By Photojournalist Chaz Dykes of Chaz D Photography

Hurricane season has been pretty quiet this year. But on Sept 14, 2022 that all changed. There was no Lightning inside Amalie Arena, but there was a storm. The Scorpions blew into Tampa Bay and rocked everyone like a hurricane.

The Scorpions set included, “The Zoo,” “Send Me an Angel,” “Blackout,” “Big City Nights,” and a special dedication to those in battle for their country in Ukraine as they played “Winds of Change.” The crowd sang along and so loud that Klaus actually stopped singing to listen before joining back in. The night’s encores were “No One Like You” and “Rock You Like a Hurricane.”

It was a great pleasure to get to see the Scorpions perform live again. I grew up on the music of the 80’s and it is nice to get to relive your younger days by seeing the bands that were part of the soundtrack of your youth.

Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs’ performance was a clinic for guitarists in the audience and proved why they are one of the best guitar duos ever. Klaus Meine’s vocals were stellar. Mikkey Dee on drums and Pawel Maciwoda on bass, laid the foundation for this thunderous show.

Speaking of thunderous, the night began with a surging rumble from Thunder Mother, a female band hailing from Sweden. Their set was full of energy and driving rock songs that made it easy for the audience to be drawn in to their performance. You can learn more about Thunder Mother from their website. https://www.thundermother.com

For more info on the Scorpions and their tour visit their website. https://www.the-scorpions.com

Now go out and see some shows.