Featured News
Hole In The Sun Album Art Revealed!
05/09/08 On July 1 Night Ranger celebrates its 25th anniversary as a band with its first studio release in a decade, Hole In The Sun and NightRanger.com is proud to offer you a sneak-peek of the album cover! Check it out!
Night Ranger VIP Packages are Back!
04/30/08 The NightRanger.com exclusive VIP Package has returned and Oklahoma City, OK you are the first to have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get up close and personal with the one and only Night Ranger!
VIP Soundcheck Packages are now available for the May 11 performance with REO Speedwagon at Oklahoma City's Zoo Amphitheatre!
If you don't already have tickets, you can purchase a VIP Soundcheck Party and Ticket Package that includes your tickets to the show.
Already have tickets but still want the VIP treatment? No problem! You can buy a VIP Soundcheck Party Upgrade Package for yourself and up to four of your hardest rocking, Night Ranger loving friends for a VIP experience you'll never forget!
*VIP Packages for this performance include:
- 1 Ticket per person (only for those purchasing a VIP Soundcheck Party and Ticket Package).
- 1 VIP laminate per person.
- Access to an exclusive soundcheck party.
- A photo with the band (with your own camera.)
Quantities are limited so don't delay; visit the NightRanger.com Store and get yours today!
*Please check each specific package for full details as some restrictions may apply.
Night Ranger Returns with Studio Album and World Tour!
04/28/08 There are a lot of reasons to celebrate the July 1 release of Night Ranger’s Hole In The Sun, notably that it marks the band’s first studio album in a decade and commemorates the pioneering hard rock outfit’s 25th anniversary as a band. The best reason, as has been the case throughout Night Ranger’s heralded career, is to celebrate the music itself.
“People will hear this record and recognize our dual blazing guitars and vocals, and big choruses and melodic verses, because that’s definitely how you can describe this album,” explains singer/bassist Jack Blades of the self-produced new release, the band’s eighth studio album, and first for VH1 Classic Records. “It’s new Night Ranger, but in a lot of ways it’s classic Night Ranger.”
Guitars grind and swirl through the unrelenting opener “Tell Your Vision,” delivering a progressively-fueled crush that sets the tone for the eleven new tracks that follow, from Keagy’s Jim Morrison-like soft parade of vocals atop the blinding guitars of “Drama Queen” and the blitzing melodic charge of “You’re Gonna Hear From Me,” through the enduring depths of the piano-driven power ballad “There is Life,” and back again. Hole In The Sun rings with the vibrancy of vintage Night Ranger, yet echoes with a modern relevance that endures throughout the album.
“We wanted to sound new, but still keep our roots,” says Keagy of the new release. “We grew up in the ‘70s, when pop music was really starting to thrive. Sometimes it drove you crazy because the songs were so poppy that you couldn’t get them out of your head, but they were still amazing songs. We wanted to portray some of that on this album.”
While there is definitely a pop glisten to Hole In The Sun, there’s also a heavy dynamic that plants the band firmly in the millennium. “Brad brought in a lot of great ideas, some more modern-sounding things, but we were still able to keep that melodic sense in the songs. We wanted a lot of songs like ‘Drama Queen,’ great, gritty songs that reestablish our roots in hard rock,” continues Keagy.
Night Ranger—original members bassist/vocalist Jack Blades, drummer/vocalist Kelly Keagy and guitarist Brad Gillis along with guitarist Joel Hoekstra and keyboardist Christian Cullen—will be on the road throughout 2008, including a stop in Pryor, OK on Friday, July 11 to perform as part of Rocklahoma. They’ll also be doing various shows with Styx & Boston, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner and Cinderella & Warrant.
The band has been touring all over the world the past few months, including a stop at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to perform for the men and women stationed there. For Night Ranger, it was a life changing experience.
As Keagy described, “There could not have been a more proud moment in my career then when we stepped foot on Guantanamo Bay to play for the troops there. We all had mixed emotions about going and we didn’t really know what they do there. Well, we certainly found out, but the world should know that the people that are being held should be there because they are (I believe) the most dangerous people on this Earth. We heard the facts in a briefing given by one of the highest ranking officers on the base. It was amazing! To the men and women that work so very hard to keep us safe from the kinds of things that happened on 911, I salute you.”
