Fortune Fest – Fortune Bay Casino – Tower MN – August 29th 2026

Forty Years of Fortune Bay: A Night of Rock and Memories 

Back in 1984, Fortune Bay Casino started as a high-stakes bingo hall on the shores of beautiful Lake Vermilion. It wasn’t until 1991 that blackjack tables and slot machines were added. A few years later, Fortune Bay expanded with an 114-room hotel, 10,000 square feet of conference and banquet space, a marina, and an RV park. Eventually, a poker room and an 18-hole golf course were added to the mix. 

This year, Fortune Bay celebrated its 40th anniversary 80s-style, with the volume turned up, guitars blazing, and a stage packed with some of the era’s most recognizable names in hard rock. Fortune Fest, featuring Warrant, Quiet Riot, Steven Adler, and local favorite The Northwoods Band, was one hell of a way to celebrate four decades of Fortune Bay. 

For 40 years, Fortune Bay has been a gathering place for fun and entertainment. On this night, however, the casino felt less like a gaming destination and more like a giant rock ‘n’ roll reunion. Fans packed the outdoor venue, ready to celebrate, reminisce, and, most importantly, make some noise. 

The Northwoods Band Gets Things Rolling 

The Northwoods Band, from Duluth, Minnesota, kicked off the day and didn’t quite stick to the 80s theme. Instead, they rocked the crowd with 90s favorites from Lit, Seven Mary Three, Green Day, and plenty of others from that era. 

They did manage to slip in “Purple Rain” by Minnesota’s own Prince, adding their own flair to the legendary tune. The band brought plenty of energy and played songs that had everyone singing along. They got the crowd warmed up with an easygoing but energetic performance that had people settling in for the long night ahead. 

Steven Adler Brings Guns N’ Roses to Life 

Then the temperature rose considerably when Steven Adler took the stage. 

The legendary drummer of Guns N’ Roses was a major part of the band’s iconic Appetite for Destruction album, and as soon as he sat behind his drum kit, the fans erupted with anticipation. 

With a few strikes of the cowbell, the band tore into “Night Train,” and it was game on. 

“Mr. Brownstone,” “Anything Goes,” “My Michelle,” “It’s So Easy,” and “Good to Be Bad” kept the crowd’s attention before they slowed things down with the sing-along favorite “Patience.” 

In between nearly every song, fans began chanting, “STEVEN! STEVEN! STEVEN!” Adler would stand up, smile, and form a heart with his hands to show his appreciation. 

Soon, they were back to business, tearing into my personal favorite, “You Could Be Mine,” from the Terminator 2: Judgment Day soundtrack. 

Then one of the most recognizable guitar licks in rock history filled the air as the band launched into “Sweet Child O‘ Mine.” The audience sang along with smiles and passion, and “Rocket Queen” kept the energy going. 

“Welcome to the Jungle” took things up another notch before “Paradise City” brought the memory-jarring set to a close. 

This was going to be a tough act to follow. 

I also have to take my hat off to Steven’s band. Ari Kamin handled the lead vocals like a champ, while Michael Thomas did an admirable job replicating Slash’s guitar parts. Alistair James on rhythm guitar and Christian Struba on bass held everything together flawlessly. 

Quiet Riot Keeps the Metal Alive 

If Adler represented the raw attitude of the Sunset Strip, Quiet Riot was going to bring the anthemic side of 

American metal. 

Quiet Riot broke through in the early 80s with a Top 5 hit and a No. 1 album, proving that gritty guitars, loud vocals, and hard-hitting drums could be just as infectious as anything else being pumped out at the time. 

Now, more than 40 years later, much of the band’s iconic lineup is gone. Vocalist Kevin DuBrow and drummer Frankie Banali have both passed away. Guitarist Carlos Cavazo has moved on to other projects, leaving bassist Rudy Sarzo as the last remaining member of Quiet Riot’s classic lineup. 

Sarzo, along with longtime member Alex Grossi on guitar, Jizzy Pearl on vocals, and Johnny Kelly on drums, has continued carrying the torch and keeping Quiet Riot’s music alive. 

On this night, however, it wasn’t Jizzy Pearl handling the vocals. Instead, Jason McMaster of Dangerous Toys stepped in behind the microphone. 

It turns out Pearl would be leaving the band later this year and had to miss a couple of shows, so McMaster got the call. I also learned that the band had already found a new vocalist, who was expected to be announced soon. 

