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There are a lot of reasons to celebrate the July 1 release of Night Ranger’s Hole In The Sun, notably that it marks the band’s first studio album in a decade and commemorates the pioneering hard rock outfit’s 25th anniversary as a band. The best reason, as has been the case throughout Night Ranger’s heralded career, is to celebrate the music itself.

“People will hear this record and recognize our dual blazing guitars and vocals, and big choruses and melodic verses, because that’s definitely how you can describe this album,” explains singer/bassist Jack Blades of the self-produced new release, the band’s eighth studio album, and first for VH1 Classic Records. “It’s new Night Ranger, but in a lot of ways it’s classic Night Ranger.”

Guitars grind and swirl through the unrelenting opener “Tell Your Vision,” delivering a progressively-fueled crush that sets the tone for the eleven new tracks that follow, from Keagy’s Jim Morrison-like soft parade of vocals atop the blinding guitars of “Drama Queen” and the blitzing melodic charge of “You’re Gonna Hear From Me,” through the enduring depths of the piano-driven power ballad “There is Life,” and back again. Hole In The Sun rings with the vibrancy of vintage Night Ranger, yet echoes with a modern relevance that endures throughout the album.

“We wanted to sound new, but still keep our roots,” says Keagy of the new release. “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.”

While there is definitely a pop glisten to Hole In The Sun, there’s also a heavy dynamic that plants the band firmly in the millennium. “Brad brought in a lot of great ideas, some more modern-sounding things, but we were still able to keep that melodic sense in the songs. We wanted a lot of songs like ‘Drama Queen,’ great, gritty songs that reestablish our roots in hard rock,” continues Keagy.

Night Ranger—original members bassist/vocalist Jack Blades, drummer/vocalist Kelly Keagy and guitarist Brad Gillis along with guitarist Joel Hoekstra and keyboardist Christian Cullen—will be on the road throughout 2008, including a stop in Pryor, OK on Friday, July 11 to perform as part of Rocklahoma. They’ll also be doing various shows with Styx & Boston, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner and Cinderella & Warrant.

The band has been touring all over the world the past few months, including a stop at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to perform for the men and women stationed there. For Night Ranger, it was a life changing experience.

As Keagy described, “There could not have been a more proud moment in my career then when we stepped foot on Guantanamo Bay to play for the troops there. We all had mixed emotions about going and we didn’t really know what they do there. Well, we certainly found out, but the world should know that the people that are being held should be there because they are (I believe) the most dangerous people on this Earth. We heard the facts in a briefing given by one of the highest ranking officers on the base. It was amazing! To the men and women that work so very hard to keep us safe from the kinds of things that happened on 911, I salute you.”

“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 continues. “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. Everyone was so appreciative of us being there, and seeing them rock out was the greatest. We were given a tour of the detention facilities, got the real story first-hand and went face-to-face with the detainees (nice stare-down moment that I shall not soon forget). Saw it all and it made us even more appreciative for what our soldiers, sailors, marines and airman are doing to keep us safe. They’re doing their part, so we’ll keep doing our part. Rock in America baby!”

Says Gillis of the band’s current tour plans: “We started with our classic backline with the American flag and the Night Ranger logo, and then we built it all up from there – bigger lights, bigger sound, bigger everything! We’ve got the ramps, the vintage t-shirts, the old-school Night Ranger antics, and it’s going to be nothing but fun.”

Night Ranger has left an indelible mark on the music world thanks to a number of best-selling albums—starting with their 1982 Dawn Patrol debut--that sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. The band’s popularity has been fueled by an impressive string of instantly recognizable hit singles and signature album tracks, including “Sister Christian,” “(You Can Still) Rock In America,” “When You Close Your Eyes,” “Sentimental Street,” “Goodbye” and “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me.” Harnessing the frenetic drive of heavy metal to hook-laden rock songs, throwing in a stunning twin lead guitar team, and melodious, radio-friendly power ballads, Night Ranger inspired new descriptive phrases such as “melodic metal” and “metal power pop.”

