Brand of Julez and Killcode were among the bands that served as his opening acts, and they were able to warm up the stage for Michaels.
Michaels’ set kicked off with a killer drum solo and he immediately broke into the rocking “Talk Dirty to Me,” as he had everybody jumping around. It was met with a raucous response, as blue lights dimmed from the stage. “It’s good to be back at Mulcahy’s!” the veteran rocker exclaimed. “It’s going to be an awesome night. Let’s do this!”
He interacted well with the crowd and continued with the up-tempo “Look What the Cat Dragged In,” where he had the fans clapping along. Michaels was able to give the southern rock classic “Sweey Home Alabama,” his own unique twist, and towards the end, he joined his percussion player on percussion, as he incorporated the song as a crowd sing-along.
Michaels introduced each song prior to playing it. “Your Mama Don’t Dance” was more harmonica driven, and it had a bluesy vibe to it. “Mulcahy’s, let me hear you,” he shouted.
He accompanied himself on acoustic guitar on “Something to Believe In,” as he dusted off the Poison power-ballad, and introduced it to a younger listening audience. He had the fans wave their hands up in the air with the spitfire and mid-tempo “Unskinny Bop.” After his drummer showcased his prowess, on drums with another impressive solo, Michaels formally introduced all of his band members, and continued with the song that everybody was waiting for, “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” featuring his raspy vocals. “Sing it to me,” he exclaimed, midway through the song. “Mulcahy’s, raise your hands,” he added. Towards the end, he admitted. “Yes, it does,” he said, referring to the rose having a thorn.”You sound awesome, Mulcahy’s. We will bring it home right now,” he added.
Michaels shared that while “Rock and Roll All Nite” became a hit for KISS, Poison redid their own version it as well. He had the audience clapping along and closed with “Nothin’ but a Good Time,” where he left his Mulcahy’s fans yearning for more.
“We played for a packed room at Mulcahy’s, with a beautiful crowd and beautiful people,” lead singer and lead guitarist Julez Zamora (of the hard rock band Brand of Julez) said. In his band (Brand of Julez), Brandon Julez plays bass and sings vocals, and Chris Nichols plays drums.
The Verdict
Overall, Bret Michaels rocked Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall on Long Island. It was a night of nostalgia for his timeless rock classics. He deserves to be commended for his stage presence and high-energy performance, where his entire band delivered as a whole.
