Night Ranger live at Capital One Hall in Tysons Corner, Virginia, USA Concert Review

NIGHT RANGER ARE FUN NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU’VE SEEN THEM

Date: July 7, 2023
Venue: Capital One Hall
Location: Tysons Corner, Virginia, USA
Reviewer: Christopher Carroll
Photos: Christopher Carroll ROCK Photography

I had the most amazing experience shooting a band at this awesome, relatively new, local venue, Capital One Hall in Tysons Corner, Virginia. I arrived and the band, Firefall, was already onstage. I was blown away by the crisp and clear sound and how dazzling the lights were!!! The only downside was that there was no photo pit, but they let me shoot from anywhere I wanted as long as I was respectful of the audience.

That was not a problem for me, because I always try to be courteous and discreet, and snap my shots quickly and quietly. Most people were cool with me because they realized that even if I got in their way, it would only be for about five seconds and then I’d be gone again.

I don’t want to bore you with too many details about Firefall‘s set, since it’s not really the ‘hair band’ genre, but let me tell you, they sounded flawless. It was like watching a live concert DVD of them.

Then came the moment I was waiting for — Night Ranger took the stage in a dramatic fashion. They had these cool pin pointed rim lights behind them, and they started playing the intro of “(You Can Still) Rock In America” but JUST the accents! It was epic and a super powerful way to kick off the show! I’ve been a fan of Night Ranger for ages, and I’ve seen them live many times, but they never cease to amaze me. They still sound as good as ever. They aren’t 25 anymore (but they act like they are) and Jack Blades had some health issues recently. He looked totally fine and was full of stage energy. The show was flawless and fun. They nailed every note, every riff, every harmony. They had a blast on stage, cracking jokes, smiling, laughing, interacting with each other and the crowd. They played with so much energy and passion that it was contagious.

Night Ranger has so many awesome songs… So many that they can’t even fit them all in one set! They did play some of my favorites, like… “Rumours In The Air”, “Four In The Morning”, “The Secret of My Success”, “Sing Me Away” and many more. They even threw in a couple of Damn Yankees songs for good measure. The venue was packed with three levels of fans who were on their feet the whole time that Night Ranger was on stage. They sang along, clapped and cheered.

Being a photographer, one thing I love about Night Ranger is that everyone has their own signature moves and poses! They don’t just stand there looking dead, so when they hit their poses, I was ready, the light was perfect, and sometimes I even caught a little smoke in the colored lights behind them, which made the guys jump out of the photo even more.

Night Ranger will be joining Bret Michaels on the summer Parti-Gras tour that starts July 13th in the Chicago area. This run will last over six weeks.  It’s a great combination and I’ll be there photographing opening night!

If you haven’t seen Night Ranger… I’m surprised.  Get out there and see them while you can.  If you have seen Night Ranger, go see them again, because these guys are fun, no matter how many times you see them!

This was a such a fun show and everyone in the crowd left in a good mood, laughing singing… Even right now, while I’m waiting in line in the parking garage to get out of here people are singing Night Ranger songs. That’s a great sign that our music is still alive.

Night Ranger’s setlist (as per setlist.fm):
01. {You Can Still) Rock In America
02. Four In The Morning
03. Sing Me Away
04. Call My Name
05. Coming of Age
06. Sentimental Street
07. Rumours In The Air
08. High Road
09. Night Ranger
10. Come Again
11. High Enough
12. Goodbye
13. When You Close Your Eyes
14. Don’t Tell Me You Love Me
15. Sister Christian