If you like your rock and roll loud and flashy, served with lots of pyrotechnics, large dollops of glam, the occasional bit of vulgarity and half-naked women slinking around all sexy-like on stage, then Hersheypark Stadium was the place to be Wednesday evening, as Motley Crue, Poison and the New York Dolls performed to a decent-sized but far from sold-out crowd.

The hair metal scene that spawned bands like Crue and Poison may have long since faded away, but judging by the response they received, they still have a strong fan base that’s more than eager to party like it was 1989.

Celebrating the 30^th year since the release of their first album, Motley Crue tore through an aggressive, ramped-up set of their greatest hits, including "Shout at the Devil," "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Smokin’ in the Boys Room." And if the sound mix meant you occasionally couldn’t make out exactly what lead singer Vince Neil was singing, that was OK – many in the audience were more than happy to sing along.

This was no nostalgic dinosaur act, however. Crue seemed as fresh, fun and vibrant as they did back in the "Dr. Feelgood" days, and were hip enough to through a quick rendition of Cee Lo Green’s "Forget You" (the uncensored version) while in the middle of performing "Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)."

Never a band known for understatement, Crue took every opportunity to go over the top. Fireworks blasted, machines spewed smoke and the two back-up dancers/singers bumped and grinded to the music in a variety of suggestive outfits. Exhibit A of this type of glorious excess however, may be Tommy Lee’s drum kit, which was strapped to a 360-degree roller coaster track and spun around while he performed a solo.

Audience participation was a big part of the show as well. Lee dragged a young woman up on stage to sit next to him on the looping track. Photos fans sent in were displayed on the video screen during one song, and text messages were displayed on the side screens before the show so fans could share thoughts like "Motley Crue rocks" (as if you needed reminding) or "Hey mom, sorry I forgot your bday."

Poison, meanwhile, performed a fun and energetic but rather unsurprising and at times perfunctory set. Highlights included a muscular rendition of "Fallen Angel" and a rousing version of "Nothin’ But A Good Time" at the finale. That was offset by a rather dull cover of Grand Funk Railroad’s "We’re An American Band" that brought nothing new to the overplayed tune.

Poison lead singer — and, like many of the band members, a former Mechanicsburg man — Bret Michaels, initially clad in a lime-colored day-glo bandana (he changed his headgear with almost every song) seemed happy to be back in his old home town and frequently reminded concert-goers of his roots, dedicating "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" to his dad who apparently was in the audience.

Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille delivered his own bit of pyrotechnics during a guitar solo that underscored the band’s showmanship and skills. While their brand of pop metal isn’t to everyone’s taste (I’ll be honest — I didn’t care for "Unskinny Bop" back in 1990 and I don’t really care for the song 20 years later), only a churl would fail to appreciate their eagerness to entertain and play, They know their strengths and stick to them, and that’s probably why they’ve been able to maintain their success while many of their contemporaries have fallen to the wayside.

The best band of the night, however, may have been the first one. If you came to the show late (and judging by the crowd most of you did), you missed a fantastic performance by the recently reformed New York Dolls who ripped through their half-hour set. While they didn’t have a roller coaster drum kit, they did have lead singer David Johansen (probably better known to most of you as Buster Poindexter), who swaggered around the stage, white collared shirt half open, sunglasses on, while practiced the fine art of looking insanely cool without seeming to try very hard.

The band performed blistering renditions of such proto-punk classics as "Trash" and "Personality Crisis" while also showcasing newer songs from their latest album, "Dancing Backward in High Heels." Watching them perform, it was hard not to think of how their sound provided the blueprint in some ways for bands like Crue. It’s a shame the crowd couldn’t have been more attentive. It would have been one hell of a history lesson.