At 9:30pm sharp with the house lights still on, a flurry of firecrackers crackled, stirring those in their seats as the huge curtain covering the stage dropped and "Wild Side" kicked off a 95-minute hyperactive hurricane best known as M�tley Cr�e. Thirty years after the punk-pop-metal debut, Too Fast For Love they're still going strong and this summer, they are touring with what is possibly their best touring line up ever. Along for the three month ride with the Cr�e are New York Dolls and Poison. These three bands are possibly the best known and in the case of M�tley and the Dolls, most influential glam rock bands ever. Recently in Milwaukee, all three bands gave the crowd a show they won't soon forget.

Kicking off the evening the New York Dolls hit the stage with the cocky snarl of "Looking for a Kiss". The Milwaukee crowd got a first hand peek at where Poison and M�tley stole their tricks from. In an ironic twist of fate, the New York Dolls have released more new material in the last five years than M�tley Cr�e and Poison have in the last decade�combined. One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This appeared in 2006, while Cause I Sez So landed in 2009 and the just released Dancing Backward in High Heels find the Dolls embracing their legacy and in many ways, continuing their legendary and highly influential story. The current five piece band tore through current songs "Dance Like a Monkey", "Cuz I Said So" and "Talk to Me Baby" with a fierce bluesy foundation that never missed the mark. Lead singer David Johansen may be a generation removed from the acts that followed, but his stage presence is undeniable. Dressed in a white shirt, jeans and his trademark sunglasses on his head, he crooned like Jagger and slithered on the stage like the confident elder statesman. The only other living original member Sylvain Sylvain stood out in a red vest and hat while just added second guitarist Earl Slick performed beautifully with Sylvain. Slick just joined the band this year and the last time he was in Milwaukee, it was with David Bowie in 2004, and despite the time that has passed, his playing is still sublime as he can add ambience and also add gutsy blues riffs that sound as if they've spent time in a rock n' roll gutter.

Even though the music the Dolls make today can't be as prominent as their first two records, it's still wonderfully affecting, notably the recent song "Kids Like You" which wouldn't have been out of place in a Martin Scorsese period film. "Pills" and "Who Are the Mystery Girls?" provide a shot of familiarity as their influence can be felt on Too Fast For Love and Look What the Cat Dragged In. It's also infuriating because you wonder why the Sex Pistols were able to secure a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for one album while the New York Dolls debut was every bit as significant and more importantly they continue to create today. The triple shot of "Trash", "Personality Crisis" and "Jet Boy" had the majority of the Milwaukee crowd on their feet as the band delivered a trifecta of perfection from their debut record from 1973. They may not have as many hits as Poison, but if you've never seen the New York Dolls before, make sure you arrive early to catch their set and you will witness the band virtually every 80's band from Los Angeles owes their careers to.

Poison, for better or worse, has been playing the same exact set list for twenty years. If you've seen them before, then it's safe to say this show will hold no surprises. It's a shame as it was a prime opportunity to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Look What the Cat Dragged In. Instead of highlighting the milestone and performing the album in its entirety, they performed a 9-song greatest hits set. Despite their lack of creativity in drawing up a set list, it's hard to dig into them or bash them because no matter what anyone says, they deliver one hell of a show whether they are headlining or opening. They may not be pushing the envelope, catering to their die-hard fans or even be a creative force, but when they hit the stage, its full throttle. "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", "Ride the Wind", "Fallen Angel", "Nothing But A Good Time", "Unskinny Bop", "Talk Dirty To Me" and a pair of covers, "Your Mama Don't Dance" and "We're An American Band" engulfed the crowd like a rock n' roll tidal wave. Even for the fans that follow Poison and Bret Michaels every year will have a hard time not being pulled in. Despite a severe lack of adventure, it's hard to deny the energy they bring to the stage and if you were to grade them for teeing up the audience for M�tley Cr�e, they would get a B+.

