Displaying Ageless Power, Lee Aaron Rocks Casino Rama
- jaybroderick
- Jul 27
- 3 min read
Narrative and Photos By: Michael Drukarsh
Orillia, ON - Let’s start this review towards the end of the concert shall we.
Introducing her 8th song of the night, “Only Human” Lee Aaron laughed as she told the audience that this song was her first top 40 hit in Canada and that it came out in "1980mumble mumble mumble". While 1980something may be some forty odd years ago (the actual release date was 1987), you would never have guessed from Lee’s performance. Displaying ageless power, energy, and emotion, Lee Aaron didn’t miss a beat in her opening set at Casino Rama Resort.
From “Only Human”, Lee slid right into “Twenty One”, her favourite song off 2021’s Radio On! With lyrics describing the fuzzy line between now and memories, Aaron reminds us what it is like to be young again, when being 21 meant "everything was new under the sun.”
Taking the stage as the opening act for Night Ranger, Lee Aaron definitely gave off headlining vibes as she and her band made up of Sean Kelly on guitar, Dave Reimer on bass and drummer John Cody kicked right into “Vampin’” off Radio On! It was evident from the get go that Aaron, along with the rest of the band were having a blast on stage, despite an embarrassingly quiet audience. At one point in the show Aaron herself commented on the almost pin drop silence from the audience. While there were definitely a lot of Lee Aaron fans in the audience, as evident by shirts and merch line ups, I think the casino venue has a weird affect on the crowd, turning them into theatre goers more than concert goers.
At the front of the stage however, the atmosphere was much different. Those who crowded in front brought the energy that continued to power Aaron and the band. Commenting on how a 45 minute set forces some odd song transitions, Aaron went from “Nasty Boyz”, where she picked up the guitar for the first of many times through the set right into “Some Girls Do” where she took notice of a few die hard 80s girls in the front dressed in animal print, which, according to Aaron, never goes out of style.
Having a great time interacting with the fans and her band, Aaron never let up. Proudly announcing that she and the boys were 100% Canadian, Aaron treated the audience to a range of songs throughout her career including "Diamond Baby” written by her and Reimer off 2018’s Diamond Baby Blues and 2016’s “Fire and Gasoline” written along with guitarist Kelly from the album of the same name. With a climatic rise during the chorus, Aaron vocals meld into a short but blistering guitar solo delivered by Kelly.
Of course, a Lee Aaron concert would not be complete without a few of her most popular metal hits. As her set came to a close, Aaron introduced the penultimate song as a protest song written when the world of rock and metal was dominated by men. Breaking into an epic performance of “Metal Queen” one could easily close their eyes and be transported back to 1984. Aaron’s delivery was as powerful as it was 41 years ago. Closing the set with “Watcha Do To My Body” the audience actually participated in a little back and forth, helping Aaron get the song started.
Set List
Vampin
Hands On
Diamond Baby
Nasty Boyz
Some Girls Do
Sex With Love
Fire and Gasoline
Only Human/Twenty One
Metal Queen
Watcha Do to my Body
An ageless metal queen, Lee Aaron has proven that time is meaningless. This performance could have easily taken place at the El Mocombo in 1984. Honestly, I don’t think there was any difference!
Concert Photo Gallery
Lee Aaron Online
show date: July 25, 2025
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