Despite a winter storm bearing down on southern New Hampshire, fans poured up Elm Street on December 10, 2025, determined to be inside the SNHU Arena for the Royal Flush tour. Coats zipped, boots crunching through snow, generations of music lovers arrived early and they were rewarded with a night that felt less like a concert and more like a living rock-and-roll timeline.
Starship, led by original vocalist Mickey Thomas, hit the stage promptly at 7:30 p.m., immediately transporting the crowd through the songs that have soundtracked lives since the 1960s. From the opening moments, it was clear this wasn’t a nostalgia act phoning it in, this was a band honoring its past while sounding very much alive in the present.
Thomas, backed by an exceptionally tight and talented band (including a standout co-lead vocalist), delivered crowd favorites like “Jane,” “Wild Again,” “Sarah,” and the era-defining “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” still their most recognizable and beloved hit. The set nodded to Starship’s deep roots with “Somebody to Love,” “Fooled Around and Fell in Love,” and “Find Your Way Back,” the latter featuring a guitar solo that was flat-out off the charts.
When “We Built This City” closed the set, it landed not as a cliché, but as a statement, Thomas framing the song as being about tearing down walls and building community. In a snowstorm, in a city arena filled early with fans, the message hit home.
At 8:45 p.m., Heart took the stage as true headliners, opening with a powerful five-minute slideshow that chronicled news and highlights from 1973 to 2025. It was a reminder that Heart isn’t just a band, they’re an institution. When the music kicked in, the roar from the crowd said it all.
Launching into “Never,” Heart wasted no time asserting their dominance. The set moved effortlessly through decades: “Little Queen,” “Dreams,” “Crazy on You,” “Dog & Butterfly,” and “Straight On,” each delivered with precision and emotional weight. “Keep My Love Alive” featured delicate flute work, while “Magic Man” and “Alone” reminded everyone why these songs still resonate generations later.
The band itself was a force, five guitar players on stage, including bass and 12-string, each weaving a unique part into Heart’s unmistakable sound. Paul Moak, Ryan Waters, Tony Lucido, Ryan Wariner, Sean T. Lane, and the Wilson sisters formed a wall of musicianship that felt both massive and intimate.
Heart’s history has always been intertwined with Led Zeppelin, and the Royal Flush tour leaned into that legacy with reverence. Covers including “Find Me a Woman,” “Going to California,” and “The Rain Song” were woven throughout the set, not as gimmicks, but as heartfelt tributes to the music that shaped them.
Nancy Wilson paused to share a personal story about giving Eddie Van Halen a white ovation acoustic guitar and then followed by a beautiful acoustic tribute that drew one of the night’s most emotional responses.
Watching Ann Wilson perform remains a singular experience. Her voice is distinct, powerful, and emotionally raw and has lost none of its magic over five decades. Age may slow some performers, but Ann Wilson has proven herself to be an unmatched voice in rock ’n’ roll, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the greatest singers of any era. Together, Ann and Nancy Wilson have preserved not only their talents, but the soul of Heart itself.
Heart never truly left the stage for the encore, rolling seamlessly into the final stretch with “What About Love” and a haunting, seasonal rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “River.” And just when the crowd thought the night couldn’t climb any higher, the band delivered the ultimate crowd-pleaser.
“Barracuda.”
The arena erupted. Fans were on their feet, dancing, singing, and cheering as one, all transported back to the moments when this song first blew out car speakers and radio airwaves.
On a snowy December night in Manchester, Starship and Heart didn’t just perform hits, they reminded us why this music still matters. Six decades on, the soundtrack of our lives is still loud, still powerful, and very much alive.
Review: Bonnie for WSCA FM, Portsmouth Community Radio
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Mixtape with Bonnie’s Stage Storm: Fall 2025