- Trooper & Streetheart [01/20 Casino Rama, Orillia, ON]
This show was last night. I went with my son.
STONER ANNOYANCE FACTOR (0-10): 1 (some wiffs coming from somewhere when the door was open. Likely a washroom)
I will review the bands separately. But first a couple observations. This was the first time I was at this casino without my wife. Had lots of thoughts about that. As always we enjoyed some gambling beforehand and wound up with no cash (we always only bring the cash we are prepared to lose). I have seen both these bands before at this venue both times with my wife. They were not together previously. They each were with different bands each as the opener. I like the venue. This time we were off to the side in the third row of the second block of seats (the first block with stadium seating) right against the wall. We were facing a giant video board so that was good. The sound was also good as it always is here.
Streetheart
This is the second time I have seen them. The first they were backing up for Chilliwack in 2022. From the setlist people, they always do a standard 11 song set pretty much everywhere. Today they did a short set. They said to make more time for Trooper. They lost their lead singer several years ago. The replacement sounds a lot like him. My son and I both liked them. He added 2 if the songs "Snow White" and "One More Time" to his Spotify playlist. They cut out 2 of my favourite songs of theirs: "Here Comes The Night" and "Tin Soldier", Below is the setlist. I post their standard one marking the ones they didn't do with a strike-through mark.
Setlist:
1. Action
2. Hollywood
3. Can You Feel It
4. Here Comes the Night (Lulu cover)
5. Tin Soldier (Small Faces cover)
6. Teenage Rage
7. Look In Your Eyes
8. What Kind of Love Is This
9. One More Time
10. Snow White
11. Under My Thumb (The Rolling Stones cover)
Trooper
This is also the second time I saw them. I saw them backing up Loverboy in 2020. I enjoyed them in 2020. However, I found out that the original lead vocalist and guitarist (the last 2 founding members) left the band in 2021. I found this out in the intermission. The guitar replacement was good. The vocal replacement, was not. He actually would have been adaquate if he had stuck to the original pace and tempo of the songs. He did not. He was also goofy looking and a poor showman. The only good thing he did was include a couple songs they did not do at the last show. He also added some songs which nobody had any idea what they were. I base this on the lack of singing, clapping along or dancing among the crowd. I would rather they have cut these and let Streetheart do a full set. The songs were not any worse than the rest of his performance but they were a waste of time. They also did 3 instrument solos. I think I have made it known I hate these. The only good thing about them, is if you know when they are coming, it is a potential time to relieve one's bladder (which is what I figure the purpose of them is -- for the band).
My son pointed out with no founding members, we were seeing a cover band. He did not enjoy them one bit. I tried to enjoy the parts of the songs I recognized and that he did reasonably close replication of the original. I do like Trooper's music. But I will not see another Trooper show. Note they did an encore but it wasn't really by audience demand. People started leaving around the keyboard solo and was pretty heavy once they finished "Raise a Little Hell" and left the stage. Part of the reason is most shows at this venue do not do encores.
Setlist (songs with ?? I am guessing at title based upon repeating lyrics):
1. We're Here for a Good Time (Not a Long Time)
2. 3 Dressed Up as a 9
3. Baby Woncha Please Come Home
4. Two for the Show
5. Ready
6. ?? Thin White Line
7. Boy With a Beat
(drum solo)
(guitar + drum duet)
8. ?? Roller Rink
9. Round, Round We Go
10. Boys Are Back In Town (Thin Lizzy cover)
11. General Hand Grenade
12. Santa Maria
(keyboard solo)
13. Janine
14. Oh, Pretty Lady
15. The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car
16. Raise a Little Hell
Encore:
17. Listen To The Music (Doobie Brothers cover)
18. We're Here for a Good Time (Not a Long Time)
Upcoming Shows:
2024:
- Foreigner & Styx [06/14 Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON]
