Stager Interviews Bobby Blotzer of Ratt

Bret Michaels with Special Guests Ratt, Lita Ford, and Downtread

The Party Starts Now Tour

We talked about the lawsuit with former members of Ratt & the balls it took for a drummer to bring this version to the masses.  Bobby's super proud of this band.  We also talked about Saints of the Underground, with Jani Lane...and playing with Montrose.

We also touched on a possible home improvement TV show he's pitching this week.

The summer starts now! The McGrath Amphitheatre is excited to announce that multiplatinum global superstar Bret Michaels with special guests RATT, Lita Ford, and Downtread will be the venue’s opening concert for the season. Bringing his “The Party Starts Now Tour,” to Cedar Rapids, Michaels will provide a ROCKING kick-off to another successful summer at the McGrath Amphitheatre.

ABOUT BRET MICHAELS: Bret Michaels turned his passion for music into a multi-faceted brand that encompasses record breaking touring sales, Reality TV stardom, legendary songs that have sold over 32 million records, product endorsements as well as  being a devoted philanthropist,  all supported and followed by three generations of loyal fans.

ABOUT RATT: RATT was created by lead singer songwriter Stephen Pearcy in 1982. Pearcy regrouped with friend Robbin Crosby then changed the name of his band to RATT. The band rehearsed and played the clubs in and around L.A. for over a year. Signed to Atlantic Records in 1984 the band’s debut album “Out of the Cellar” (Warren De Martini, Stephen Pearcy, Bobby Blotzer, Robbin Crosby and Juan Croucier) went over 3x Platinum in 1984 behind the hit single “Round & Round”, “Back for More” and “Wanted Man”. RATT would tour with Billy Squire and Ozzy Osbourne before going on to headline their own arena tours around the globe. World infestation had begun.

ABOUT LITA FORD: A British born rocker who grew up on the streets of L.A., Lita Ford is considered one of the most important female representatives of the rock genre. Being a founding member of the Runaways, one of the first girl groups who unexpectedly broke down barriers in the punk era as well as the male-dominated world of rock music, causing a stir with their six rebellious releases. Following the demise of the Runaways, LITA FORD concentrated on her own career and now looks back on many memorable hits including: the chart topping duet with Ozzy Osbourne “Close Your Eyes Forever”,”What Do You Know About Love”,”Shot Of Poison”,”Larger Than Life” and “Kiss Me Deadly.” With the release of Living Like a Runaway, expect many more songs to be added to the list of hits.

ABOUT DOWNTREAD: Formed in 2007, Downtread specializes in aggressive riffs, titanic drums and ferociously catchy songwriting. After each glorious assault, you’ll be humming the chorus — even as you’re applying a tourniquet to your wounds. Riding high on lofty, classic rock vibes (if you dig ’70s and ’80s guitar with a 21st century growl, this is definitely your cup of lava), the Minneapolis group loves to swoop down into the gutter and twist the knife a bit. It’s modern rock with a mean streak.