M�tley Cr�e took to the stage like a uncaged fiend as "Wild Side" socked the crowd like Mike Tyson at his peak with the title track of their 2008 record, "Saints of Los Angeles" following in short order. Besides being one of only two tracks not from the 1980's, it slid up right against the band's best. "Live Wire" and "Shout at the Devil" were impressive due to the gun slinging guitar work of Mick Mars. Six years after the Cr�e's triumphant rebirth and rededication of the band, Mars may be aging but with every passing day, his chops improve and along with drummer Tommy Lee, they set the foundation for the definitive Cr�e sound; spacey garage rock guitars and anvil pounding drums. Mars was never a flashy guitarist, unlike most of his 80's counterparts, but his rhythm playing is nothing short of astonishing and something few acknowledge. Especially remarkable is his capacity to move seamlessly between rhythm and soloing. A disciple of Jeff Beck, he's improved his craft with age and instead of mellowing out, he's still creating sounds no one else could mimic in a hybrid style that is part blues and part metal. His tone is born out of whiskey and worry; part Los Angeles decadence and part Delta blues. He's the Charlie Watts of the Cr�e; unassuming yet fundamental to the band's chemistry. The day he hangs up his top hat and six-string is the day the band is over.

The other side of the M�tley sound is Tommy Lee, a flashy celebrity whom many forget ascended to superstardom not for who he has married but for what he can do behind the drum kit. Beneath the gossip and tabloid headlines is a musician of amazing aptitude. Watching him behind the drum kit is a sight to behold. He hits them hard and fast yet never swerving off course always delivering the song to its destination point. During the 1980's, Lee redefined the drum solo with death defying acts of grandeur (or foolishness depending on who you speak to). Alas, instead of a bathroom break for most of the audience, all eyes focus on Lee to see how he would top himself. This time around, he delivers his most impressive solo since the Dr. Feelgood tour more than two decades back; a 360-degree roller coaster ride which encompasses Lee's drum kit. In fact, it's the best solo I've seen on the drums aside from Neil Peart's solos with Rush. While Poison wasted precious time with superfluous guitar and drum noodling, Lee took his to another level fully engaging the crowd and leaving them with a memory they won't soon forget.

Lead singer Vince Neil was in good voice and along with bassist Nikki Sixx kept the crowd animated and on their feet for the entirety of their performance. Neil ascended down a stripper pole to start the show and covered the entire stage never resting. Sixx's bass is the undercurrent of the band's sound with it at the forefront of certain numbers, notably "Ten Seconds To Love" where his four string intertwines with Lee's drums into the aural equivalent of steamy sex. The band finished their set with a melding of Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll (Part Two)" with Brownsville Station's "Smoking in the Boys Room" before "Kickstart My Heart" ended the evening in a fiery pyrotechnic blast with much of the crew on stage including two female dancers who also sang back up vocals for most of the performance.

On paper, the show doesn't appear to be much of a change from previous tours. Despite the fact that the band let the fans choose the songs for this tour, they're only performing two songs not done on their reunion tour back in 2005. It's disappointing for a band that I believe to still have quite a bit of bite left in them. Each member is highly productive outside of the band with books, albums and side projects, but together they appear to be living in the past. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially when they deliver a show with as much of a punch as they currently are. Nikki Sixx reminds me a lot of Pete Townshend. They're both high creative and opinionated. In fact, I'd love to see them interview each other. Despite their high levels of creativity, they rarely seem to be able to contribute to the bands they gave them their greatest success. Townshend may have given up the fight, but I hope the Cr�e still have more music in them. They're capable of making great new music or even going far back and doing complete performances of Too Fast For Love or Shout at the Devil, but until then, most fans will be pleased with their high octane set full of hit-after-hit.

The triple bill of the New York Dolls, Poison and M�tley Cr�e is possibly the greatest glam rock package ever put together. Combined the three acts performed 34-soongs and were on stage a total of 190-minutes. Their youthful sloppiness and rancor has turned into spirited yet aggressive performances. While none of them may be riding the Billboard charts at the moment, they're hitting the stage night after night in one of the best and high energy packages around this summer. The fortitude of all three acts is a reminder not just of our past, but is a reminder of how rock n' roll is more than mere entertainment but a art form that pushes boundaries. You'll witness three bands that did more than shock people when they arrived on the scene but more importantly whose music continues to inspire to this day; the proof is in the smiles and roars from the crowd that make you feel right at home.