle underpinned with a multi-decade catalogue of favorites.

Saturday came around, bringing some sun and heat to the festival grounds, and promising another day of great entertainment. Overall it did not disappoint.

It started with Thundherstruck, an all-female AC/DC tribute band. They were a surprisingly fun and entertaining show, with each member of the band crafting an excellent version of their inspiration. The vocals by Dyna Shirasaki put a female twist on both Bon Scott and Brian Johnson’s vocals, but were still immediately recognizable and powerful. Tina Wood had the Angus Young routine nailed, down to the one-handed guitar solos. They were a pleasant surprise and an awful lot of fun to see.

Burton Cummings, known better as the voice behind The Guess Who, took the stage at 5 PM. One could tell the audience may not have been familiar with him by name, but were definitely familiar with his bevy of hits. For a guy now in his 60’s, Burton’s voice has not lost a step, and he kept audiences enthralled for over an hour.

Fuel followed Burton on the main stage, putting up a good mix of fast and slow songs, creating a solid show. Much like Candlebox, they threw in a Led Zeppelin cover to mix things up and keep the audience fresh with something unexpected.

To see Joan Jett backstage, one would get the impression of someone who is shy, perhaps even a bit afraid of crowds. To see Joan Jett on stage you see the essence of a rocker in her diminutive form. On stage she let’s it all out, rocking with passion and fervor, and bringing the audience right along with her. Covering all of her hits, she gave the crowd exactly what it wanted from one of the original chick-rockers.

Closing the night, and the festival, was Stone Temple Pilots. They were perhaps the only real disappointment of the festival, playing a fairly flat 50 minute set with a 2 song encore. I had hoped for more energy rather than just volume to hallmark their show and put a brilliant finish on the festival (like the one Lynyrd Skynyrd put on last year), but it seemed a rather unremarkable, if not loud, performance.

Overall, the entertainment was top notch once again at Moondance Jam this year. Rock legends mixed with future legends to create an amazing show, and it was hard to find a low point anywhere. The crowds were huge and spectacular. With the Moondance energy in the air, the parties continued all through the night. From what I witnessed, everyone left happy and satisfied.

One note must be made here. With the passing of Bill Bieloh, the future of Moondance Jam was somewhat in doubt. Thanks to you, the crowd that makes this festival happen, it appears Moondance 21 will be happening! Your outpouring of love and support for the Bieloh family and staff during his tribute on Friday, and continued support for this festival makes a ton of difference. Keep checking out on www.moondancejam.com for the latest details, information and to read the wonderful thank you from the Moondance folks.