Bret Michaels Rocks Roses and Thorns Tour in Chicago

It was "nothin' but a good time" at Joe's Bar in Chicago on St. Patrick's night, as Bret Michaels put the "rock" in Shamrock and brought down the house. Green beer was swilling and fans were chilling as Michaels pounded out songs like "Look What the Cat Dragged In," "Unskinny Bop," "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," and his new single, "Nothing to Lose."

Nothing formal about it. It was kick back, grab some "Jack" and party with the boys, as Michaels opened with "Talk Dirty to Me," rousing an audience made up of Poison fans, Rock of Love (TV) junkies, and long-standing admirers of the enduring rock legend. Donning his signature cowboy hat, perfectly worn jeans, and a black vintage T that he later auctioned off, Michaels performed as though he was playing The Garden. He clearly digs his fans, and displays an obvious affection for them.

And the feeling is mutual.

Gathered close to the stage in this standing room-only Chicago bar, were legions of his long-time followers, feverishly attempting to absorb every drop of Michaels' sweat and raw energy while interacting with their rock idol.

During "Every Rose," a song Michaels confessed to writing in a laundromat, fans moved slowly and rhythmically, raising and waving their arms in unison throughout the chorus. While playing the power ballad "Somethin' to Believe In" on his steel-string acoustic guitar, he summoned the audience for more, saying "Let's raise her up!"

A soulful cover of "Sweet Home Alabama" and a blues-ish "Your Mamma Don't Dance" were good choices for Michaels. It gave him the chance to resurrect his harmonica with all its wanton twang, which he skillfully used to seduce the entire front row.

Then he bought them a drink.

Without notice, Bret's posse scuttled onto the stage lugging cases of beer, and began passing them out to cheering audience members. Later, Bret joked to his boys, "If you didn't bring enough for everybody, don't bring any at all," at which point more beer arrived and was disbursed throughout the crowd.

All in the name of rock 'n roll.

Next up, "Unskinny Bop." Delivered with Poison-like vigor, Bret Michaels did his jump and grind for the ladies, and fist-bumped almost every fan he could find. With "Fallen Angel," he scored a direct hit and produced a deafening roar of approval, clearly an audience favorite. "Nothin' But A Good Time" was hand clappin', toe tappin' fun -- pure and simple. The 47 year old rocker, who just celebrated a birthday on March 15th, still shakes it, rocks it, and rolls it like a pro.

During the course of the evening, we encountered several of Bret's fans, many of whom confessed to seeing his concerts dozens of times. One fan in particular, who identified himself as Matthew, told us that he's seen Bret perform 15 times in the last year (twice in the past week), and has tickets to three more upcoming shows this month. When asked to describe Bret's appeal, he replied, "He's awesome. He's cool to his fans. Every time I've come to a show, I've met him. He signs photos, talks to his fans, it's awesome. I followed Poison for a long time, and then I branched off to his solo band because they do a lot more of the smaller shows and local venues."

In an interview with PopStar a few weeks back, Bret revealed that one of his favorite things about touring was reconnecting to the fans, and delivering an eventful performance. That he did.

Thanks for havin' us Bret.

Oh, and thanks for the beer...

Bret remained at the club for 3 1/2 hours after the show for a photo meet-and-greet with his fans. Members of the club staff informed us that this is standard practice when he's in town. In addition to the current Roses and Thorns tour, Bret Michaels can be seen on NBC's Celebrity Apprentice (TV). In the premier episode, Bret lead his team to victory in front of 8.3 million viewers, and raised $100,000 for his charity -- The American Diabetes Association. His new single, "Nothing to Lose" featuring Miley Cyrus, turned in as the #3 most added song nationally on HOT AC radio stations, beating out the likes of Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi, and tying country music sensation Taylor Swift. Bret is also in the process of completing his new CD titled Custom Built.