The event: Bret Michaels' Friday night comeback concert after suffering a brain hemorrhage in April and a warning stroke in May.
Location: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Biloxi, Miss.
Attendance: A sellout crowd of 1,800
The crowd: With just five minutes before the show's expected start, fans were lined up almost to the casino's entrance waiting to get in. All ages — from grandparents all the way down to at least one child in a stroller — were ready to rock. And the dress for it was a grab bag: from khakis and polo shirts to black leather gloves and skinny jeans to short party dresses paired with seemingly dangerously high heels.
Super fan: Sporting a Poison necklace from 1989, Kari Stoffle waited patiently outside Michaels' tour buses. Stoffle, 33, of New Orleans, who has seen Michaels play countless times, had a mission. She clutched a vinyl copy of Aerosmith's Get Your Wings adorned with black and gold ribbons. Knowing Michaels was a lifelong Aerosmith fan, she wanted him to have it. "I truly believe angels have given him wings to keep him rocking on the road after all he's been through."
Do you know where you are?: Welcome to the Jungle blared as the stage — flanked by large flat-screen televisions displaying the action — went black. Screams and screeches erupted as stagehands flitted across the stage moving this and adjusting that, with fans thinking each shadowy figure was their rocker. As the lyrics "Do you know where you are" were growled, the answer was obvious: in a swarm of fist-pumping Bret fans.
Grand entrance: All the shrieking and chants of "Bret! Bret! Bret!" finally paid off. Michaels hit the stage — clad in tight jeans and black T-shirt, along with a cowboy hat and ever-present bandana — and rocked out to Talk Dirty to Me. A smile was plastered across Michaels' face as he bounced around stage, alternately thumping his chest and waving at fans, who sang along the whole time. Despite a "little bit of hitch in my left giddy-up," Michaels promised the crowd an awesome night.
The cameras: Cellphone cameras weren't the only ones in the building. VH1 camera crews were on hand filming for Michaels' new reality show Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It. A preview airs Memorial Day (10 p.m. ET/PT), with episodes planned for the fall. Footage was shot Friday for the first episode.
The merchandise: Those looking to get their hands on some concert gear were in luck. Under white letters reading "Hard Rockers Only," an assortment of T-shirts lined the wall. A shirtless Michaels showing off a six-pack. A sultry black-and-white shot. Even some cute pink ones for the female fans. All for around $30.
Innovative seating: Everyone wanted a glimpse of a skinnier Michaels as he moved around the stage during the old-school Look What the Cat Dragged In. Fans jockeyed to get closer, some standing on tiptoes. One little boy plopped down on the top of a trashcan.
A special place in their hearts: Bandanas were here, there and everywhere. Among those wearing them was the Chapman family of Picayune, Miss. Parents Ray, 45, and Karen, 55, brought along daughters Tiffany, 17, and Brittany, 11. Ray had seen Michaels decades ago, but this was the first for his daughters, one of whom had a special connection to the artist. "We all kind of related to his sickness," Karen said. "Brittany's had three holes in her heart. And we're all fans of his music."
Sweet home, Biloxi: Knowing nothing gets a Gulf Coast crowd going like Sweet Home, Alabama, Michaels launched into a rendition of the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic. Few in the balcony remained in their seats, dancing and clapping their hands high above their heads. He closed the song with a drawn-out "Sweet home, Biloxi."
Satisfaction: More than an hour after the show started, the sweaty crowd began exiting the venue, fully satisfied. Amanda Plunk, 41, of Calhoun City, Miss., had seen Michaels perform last year in Tunica, Miss. Despite all his recent ailments, she said Friday night's show topped last year's. "It was amazing, awesome," she gushed. "I'm his No. 1 fan."
"I'm probably his No. 14 fan," added stepdaughter Holly Plunk, 23, of Calhoun City. "But it was really good. He looked really good, really healthy. He was all over that stage."
Next stops: St. Louis (Saturday) and Columbus, Ohio (Sunday).
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