Night Ranger at The Ritz Theatre in Tiffin, OH
Tiffin, OH (Apr 13,2024) – After 42 of existence, the American rock band Night Ranger continues to perform to SOLD OUT crowds across the country as they do on this Saturday evening inside The Ritz Theatre.
Tiffin, OH is best known for their historical landmarks and architecture, that includes the 1928 built theatre. Originally built for vaudeville, it later hosted out for many special occasions and ceremonies and concerts like Night Ranger here on this night. Given a new lifeline and brought back to original in 1998, the Italian sculpted theatre holds enough seating to hold up to 1250 patrons per visit.
Night Ranger is a five-piece rock band made up of original founding members Brad Gillis (lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals), Kelly Keagy (drums, lead and backing vocals) along with Jack Blades (lead vocals and bass guitar), Eric “E” Levy (keyboards, piano and backing vocals) and Keri Kelli (lead and rhythm guitars and backing vocals).
Halfway into their 2024 World Tour, the band stops in the north-west region of Ohio to perform their greatest hits for their fans. The show is in conjunction with promoting and playing songs from their 2023 live album 40 Years And A Night (with The Contemporary Orchestra). The show and album both are centered around the first three albums, Midnight Madness, Dawn Patrol and 7 Wishes produced by Night Ranger in the early years of 1982 – 1987.
The biggest and well known songs that keep people standing throughout the show and singing with the band, are the show opener “(You Can Still) Rock In America,” “Four In The Morning,” “Sing Me Away,” “When You Close Your Eyes” and “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me.” Also included in tonight’s show are two other tracks “Coming Of Age” and “High Enough” by the defunct rock band Damn Yankees, that included Blades with Ted Nugent, STYX’s Tommy Shaw and Michael Cartellone of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Each song in the show’s setlist is centered around heavy guitar riffs from Gillis and Kelli that add to the quality and excitement of the songs.
As the show progresses along, Blades reminds the crowd that the band is just up on stage having fun and messing around. That is never more evident than during the band’s title track “Night Ranger.” The three guitar slinging frontmen and Levy exit off the stage while Keagy keeps a beat on the drums, only to have all return to help with a band frenzy on the drums while Kelli reappears wearing a wolf man mask.
Blades belts out the lead vocals on all the songs other than the band’s three ballads, “Sentimental Street,” “Goodbye” and the show ending “Sister Christen” that are sang by the band’s beat man, Keagy. On the two latter songs, Kelly comes from around the drum kit to center stage to perform the hit songs.
At the conclusion of the show, “Sweet Carolina” by Neil Diamond plays throughout the speakers as all five members join together at center stage to take a bow and thank the crowd for the support over the past 42 years.
For all the first time attendees to a Night Ranger show, they are quick to learn why the band has endured and continued as a fan favorite for the past 42 years. On any given evening, you can attend a show and see crowds of all ages, young and old singing and dancing to the hits. Some fans are noticed to buying a ticket to a seat and not sit from the time the first notes are played until exiting out the venue. Night Ranger is a fun playing band that is about entertaining the audience with guitar laced rock tunes and just enjoying their time on stage in front of their fans.
Words by: Leslie Reasoner
Photos by: John Reasoner
Night Ranger setlist:
(You Can Still) Rock In America / Four In The Morning / Sing Me Away / Coming Of Age (Damn Yankees cover) / Penny / Sentimental Street / Rumours In The Air / Call My Name / Night Ranger / High Enough (Damn Yankees cover) / Goodbye / When You Close Your Eyes / Don’t Tell Me You Love Me / Sister Christian
Night Ranger
The Ritz Theatre