“Going to Guantanamo Bay Cuba to play for the troops is right up there as one of the wildest things Night Ranger has ever done,” Blades continues. “We’ve been all over the world, but never have we sung “You Can Still Rock In America” in a Communist country with armed Cubans watching us in guard towers just a few clicks away. Everyone was so appreciative of us being there, and seeing them rock out was the greatest. We were given a tour of the detention facilities, got the real story first-hand and went face-to-face with the detainees (nice stare-down moment that I shall not soon forget). Saw it all and it made us even more appreciative for what our soldiers, sailors, marines and airman are doing to keep us safe. They’re doing their part, so we’ll keep doing our part. Rock in America baby!”
Says Gillis of the band’s current tour plans: “We started with our classic backline with the American flag and the Night Ranger logo, and then we built it all up from there – bigger lights, bigger sound, bigger everything! We’ve got the ramps, the vintage t-shirts, the old-school Night Ranger antics, and it’s going to be nothing but fun.”
Night Ranger has left an indelible mark on the music world thanks to a number of best-selling albums—starting with their 1982 Dawn Patrol debut--that sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. The band’s popularity has been fueled by an impressive string of instantly recognizable hit singles and signature album tracks, including “Sister Christian,” “(You Can Still) Rock In America,” “When You Close Your Eyes,” “Sentimental Street,” “Goodbye” and “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me.” Harnessing the frenetic drive of heavy metal to hook-laden rock songs, throwing in a stunning twin lead guitar team, and melodious, radio-friendly power ballads, Night Ranger inspired new descriptive phrases such as “melodic metal” and “metal power pop.”
“Music is constantly evolving and changing, and people need to keep evolving in life, spirit, soul and everything, or you might as well pack it in,” notes Blades. “That’s why I’m so proud of Night Ranger, and that’s why we will continue to evolve. With this new album, we’re just going to roll with it, have a blast doing it, and keep playing as long as it’s fun, and as long as people want to come out and hear us play. There are still a lot of people out there that want to get up and sing, ‘motorin’…’ and ‘Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,’ ‘You Can Still Rock in America,’ the list goes on and on…”
Press Release
[Source: ABC Public Relations]
Naval Station Great Lakes Fourth of July Festival Returns; Night Ranger Headlines!
04/28/08 After a seven year hiatus Lake County residents are set to celebrate Fourth of July at Naval Station Great Lakes and Night Ranger will be there! Read the whole story below...
SuburbanChicagoNews.com: Navy to open gates on Fourth of July
Public invited for first time in seven years
April 24, 2008
By Kendrick Marshall
Naval Station Great Lakes had just wrapped up celebrating its successful 90th anniversary celebration July 1, 2001.
Then tragedy struck the country two months later in the form of terrorist attacks along the East Coast on Sept. 11.
The chain of events promptly signaled the end of the Navy's annual Fourth of July festival.
The popular event that invited residents of Lake County and abroad to the celebration would be placed on hiatus for the next seven years.
That has now all changed as the Navy is planning to bring the event back to Naval Station Great Lakes July 4 from noon to 10 p.m. Base personnel will be invited to a sneak preview July 3 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
"Everyone had to take a look at the level of security after that day," said John Prue, Morale Welfare and Recreation director. "The military was changing security measures on bases across the country. We had to evaluate if we could safely have events on the base."
Prue said Navy officials had been flooded with phone calls over the years from people who longed for the return of the summer festival. He knew then it was probably time for the Navy to seriously consider bringing the general public back to the base.
In addition, another factor in MWR's decision to consider the festival's return was the acclaim it received from the International Festival Events Association for excellence.
"We wanted the base to become part of the community again," he said.
Prue and the public safety department pitched the idea in January to Capt. David Schnell, commanding officer of Great Lakes Naval Station Center, and it was quickly approved.
Soon, the group settled on a non-appropriated $100,000 budget and lined up several food vendors and corporate sponsors including The News-Sun to support the free festival.
However, most of the dollars will be allotted to entertainment acts that include 1980s bands Quinton Marx, Final Say and the headlining act, Night Ranger.
In addition, Comics on Duty will entertain the crowd, and a large fireworks display will conclude the evening.
In addition to live entertainment, there will be dozens of events such as a football interactive that includes a chance for a participant to win $20,000 by kicking a 40-year field goal.
While the Navy is not expecting attendance figures to reach upwards of 65,000 as it did in 2001, they are hopeful the event will draw around 25,000 spectators this year.
"Our event is unique because it is on a military base. Not only are we celebrating the nation's birthday, but the base as well," Prue said.
