In brief - the best set of the night, by the most seasoned gathering of musicians at any Gods to date.

Two Fires were always going to be good. After the rapturous reception and acclaim they received last year, they were from the outset, the most anticipated performers of the day. But things got even more interesting in the weeks leading up to the gig.

Kevin Chalfant and Josh Ramos needed a backing band after Kenny was not available and it wasn't long before the Chicago AOR mafia were deep in negotiations.
Before we knew it, Jim Peterik of Survivor/World Stage/Ides Of March, Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger, Gary Moon of Jeff Paris/Night Ranger and KK's recording partner Brian Bart were all on board and the news of the appearance of this super group spread like wildfire.
They didn't disappoint.

Rather than showcasing all the tracks from the Two Fires album - familiar to many now it is released - the guys decided to put together a set list to blow any and all AOR fans away.
The guys did the lot!

There was one big thing prevalent from the outset. These guys were seasoned pro's. They are hardened stage performers and looked the part and really had an air of confidence as they built the crowd up into a frenzy.
Kevin, despite suffering from a severely bruised neck, sung like a God and rallied the crowd behind him.
Jim Peterik and Brian Bart alternated from keyboards to guitar, with Jim playing showman at every opportunity.
Kelly sort of looked lost behind a traditional drum kit at the back of the stage - a little different than his usual side on kit. But he still had fun.
Josh and Gary played off each all night and at one stage nearly derailed the band in what was described as a train wreck of a chord change during one of the Two Fires numbers.
As for the songs - from the Two Fires album came Summer Of Love, My Love Will Be There, Rivers Of Destiny and Piece Of My Heart.
From Kevin & Josh's last band The Storm came the killer AOR anthems Show Me The Way, I've Got A Lot To Learn About Love & You Keep Me Waiting.

The second track of the night was the surprise inclusion of the awesome mega anthem Keys To The City, from the newly released VU album. Flawless and awesome AOR.
But this was a band show and the guests all got their chance to play a few of their own hits. Featured Jim Peterik songs included his first number 1 Vehicle, the new World Stage track When You Love Somebody - a beautiful duet between Jim and Kevin.
The two other tracks stole the night - Eye Of The Tiger went down a storm, with harmony vocals second to none and then the best live version of I Can't Hold Back I have ever heard.
Kevin absolutely nailed that track - Just awesome.

Kelly Keagy wasn't going to be left out and also included a new hard rock track Anything Goes, plus big time rock n roll versions of Don't Tell Me You Love Me and Sing Me Away and near the end of the set Sister Christian.
I believe the harmony vocals with all 6 guys on stage singing was just awesome.
And I can't miss out a mention of the greatest rock star of all - Gary Moon. His stage presence and moves are, to say the least - impressive!

Trust me if you weren't there - this was a golden moment in AOR history. The alternate versions of all these classics played by this line up BEGS for a live album release.
The best thing is they all looked like they had a ton of fun and after talking with them the next day, that was only the half of it. They were truly buzzing from their performance, really enjoyed themselves and literally can't wait to do it again.
They also got a huge kick out of the fan response, so if you were there, the guys noticed you!

I hope the guys can do some more dates next year and if they do - be sure to check them out. A return performance at the next Gods guys?