Analysis: Decades later, Warrant still feels lucky making music

CLOVIS — Big hair, electric guitars and ... mmmmm, cherry pie.

If all that doesn’t make you think of the band Warrant, maybe you just don’t know rock ’n’ roll.

The group perhaps best remembered for its 1990 hit “Cherry Pie,” which followed up late ’80s smashes “Down Boys,” “Sometimes She Cries” and “Heaven,” is still rocking away a few decades and five or six presidents later, and is set to perform Friday at Clovis’ Draggin’ Main Music Festival.

Warrant will be playing at Clovis Community College’s Marshall Auditorium.

The band has four-fifths of its original lineup intact, so it’s essentially the Warrant people know. Erik Turner, Jerry Dixon, Joey Allen and Steven Sweet are still getting it done. Warrant’s original lead singer Jani Lane exited the group twice before passing away in 2011. Robert Mason, who in September will celebrate 10 years as Warrant’s lead singer, has recorded two studio albums with the band.

That almost-original lineup plans to rock the house at 100 Commerce Way next weekend.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Turner said during a telephone interview Thursday afternoon. “It sounds like a really awesome event. We love, love to play our music for our fans. Every time we get to do that, it’s a blessing — and a party.”

The band members began their path to multi-platinum success at an early age, watching and learning from groups they admired.

“We grew up on the ’70s bands like Cheap Trick and (David Bowie’s alter ego) Ziggy Stardust and Thin Lizzy and Boston,” Turner said. “Those were bands that influenced us.”

It was 1984 when the original band formed in Hollywood, California, following in The Doors’ and Van Halen’s musical footsteps by playing along the Sunset Strip. During that period, Warrant opened for Poison, Faster Pussycat, L.A. Guns and Guns N’ Roses.

“We played at the Roxie, the Whiskey a Go Go, the Troubadour, Gazzarri’s,” Turner recalled. “All those legendary venues were overflowing and the streets were filled with thousands of rock-and-rollers. It was an amazing time for the decade of decadence.”

All fun aside, the group had to work toward a major record deal, a process that involved showcasing, recording demos, playing live, asking record companies to come out and listen, employing different managers and getting a local booking agent. But due diligence isn’t an automatic key to success, and there was lots of initial rejection.

“We heard ‘no’ a hundred times,” Turner said, “and then we finally got a ‘yes.’ ”

It took five years, a grind indeed, yet half the span indicated by the 10-year-overnight-sensation expression.

“It felt like 10 years,” Turner said, “but yeah, five years until we got our first big break.”

Once the contracts were signed, Warrant was on its way to stardom, which brought plenty of big, heady moments.

“Having our first record (‘Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich’) sell 3 million copies,” Turner said. “And our second record (‘Cherry Pie’) sold over 3 million and our third record (‘Dog Eat Dog’) did pretty well, but it was short-lived. It went gold.”

Being inexperienced while also remaining humble can often turn out to be mutually exclusive, which was the case for Warrant after breaking through.

“For the most part we did not stay grounded,” Turner said. “We were young and successful and traveling all over the world and everybody’s treating us like we were special. We had pockets full of cash and playing in big arenas. We weren’t grounded. You become grounded when it all goes away. Then you become grounded.

“But we had a good run there and a lot of top 10 hits. And we’ll be playing all of them at the Draggin’ Main Music Festival.”

And when they do, Warrant will again be walking in the footsteps of rock ’n’ roll greatness, playing in the city where Buddy Holly and The Crickets recorded most of their songs.

All told, Warrant has been a big part of rock ’n’ roll history, making some of its own, and performing where Hall of Famers once strode. Wherever the band members play, whatever the venue, they’re doing what they’ve always known, always enjoyed.

“Playing music live is the ultimate rush,” Turner said, “and that never has changed from our first show to our last shows. It’s always exciting to play music live. It just never gets old. People singing our songs and smiling and partying at concerts. We’re just lucky enough to keep performing, that’s what we live for.”

Between now and the concert, fans can find out more about Warrant on its Twitter, Instagram and Facebook sites, which can all be accessed through @Warrantrocks.

And Friday, the genuine article will be onstage at Marshall Auditorium.

“If you’re reading this,” Turner said, “bring 10 of your friends with you and let’s all have a great time.”