Bret Michaels has rollled out his 2023 “Parti-Gras” North American summer tour dates with road regulars Night Ranger and Jefferson Starship. Joining the festivities at assorted stops throughout the dozen-city trek will be former-Journey singer Steve Augeri and Sugar Ray‘s Mark McGrath.
The Poison frontman said in a statement, “It's unique, never quite been done before. I said I want to throw that party starting in the parking lot, into the building, let fans have a chance to be on the side of the stage, they're doing the 'Dress Like Bret' karaoke contest, it's like a carnival of fun and awesomeness, right? And the music we're playing in between, we've got DJs spinning, everything is meant to be a party from the time you get there till you end. It's gotta be all killer, all hits, no filler.”
Bret Michaels has long maintained that although Poison's music might not be deemed “high art” by the rock press establishment, that doesn't mean that their songs don't matter in a big way for a lot of people: “We don't always know what we're doing, we just do it with conviction. (Laughs) And somehow originality comes from that, y'know? And writing what I think are really, really strong songs both musically but mostly lyrically, like 'Something To Believe In”' or 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn.' They hit people's soul.”