“Music is constantly evolving and changing, and people need to keep evolving in life, spirit, soul and everything, or you might as well pack it in,” notes Blades. “That’s why I’m so proud of Night Ranger, and that’s why we will continue to evolve. With this new album, we’re just going to roll with it, have a blast doing it, and keep playing as long as it’s fun, and as long as people want to come out and hear us play. There are still a lot of people out there that want to get up and sing, ‘motorin’…’ and ‘Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,’ ‘You Can Still Rock in America,’ the list goes on and on…”

Press Release
[Source: ABC Public Relations]

Jack Blades will be the featured guest on the nationally syndicated radio show ROCKLINE with host Bob Coburn on Wednesday January 16 at 8:30pm PT / 11:30pm ET.

Fans are encouraged to call to speak with Jack toll free at 1-800-344-ROCK (7625). For a station near you and for information regarding how to log onto the Internet for the broadcast go to www.RocklineRadio.com

For those of you who may have missed Jack and Tommy's recent US tour this past November and December, our friends at Live-Metal.net have put together a spectacular review of the November 26 gig at the Ram's Head in Annapolis, MD.

A fantastic read that manages to sum up the magic that was created night after night by these two legendary performers as they rolled across America.  Enjoy!

An acoustic evening with Shaw Blades

November 26, 2007
Rams Head Tavern
Annapolis, Maryland

By Jason Price

Well over a decade ago, MTV brought us the acclaimed Unplugged series. VH1 followed suit with the breakthrough series Storytellers. Now seasoned rockers Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw have bottled the magic of these landmark series and taken the show on the road. Shaw Blades has been trekking around the country since the spring in support of their latest release, Influence. (Read Review) The album is the result of their much-discussed idea to pay homage to the artists and songs that had influenced their careers.

The duo rolled into Annapolis, Md., aboard their biodiesel-fuelled bus and arrived at the Rams Head Tavern, which was packed to capacity. The fans that had gathered were ready to take in the songs and off-beat antics of their rock heroes. The band is touring smaller venues across the country, which enhances the more intimate setting. With the fans comfortably seated and the wine and spirits flowing, Shaw Blades hit the stage. Jack and Tommy were all smiles as they took their places on the tiny stage, amid the hoots and hollers of the Styx, Night Ranger and Damn Yankees fans that filled the small club's audience. Will Evankovich (American Drag), providing backing vocals and guitar work for the duo on this tour, was also along for the evenings festivities. Shaw Blades immediately launched into Seals and Crofts' "Summer Breeze" and followed that with the classic Styx jam "Too Much Time on My Hands," which left smiles on the faces of the fans excited abut the evening ahead. The sound and lighting at Rams Head Tavern, for those who haven't experienced this venue, are superb for an act of this sort. The crisp, rich sound pumping through the sound system accentuates the experience, taking acoustic shows to new levels.

Shaw Blades is a band in full command of the stage and their performances. They know how to control the room and present the songs in a fashion that spellbinds the audience. The offerings from Influence came fast and furious. Songs like “Your Move” (Yes), “I Am a Rock” (Simon & Garfunkel) and the Buffalo Springfield classic "For What It’s Worth," had the audience captivated and singing along. That is part of the beauty of the Influence album and the live show. Even if you didn't own the original LPs, we all somehow know the words to the songs and can sing along. Only about 20 minutes into the show, the band had already warmed up the crowd and started coming into its own.

When your band is comprised of two vocalists whose projects, in their heyday, reached staggering heights, you have no shortage of quality material. The duo reached into their personal stashes to pull out hits from both Styx and Night Ranger. During the course of the show, fans clamoured for their favorite songs, occasionally shouting them out by name. No one can ever say Tommy and Jack don't deliver. I honestly can't recall one song the fans called out that wasn't played at some point. "Sister Christian," "CrystalBall," "Coming of Age" and "High Enough" are just a small sampling of what the band offered up. In between the great music, Tommy and Jack shared stories, capturing the essence of what made Storytellers such a success. Never taking themselves too seriously, they even played their now classic rendition of "When I See Beth Smiling," a reworked version of a listener-submitted song they had originally performed during their second appearance on The Howard Stern Show this year. The appearances on Stern have turned a few people onto the band that wouldn't have discovered them on their own. Hopefully, this is just another piece of the puzzle that will fuel the band's success and provide us with another offering from Shaw Blades in the near future.

