Last Saturday night fans packed it in at the Vine showroom at del Lago Casino and Resort to rock out for the incredibly talented and heavy-shredding female powerhouse, Lita Ford.
The stage went dark as the intro music, Accept’s “Balls to the Wall” started pumping through the speakers, an interesting and bold choice to set the tone for the show ahead. Ford hit the stage with her signature cherry red Warlock guitar and black leather black widow outfit wasting no time getting the party started with “Gotta Let Go.” Make no mistake, she has been killing it on guitar and stage for close to 50 years now, but you wouldn’t guess it once she hits the stage.
Supporting her on stage is her long-time guitarist, Patrick Kennison, drummer Bobby Rock, who is a beast on the skins, along with new addition, bassist Marten Anderson, who makes bringing the low-end look effortless.
It was very clear that Ford and the band came to rock hard. She was very conversational, stating that she was hoping to get a little snowed in Waterloo because well it would be a great place to hang out and play all night. Some highlights from the night were a very incredible jamming and extended version of Ford’s song “Back to the Cave.” Something you don’t see too often at rock shows anymore is the element of ripping guitar and drum solos. Kennison’s solo during “Back to the Cave” was terrific and Rock’s thunderous and heavy drum solo got the fans on their feet screaming. It was refreshing to see Ford and the band incorporate that element into the show to showcase the band’s talent.
One of the best moments of the evening was when Ford took a step back to her roots, cranking out a fiery version of “Cherry Bomb,” which was originally performed by her first band, the Runaways. Even though the times have changed since the late ’70s, that song still kills! Lita and the band saved the best for last, coming onstage with her iconic double-neck guitar as she went into her version of the Alice Cooper hit “Only Women Bleed,” pausing for a moment, she saved her biggest hits for last, “Close my Eyes Forever,” with Patrick Kennison singing Ozzy Osbourne’s part and her monster hit, “Kiss Me Deadly.”
This was an incredible show from one of the female pioneers of hard rock, although the Waterloo show was the last stop on this leg of the 2022 tour, it picks back up in late January. This is one you don’t want to miss.
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