Hershey, PA, USA - Media Reviews

By Matthew G. Solovey

It was a double dose of 80's rock in Hershey on July 3, with Def Leppard and Journey hitting the stage at Hersheypark Stadium. With more than 100 million records sold between the two, the bands have provided the soundtrack for a generation of music lovers' lives, or generations as evidenced by the diverse crowd in attendance.

The night was clearly Def Leppard's.

I should add that I am a bit biased, with the Hershey show being the seventh time I've seen the band since 1993. But if there is one thing Def Leppard is, it's consistent.

Blazing through a tight set of hits, the band sounded as good as ever. Joe Elliott's voice, while a little raspy, hit all the right notes. Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell unleashed their usual barrage of dual guitar attacks.

Despite a short 80-minute set, the band managed to throw a bone to its die hard fans with opener "Let it Go," from the band's "High 'n' Dry" album. It also managed to effectively sneak in a few tracks from its new cover album, "Yeah!" Lumping the songs together, the bass-laden "Rock On," the pop favorite "No Matter What" and the clap-inducing "20th Century Boy" kept the audience involved.

The band played many of the songs it was expected to including "Foolin'" and "Rock of Ages" from their breakthrough album "Pyromania"; "Love Bites," Hysteria" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me" from megaseller "Hysteria"; and "Let's Get Rocked" from Adrenalize.

The band also very effectively segued from "Photograph" to "Armageddon It" to "Animal" in a very interesting way, never stopping a beat.

The only miss of the show may have been the inclusion of the Adrenalize track "Make Love Like a Man." Certainly, the band has many more songs that are stronger, including several from newer albums "Slang," "Euphoria" and "X," none of which were represented.

The band brought back its vintage production, adding a large video screen and an impressive light show. The video screen was put to very good use during the song "Rocket," an ode to the bands that influenced Def Leppard. Def Leppard is enjoying a bit a revival these days and for good reason. The band has consistently shown it can deliver its mass catalog of hits live - and in a very entertaining way.

Def Leppard's new studio album is set to come out late next year. Here's hoping the band will quit these coheadlining tours in support of that album, and play a career-spanning two hour spectacle.

By Hershey Chronicle 2006.

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