By the end of the evening, Shaw Blades had laid down a two-hour-plus set and made it look easy. Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw showed once again they are at the top of their game, with their masterful playing and terrific stage presence. There wasn't a single person left in their seat, as they received a standing ovation as they took their final bows for the evening. There is no denying the Shaw Blades experience is something that is captured well on their album but should definitely be taken in in person at a small venue. With a little luck, the boys will soon capture the live show on DVD for fans who are looking for a keepsake and the fans who will surely discover them down the line.

[Source:  Live-Metal.net]

Jack will be joining Tommy Shaw on the Howard Stern Show on Wednesday, October 24 at 8:30am EDT to promote their upcoming November/December Shaw/Blades tour.

Tune into Sirius Satellite Radio station 100 and station 101 on the west coast to catch Jack and Tommy - not to be missed!

Modern Guitars Magazine 

April 1, 2007

Concert Review:  Shaw/Blades

By Rick Landers

An old fashioned rave up kicked in at the packed Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, on March 26, 2007, when Jack Blades (Night Ranger, Damn Yankees) and Tommy Shaw (Styx, Damn Yankees) hit the ground running with a punchy acoustic version of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away”. 

Before Jack and Tommy strolled on, the crew had placed a couple of worn couches on stage to frame a troop of Taylor guitars. To add some atmospherics, they lit enough incense to remind us of the days when most of the cover songs they played were hit singles. The couches didn’t remain empty for long as two couples were invited to hang out on stage, which created a comfy family room ambiance. Later, Tommy introduced one of the couch potatoes, who happened to be his easy-on-the-eyes daughter, Hannah.

A guy in the crowd hollered out, “How’re the vocal chords Tommy?” Word had gotten around that the tour had taken a toll on his singing, but to everyone’s relief, Shaw was in great form throughout the set.

Next up was the Seals and Crofts tune “Hummingbird” off the Blades-Shaw Influences CD with tight harmonies and a crowd that was more than willing to join in the fun for the rest of the night.

Sitting between and behind the two was guitarist, Will Evankovich, from the San Francisco group American Drag. Evankovich kept a low profile, but helped round out the guitar work with his own six-string, bass, and mandolin.

The guys turned to some earlier cuts off their 1995 Hallucinations album including “The Night Goes On” with some sweet mandolin. Jack pointed out that he and Shaw habitually release an album about every ten years, adding that they should have a box set ready in about 40.

During the show, the duet held on to their single-cutaway Taylor guitars. At one point, Tommy grabbed a beautiful blue-stained Taylor T-5 with twin lipstick humbucking pups and let loose with some fine lead work.

The affable Blades stood up and got the crowd singing a series of backup “nah, nah, nah’s” that led to a gritty and hard driving version of the Simon and Garfunkel hit “I am a Rock” with the fans fully pulling their weight. Jack calls out, “Blades and Shaw with Alexandria, Virginia, on vocals. Dogs are barking in the street!”

In fact, they probably were.

Throughout the show it was evident that Blades and Shaw were tight friends, poking fun at each other in a way that had the crowd howling. These gentlemen are spot on entertainers and have a comedic sense of timing that is comfortably familiar, yet full of surprises.

Recalling the days when Jack and Tommy were bandmates with Ted Nugent in the super group Damn Yankees, they offered up the number one hit power ballad, “High Enough”, followed by a cover of Spirit’s “Nature’s Way”.

Shaw-Blades kept up the cover tunes including Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”, Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work” and another Simon and Garfunkel hit, “The Sounds of Silence”. And they kept the crowd tuned up with tracks from their own past including “(You Can Still) Rock in America" and "Sister Christian" from Jack's time with Night Ranger.

The end of the evening was growing near, but the crowd was having none of it so Blades and Shaw rolled out a couple of Styx tracks, “Crystal Ball” and “Blue Collar Man”, then ended the night with “California Dreamin'” and were gifted with yet another standing ovation from their northern Virginia fans.

Jack and Tommy have pulled together a winning act out of the ashes of classic rock ballads that is as entertaining as stand up comedy as it is musically. This is a show not to be missed.

[Source:  modernguitars.com]