[Source: SuburbanChicagoNews.com]
LiveDaily.com: Night Ranger Tours Behind New Album
04/28/08 April 22, 2008
By Kym Kilgore
Veteran rockers Night Ranger are getting ready to release their first studio album in a decade and have launched a world tour to support it.
The band, which is currently in Japan, will return to North America in time to kick off its spring and summer jaunt May 11 in Oklahoma City, OK. The primarily US tour includes a June 14 stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and an Aug. 9 gig in Windsor, Ontario. On select shows, Night Ranger will team with REO Speedwagon; Foreigner; Styx and Boston; and Cinderella and Warrant.
So far, Night Ranger's schedule shows a steady string of dates through late August, with one-off gigs in September and October. Confirmed shows are listed below, and more performances are expected, according to a press release.
Night Ranger--which comprises original members Jack Blades (bass/vocals), Kelly Keagy (drums/vocals) and Brad Gillis (guitarist), along with guitarist Joel Hoekstra and keyboardist Christian Cullen--is commemorating its 25th anniversary with the July 1 US release of Hole in the Sun. The self-produced set--Night Ranger's eighth studio album and first for VH1 Classic Records--is said to capture the vintage spirit of the '80s rockers.
"We wanted to sound new, but still keep our roots," Keagy said in a statement. "We grew up in the '70s, when pop music was really starting to thrive. Sometimes it drove you crazy because the songs were so poppy that you couldn't get them out of your head, but they were still amazing songs. We wanted to portray some of that on this album."
A couple of tracks from Hole in the Sun are streaming at Night Ranger's MySpace page.
The band has been supporting the new album with tour dates all over the world in the past few months, including a stop at Cuba's Guantanamo Bay to perform for US military personnel.
"Going to Guantanamo Bay Cuba to play for the troops is right up there as one of the wildest things Night Ranger has ever done," Blades said in a press release. "We've been all over the world, but never have we sung '(You Can Still) Rock in America' in a Communist country with armed Cubans watching us in guard towers just a few clicks away."
Night Ranger reached rock stardom with the 1982 release of its debut album, Dawn Patrol, which spawned hits including "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" and "Sing Me Away." The following year's Midnight Madness garnered even more success with radio hits "Sister Christian" and "(You Can Still) Rock in America."
[Source: LiveDaily.com]
Night Ranger Ready to Rock Japan!
04/17/08 Ladies and gentleman of Japan...
THIS IS NIGHT RANGER!
The guys are ready to make their return to the Land of the Rising Sun! Starting this Saturday, April 19 at the Akasaka Blitz in Tokyo, Night Ranger performs 5 shows in 6 nights during this whirlwind tour of the Far East.
The full concert schedule includes:
Japan remains one of the guys' favorite international concert destinations and are thrilled to be on their way back to rock with the Japanese Night Ranger faithful.
The NightRanger.com team would love to commemorate the 2008 Japanese tour so we invite any and all who manage to catch one or more of the performances to please submit a concert review and photos to showreviews@nightranger.com so that we can share the experience with community members from around the world not able to be in attendance in Japan.
Night Ranger on YouTube!
04/17/08 We invite everyone to head on over to our newly launched Night Ranger YouTube Channel and enjoy a selection of classic Night Ranger videos.
And don't forget to become a subscriber so that you can stay up-to-date as videos are added over the coming months - literally, 'stay tuned'!
NightRanger.com Contest Winners!
04/17/08 We are thrilled to announce the winners of our Send-A-Friend contest! The following people will be receiving either a Night Ranger autographed drum head or drumstick.
- Ken C. from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
- Brian M. from Tampa, Florida
- Samantha D. from Mt. Morris, Michigan
- Laura H. from Englewood, Ohio
We congratulate our lucky winners and thank everyone who took the time to participate. Keep an eye on NightRanger.com for more contests and great prizes in the coming months!
Night Ranger to Perform at Rocklahoma 2008!
03/18/08 It is confirmed! Night Ranger will be taking the stage on July 11, 2008 at Rocklahoma, the world's biggest and best Rock and Roll festival featuring all your favorite bands from the 1980s!
2008 ROCKLAHOMA LINEUP ANNOUNCED
HOLLYWOOD, CA - The line up for 2008’s Rocklahoma was announced by Catch the Fever Music Festivals at a press conference held at the historic Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood.
