Night Ranger tours behind new album
Veteran rockers Night Ranger are getting ready to release their first studio album in a decade and have launched a world tour to support it.
The band, which is currently in Japan, will return to North America in time to kick off its spring and summer jaunt May 11 in Oklahoma City, OK. The primarily US tour includes a June 14 stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and an Aug. 9 gig in Windsor, Ontario. On select shows, Night Ranger will team with REO Speedwagon; Foreigner; Styx and Boston; and Cinderella and Warrant.
So far, Night Ranger’s schedule shows a steady string of dates through late August, with one-off gigs in September and October. Confirmed shows are listed below, and more performances are expected, according to a press release.
Night Ranger–which comprises original members Jack Blades (bass/vocals), Kelly Keagy (drums/vocals) and Brad Gillis (guitarist), along with guitarist Joel Hoekstra and keyboardist Christian Cullen–is commemorating its 25th anniversary with the July 1 US release of “Hole in the Sun.” The self-produced set–Night Ranger’s eighth studio album and first for VH1 Classic Records–is said to capture the vintage spirit of the ’80s rockers.
“We wanted to sound new, but still keep our roots,” Keagy said in a statement. “We grew up in the ’70s, when pop music was really starting to thrive. Sometimes it drove you crazy because the songs were so poppy that you couldn’t get them out of your head, but they were still amazing songs. We wanted to portray some of that on this album.”
A couple of tracks from “Hole in the Sun” are streaming at Night Ranger’s MySpace page.
The band has been supporting the new album with tour dates all over the world in the past few months, including a stop at Cuba’s Guantanamo Bay to perform for US military personnel.
“Going to Guantanamo Bay Cuba to play for the troops is right up there as one of the wildest things Night Ranger has ever done,” Blades said in a press release. “We’ve been all over the world, but never have we sung ‘(You Can Still) Rock in America’ in a Communist country with armed Cubans watching us in guard towers just a few clicks away.”
Night Ranger reached rock stardom with the 1982 release of its debut album, “Dawn Patrol,” which spawned hits including “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me” and “Sing Me Away.” The following year’s “Midnight Madness” garnered even more success with radio hits “Sister Christian” and “(You Can Still) Rock in America.”
May 2008
11 – Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Amphitheatre (with REO Speedwagon)
22 – Trinidad, CA – Cher-Ae Heights Casino
25 – St. Louis, MO – Soldiers Memorial Park
June 2008
7 – West Wendover, NV – Montego Bay Casino & Resort
14 – San Juan, Puerto Rico – Anfiteatro Tito Puente
19 – Oshkosh, WI – Waterfest Concert Series
20 – Brookville, IN – Bicentennial Celebration
21 – Sioux City, IA – The Awesome Biker Rally
22 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (with Styx/Boston)
28 – Cheyenne, WY – William H. Brimmer Amphitheatre
July 2008
2 – Arlington Heights, IL – Frontier Days Festival
3 – Hays, KS – Frontier Park
4 – Glenview, IL – Great Lakes Naval Base
5 – Kettering, OH – Fraze Pavilion at Lincoln Park
6 – San Jose, CA – Discovery Meadow Park
11 – Pryor, OK – Rocklahoma
12 – Grapevine, TX – Glass Cactus at Gaylord Texan
19 – Fort Smith, AR – Harry E. Kelly Park
25 – St. Clair, MI – Palmer Park
26 – Maquoketa, IA – Jackson County Fair Iowa
27 – Lake Ozark, MO – Horny Toad Entertainment Complex
August 2008
2 – Rifle, CO – Garfield County Fair
9 – Windsor, Ontario – Lakeshore Soccer Park
10 – Des Moines, IA – Iowa State Fair/Grandstand (with Cinderella/Warrant)
17 – St. Joseph, MO – Trails West Festival
23 – Tower, MN – Fortune Bay Casino
30 – Pittsburgh, PA – Heinz Field
31 – Sparks, NV – John Ascuaga’s Nugget
September 2008
28 – Jackpot, NV – Cactus Petes Casino/Ameristar Amphitheater (with Foreigner)
October 2008
1 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa State Fair
Categories