Kelly Keagy and Night Ranger looking forward to playing at Hard Rock Lake Tahoe

It was a blast from the past today as I spoke with Night Ranger's drummer Kelly Keagy. We covered everything from playing discos in my hometown of Fremont, CA in the 70s to playing in large arenas with the likes of Kiss and ZZTop, to playing at the Hard Rock Casino Lake Tahoe this weekend.

Keagy is one of the founding members of the band Night Ranger. He and buddies Jack Blades and Brad Gillis formed the band in 1979, and the three are still performing around the world as well as recording albums today.

From 1972-79, Keagy and friends would play at the San Francisco Bay Area discos from the South Bay to Marin County. He joined up with Blades and Gillis at the height of San Francisco's big music scene with producer Billy Graham who had them opening for Judas Priest, Santana, and the Doobie Brothers.

In just a few years they were one of the most popular bands of the 80s with such hits as "Rock in America," "Don't tell me you love me" and "Sister Christian."

"We had a lot of opportunities in the early days with Montrose and Sammie Hagar," Keagy told me. "We went on a three month tour with Sammie. We were exposed with those two bands early on. As soon as Dawn Patrol (their first album) was released we joined the 10th anniversary Kiss tour."

"It was a huge thing for us to see how Kiss worked, and their camaraderie on and off stage," he continued. "Things happened to us early like our touring with ZZTop, and it was thrilling to play to 15,000 people night." When the band members had free nights on tour they'd hit the small venues of whatever city they were in since they not only enjoyed playing, but they were honing their craft.

When Keagy and Night Ranger play at Hard Rock Lake Tahoe's Vinyl nightclub March 27 and 28 it will be the first time they don't have to play and rush out of town on tour. "I have friends coming up from the Bay Area to hang out with me this weekend."

Vinyl is a small and intimate venue, one that Keagy is excited to play. "We just have the best time in smaller venues. its all about jamming and having fun with the audience."

Keagy said the crowds at their concerts today are full of older fans who are bringing their kids. " The kids end up really liking it and we get a lot of them up front," said Keagy. "They are really enjoying it and it's really a great thing. Seeing that is really thrilling."

As young men in the big SF music scene in 1979, I asked him what they were expecting when they first started out, did they ever envision touring and recording 36 years later.

"We used to make a joke about it in the beginning (at the time of their first album, Dawn Patrol). We told the our record executive, 'look, we just want to sell enough records so we can make a second.' That is only as far as we looked. We never thought we’d still be making records."

They have a unique process when recording their albums. The last one, High Road, was released in 2014. "The three of us have rebounded with making albums," Keagy said. "We start with a blank slate. There are no songs written when we get into the studio. We just start to play...we have put together our last two records that way."

They start jamming, melodies come out and the words follow.

The drummer/song writer said he enjoys today's music, especially Adam Levine and Maroon 5. "He is such an amazing singer, I just love what he does. I also enjoy Train and heavier metal bands like Mastodon."

Keagy has musical endeavors outside of Night Ranger as well. He has released two solo albums and has joined up with the band Scrap Metal on tour. He does some private shows in Puerto Rico as well and working at his studio in Nashville.

"Jim Peterik of the band, Survivor, is a good friend. He is the go to guy when yo want to write a good song." Keagy said he is looking forward to working with him again soon. "You never know, there may be a Super Group to come out of that."

Tickets are still available for the two day run at Hard Rock Lake Tahoe, They play in the casino hotel's Vinyl on March 27 and 28. Tickets start at $45 and the show starts at 9 p.m. each night.