Hosted by nationally syndicated DJ and VJ Eddie Trunk, the press conference was attended by Bret Michaels, front man of Poison, all of Warrant featuring Jani Lane, along with members of Cinderella, LA Guns, Enuf Z Nuff, Beautiful Creatures, XYZ, Pretty Boy Floyd, Vain, and Lynch Mob. Trunk, who is heard nationally and on XM Satellite Radio’s channel 41 The Boneyard and is seen as the VH on VH-1 Classic, invited rock fans worldwide to attend Rocklahoma, July 10-13, 2008, at the Catch the Fever Festival grounds in Pryor Oklahoma. The press conference was broadcasted live on XM’s Boneyard Channel 41, as well as streamed on Wyldside Radio.
Over 80 bands will be performing on three giant stages over July 10 through July 13th. As announced, Rocklahoma’s initial lineup on the main stage is:
Thursday (Pre Party for those who have bought three day tickets) Bret Michaels, LA Guns featuring Tracii Guns, Enuf Z Nuff, Vain, House of Lords and Jet Boy.
Friday: XYZ, Armored Saint, Kingdom Come, Night Ranger, Extreme, and Triumph.
Saturday: Pretty Boy Floyd, Every Mother’s Nightmare, Tora Tora, Black N Blue, Trixter, Kix, Warrant featuring Jani Lane and Cinderella.
Sunday: Axe, Beautiful Creatures, Zebra, Lynch Mob, TBA, Tesla and TBA.
Additional bands on the main stage will be added in the upcoming weeks. The initial lineup and bands are subject to change as bands are added and the exact schedule is arranged.
Two side stages adjacent to the main stage feature over twenty-eight regional artists on each stage.
The Retrospect Records stage includes the following bands: Jester, Sidekixx, Pair-A-Dice, Front Runner, Tommy Had a Vision, Valor, Gypsy Blue, Whitefoxx, Blue Tiger, Wild August, Messang, Paul Shortino, Mariah, Warryor, Bad Candy, Lorraine, Nasty Nasty, Real Steel, Cuttlass, Vyper, Mass, Bad Candy, Oney, Strikeforce, Herazz, Reckless, Heartless, Ron Keel, Warryor and Alibi.
On the Tri-Label Group stage has Texas Hippie Coalition, Karnevil featuring Dario Lorina, Dirty Penny, Crooked X, Gypsy Pistoleros, Sweet FA, Banshee, Gods of Kansas, Lipstick Magazine, Pownd, Shadowside, Mindflow, Warmachine, Asphalt Valentine, Krucible featuring Lance King, and Death Riders.
Rocklahoma is the world’s largest Rock Festival of its type featuring bands from the eighties. Attendance is expected from all fifty states, every Province in Canada and every country in Europe.
Night Ranger Announces New Guitarist!
02/20/08 Joel Hoekstra will be joining Night Ranger as their new guitarist, taking over from Reb Beach of Winger and Whitesnake fame.
"Hoekstra is a musician on the rise as both a consummate sideman and an innovative solo artist. Joel's CDs Undefined and The Moon Is Falling have found a strong cult following and critical acclaim.
He has performed and/or recorded with: Alan Parsons, Eric Martin (Mr. Big), Joe Lynn Turner, Rik Emmett (Triumph), Kip Winger, Mark Slaughter, Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon) and Jimi Jamison among others."
-Joel's Bio.
Wendover, Nevada: Upgrade Your Tickets for the VIP Treatment!
01/31/08 If you've got tickets for Night Ranger's upcoming show at the Peppermill Concert Hall in Wendover, Nevada on March 1, NightRanger.com would like to give you a chance to upgrade those tickets to receive a VIP experience!
Head over to the NightRanger.com Store to purchase an exclusive VIP Package upgrade that includes access to a Sound Check Party or Meet & Greet, photo with the band and more!
Stuck in the 80s Review of GTMO Concert!
01/24/08 Head on over to Stuck in the 80s and
check out a fantastic review of Night Ranger's recent performance at GTMO!
Jack Blades Featured Guest on ROCKLINE!
01/14/08 Jack Blades will be the featured guest on the nationally syndicated radio show ROCKLINE with host Bob Coburn on Wednesday January 16 at 8:30pm PT / 11:30pm ET.
Fans are encouraged to call to speak with Jack toll free at 1-800-344-ROCK (7625). For a station near you and for information regarding how to log onto the Internet for the broadcast go to www.RocklineRadio.com
