In the 90’s rock n’ roll was starting to see a shift in the currents and hard rock and Metal were heading into some murky waters. Bands that were at one time gracing the covers of magazines, getting plenty of radio airplay and having their videos played every hour on MTV were now starting on a rapid decline into obscurity. Cinderella was one of these bands. In less than a years time, Cinderella’s “Heartbreak Station” tour would go from being a co-headlining arena/amphitheater tour with David Lee Roth to being completely down scaled to small theaters and clubs. From the huge stage production, lights and pyro to the small, intimate smokey rooms where the band first got their start. While most of their peers in the same situation moaned and groaned, Cinderella took to these stages with heads held high and embraced them for what they were.
As a fan, this was the fucking coolest. Seeing Cinderella at Center Stage Theater and being pressed right up against the stage and being close enough to catch guitar picks was something I never thought would happen. What I do remember about this show to this day is that Cinderella seemed a lot more mature and grown up than many of their peers. They had really embraced their roots rock influences and wore them loud and proud on the “Heartbreak Station” album. Opening the show with “The More Things Change” now almost seems somewhat prophetic. Rocking out with two female singers and a keyboardist/saxophonist, Cinderella played a great mix of tunes including some pretty deep cuts like “Back Home Again”, “Love’s Got Me Doing Time” and “Dead Man’s Road.” They even stripped it down and did an acoustic set featuring the songs “One For Rock N’ Roll”, “Heartbreak Station” and “Coming Home.” Tom Keifer then teased everyone with the bluesy intro to “Long Cold Winter” before drummer Fred Coury kicked in with is 1-2-3-4 count and then slammed into “Falling Apart At The Seems.” Closing the night out with “Shelter Me” (their hit off of “Heartbreak Station” ) was kick ass but it was the encore of the Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar” that brought the house down.
20+ years later Cinderella is still out on the road playing intimate shows to sold out rooms and letting the music do the talking. All the glitz, pyro and massive productions are a thing of the past but what remains are the timeless classics that Cinderella introduced to me as a youngin. “Nobodys Fool”, “Night Songs”, “Don’t Know What You Got Till It’s Gone” all still sound as fresh and killer as they did when I first heard them. Good songs are just always good. On this night in 1991, Cinderella proved to me that they didn’t need a huge show to be a great band. They just were.
Cinderella Setlist
The More Things Change, Push Push, Sick for the Cure, Make Your Own Way, Night Songs, Back Home Again, Somebody Save Me, One for Rock and Roll, Heartbreak Station, Coming Home, Long Cold Winter (Intro)/Fallin’ Apart at the Seams Love’s Got Me Doin’ Time, Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone), Nobody’s Fool. Gypsy Road, Shake Me, Dead Man’s Road, Shelter Me
Encore:
Brown Sugar
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