With McMaster handling the vocals, the band launched into the fast-paced “Run for Cover” and “Slick Black Cadillac.” Jason’s powerful, gritty voice fit the Quiet Riot material well, although it appeared he had been given very little time to prepare. At one point, it looked like he was reading lyrics from a monitor in front of him, which took away a little from what was otherwise an admirable performance. 

“Mama We’re All Crazy Now,” “Sign of the Times,” and “Love’s a Bitch” kept the music rolling, but something felt a little off. The band didn’t seem to be quite their usual selves, which I can completely understand given the circumstances. Unfortunately, it showed in their performance. 

Having seen Quiet Riot many times, I couldn’t help but notice. 

Jason’s vocals really shone on “Thunderbird,” which followed a heartfelt speech from Rudy Sarzo dedicated to the band members who have been lost over the years, including legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads, who went on to fame with Ozzy Osbourne. 

The band continued with “Party All Night,” “The Wild and the Young,” and “Let’s Get Crazy,” mixed with “Crazy Train,” a guitar solo, and Eddie Van Halen’s “Eruption.” 

Then came the big finish. 

“Cum On Feel the Noize” and “Metal Health (Bang Your Head)” had everyone screaming at the top of their lungs before the band took their final bow. 

Warrant Brings Hair Metal Home 

By this point, the audience had been taken through several chapters of classic hard rock and heavy metal, but one of the biggest party bands of the era was still waiting to take the stage. 

Queen’s “We Will Rock You” blasted through the speakers as the lights went down, and suddenly we were all transported in our minds from Fortune Bay to some smoke-filled arena from the golden age of hair metal. 

Then Warrant took the stage. 

Opening with “Mr. Rainmaker,” they quickly moved into the ever-popular “Down Boys.” There was no mistaking the sound: melodic guitars, huge choruses, swaggering rhythms, and melodies that have 

survived for decades. 

“Love in Stereo” and “You’re the Only Hell Your Mama Ever Raised” kept things rolling before the band slowed things down with one of their biggest hits, “I Saw Red.” 

By this point, the fans proved they knew the songs and they knew every word. 

When those big choruses arrived, the crowd sang back to the band with the power of hundreds of voices behind them. That was the magic of the evening. 

For a few hours, age didn’t matter. 

People who grew up with these bands stood shoulder-to-shoulder with younger fans who had grown up listening to the same music in their parents’ households. Leather, denim, band shirts, and plenty of gray hair filled the venue, but everyone shared the same enthusiasm. 

“Big Talk,” “32 Pennies,” and “Sometimes She Cries” kept the fans singing. 

These are songs that have followed people through high school, first jobs, road trips, relationships, and countless nights with friends. Now, Fortune Fest itself would become another memory attached to those 

songs. 

And Warrant definitely saved some of their biggest moments for last. 

Guitarists Joey Allen and Erik Turner joined vocalist Robert Mason at the front of the stage, sharing Robert’s microphone and shouting, “Dirty, Rotten, Filthy Stinkin’ Rich!” as they launched into “D.R.F.S.R.” from their debut album. 

Behind them, drummer Steven Sweet and bassist Robbie Crane kept everything tight and together. 

Then the lights of hundreds of phones lit up the night sky as “Heaven” poured from the speakers. People sang, smiled, waved their hands back and forth, and seemed to have not care in the world. 

Robert then asked the crowd where they were when they first heard the next song. 

The sound of a banjo filled the air. 

“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” rocked the entire venue. 

The singing and screaming were among the loudest of the night, but when “Cherry Pie” came around, I honestly couldn’t tell who was louder the crowd or the band! 

Four Decades, One Unforgettable Night 

What a night! 

The Northwoods Band represented the community. Steven Adler represented rock history. Quiet Riot connected the night to the heavy metal tradition, while Warrant brought the evening home with the larger- than–life sound of the hair-metal era. 

It was a lineup built around nostalgia, but the night never felt stuck in the past. 

The guitars were loud. The drums rattled our brains. The fans still knew every word. 

But more importantly, people were having a great time. 

That’s what made Fortune Fest such a fitting celebration of 40 years of Fortune Bay. 

Four decades of memories were celebrated with a night full of loud guitars, big songs, old friends, new memories, and enough rock ‘n’ roll attitude to make Lake Vermilion shake. 

Fortune Bay may have started with bingo, but on this night, it was all about rock ‘n‘ roll, memories, and one hell of a party.