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Donnie Iris
Is Still Having Fun
At 81
 Donnie Iris |  Donnie Iris and the Cruisers |  Donnie Iris and Paul Goll |
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 Donnie Iris |  Donnie Iris and the Cruisers |  Donnie Iris |
 Marty Lee Hoenes and Paul oll |  Donnie Iris |  Donnie and Mark Avsec |
 Donnie Iris |
December 8, 2024
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Donnie Iris and the Cruisers have been playing in Northeastern Ohio for over forty years. The Pittsburgh natives are like extended family here on the North Coast having opened up for Michael Stanley and various other acts as well as headlining shows of their own.
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Donnie and the boys played their traditional December show at MGM's Center stage after taking most of 2023 off due to Iris' battle with cancer.
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Iris, now sporting a bald head, was in great voice and the band was on point all night long. Opening with "Agnus," the band belted out four classic Cruisers tunes that included ""Do You Compute," "Tough World" and "Sweet Merilee."
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Iris then had his drummer, Joe Vitale Jr step out front to play guitar and sing lead on "Rocky Mountain Way" while his dad, Joe Vitale sat behind the kit to belt out the song that he co-wrote with Joe Walsh.​
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Joe senior stayed behind the kit and traded verses with Iris on a great cover of Eddie Floyd's "Knock On Wood." The party continued as Michael Webber came out to play guitar on "Rocking Around The Christmas Tree" a song the Iris noted that he first sang when he was ten.
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Iris told the enthusiastic audience that he and keyboardist Mark Avsec were members of Wild Cherry before they formed The Cruisers so the band launched into "Play That Funky Music."
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No Donnie Iris show would be complete without him playing his two biggest hits, "Love I Like A Rock" and "Ah! Leah!" Even at 81, Iris got down on his knees and belted out his iconic scream and still hit the note. It was impressive.
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The main set ended with his number one song, "The Rapper" from his first band The Jaggerz and then the Joe Cocker version of "With A Little Help With My Friends."
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That tune usually ends the show but the MGM crowd demanded an encore. So Donnie and the band returned to play one more with Iris quipping "You guys won't let me leave!" as they played "That's The Way Love Ought To Be" to end the show.
Photos and review by Greg Drugan
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