Go ninja go ninja go!

That's right kids, we kick it old school around here.  Yesterday I went to Jack's 5th show concert at Verizon Wireless in Irvine.  AWESOME!  The day started with 2 different cover bands playing 80s music on the side stage down by the concessions.  The Spazmatics played 80s pop hits and Metal Shop rocked out to some classic hair metal....notably missing was Motley Crue.  What kind of hair metal cover band plays 2 Bon Jovi songs and 0 Motley Crue songs?!  Anyway...

The main stage kicked off with Sweet and they definitely got the crowd going with "Little Willy", "Fox on the Run" and "Ballroom Blitz".  Then Modern English took the stage and rocked their "I Melt With You".  Skid Row (minus Sebastian Bach) stormed the stage next and rocked out to some of their hits and some new music.  We saw them play at the Galaxy a couple of years ago and they were able to rock the large outdoor stage just about as well as the small club in Santa Ana.  Impressive! Then Young MC took the stage for 2 songs, 1 new one and the party staple "Bust A Move".  Dude can rock a space/track suit like nobody's business.  Next up was The Fixx.  I wasn't familiar with most of their music, but did sing along to "One Thing Leads To Another".

Next up was the highlight of my night, my month, let's be honest...probably my year.  VANILLA ICE!  That's right, the man himself.  In the flesh.  50 yards in front of me.  AWESOME!  He comes out with an intro song claiming he is from the Dirty South.  Not sure Miami counts as Dirty South.  Then he says that he is going to take us back and kick it old school.  The crowd goes wild expecting "Ice, Ice Baby" but no... he says "Go ninja, go ninja go!" The crowd erupts into response with "Go ninja, go ninja go!"  OH MY GOD!  So excited!  I got to see Vanilla Ice perform the song from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze.  You bet I "rocked out" to that one.  Then the showstopper... "Ice, Ice Baby"  I sang every word at the top of my lungs.  I lost my voice.  I croaked like a frog, but I kept singing.  I embarrassed the pants off of Chris.  He was hiding in shame.  I did not stop singing!  The Ice man finished off his set with a catchy new song from his new album.  INSANE!

Next up was Night Ranger and they played some of their hits as well as Damn Yankees hits.  It was a pretty incredible set capped off with a much anticipated "Sister Christian".  Then came The Cult.  I only recognized a couple of their songs.  "She Sells Sanctuary" and "Fire Woman".  I was a little disappointed that they didn't play "Painted On My Heart" but whatever, I enjoyed their set.  The final act was the Steve Miller Band.  They played a few hits, a few covers, a few B sides and a few new songs.  Steve Miller also sponsors a rock school for kids and had one of the kids come out and play guitar with him.  Pretty awesome.  He also had Vanilla Ice come out and sing with him and Vanilla Ice knew every word to every Steve Miller song.

All in all an awesome night.  I have to say my soul needed it.  There is something so soothing about live music.   It seems to rejuvenate me and shake me out of my weekly grind.

As a completely unrelated side note: Ed Hochuli is freakin' ripped.  I'm watching the Patriots/Jets game as I write this and holy cannoli!  Everytime he makes a call it's a gun show.  That's all.