Denver/Englewood, CO - Media Reviews

Def Leppard, Heart @ Comfort Dental Amphitheatre By Candace Horgan

As Joe Elliott screamed, "Do you take sugar? One lump or two!?" to the near-sellout crowd at Comfort Dental Amphitheatre on Monday, and the video screen showed plenty of women in skimpy tops dancing, all I could think was, "The '80s were so weird; no wonder Seattle exploded."

That's not to say the Def Leppard show wasn't fun. The band had two of the biggest-selling albums in the '80s for a reason, and they tore through plenty of those hits, after throwing a bone to being current by opening with "Undefeated," a nondescript pop metal tune that was one of three studio tracks on their recently-released live CD "Mirror Ball." After that, it was time for the classics, going backward through time by hitting "Let's Get Rocked," "Animal" and Foolin'."

While the voices have deepened a bit and the harmonies, as a result, don't quite soar as much over the twin guitar attack of Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell, the tightness of the band is still impressive. They also know how to put on a show, whether it was Collen using a helmet cam on his guitar neck that showed him fretting notes on the video screen, or the lights changing from red to yellow to green in synch with Leppard singing "Red light, yellow light, green-a-light go," during "Pour Some Sugar on Me."

During the "Rock of Ages" encore, images of fallen rock stars like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain, and still-living ones like Keith Richards, flashed on the screen behind a flaming guitar, an eerie image.

Before Leppard rocked CDA with power pop metal, Heart and sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson ripped through an awesome set. One mystery is how 61-year-old Ann still hits the high notes like she used to; the woman has an amazing set of pipes. Heart took the stage to a the PA blaring Led Zeppelin's "In the Light," then launched into a cover of Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll."

After hitting various high points, such as classics "Barracuda," "Alone" and "Crazy on You" (complete with Nancy tearing it up in animated fashion on acoustic guitar), the sisters returned for a double encore that Nancy introduced by saying they had started in the early '70s by learning covers of some of their favorite artists. After a soulful cover of Zeppelin's "The Battle of Evermore," the band finished with The Who's "Love, Reign O'er Me." The only puzzle to Heart's 60-minute set was the song selection, as three covers precluded songs like "Love Alive," "Never" and "Dreamboat Annie."

By Hey Reverb 2011.

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Def Leppard and Heart Together Really Somehow it worked By Jeff Kearney

Sometimes in life there are moments that seem to just make no sense at all. That is, until you step back to take a look at the big picture, and Monday night's Heart and Def Leppard concert at the Comfort Dental Center (Fiddlers Green) was most definitely one of those times.

As I entered the venue still scratching my head over the fact that one of the most revered and dynamic groups ever created was going to be the opening up the show for a band who's signature song is called, "Pour Some Sugar on Me"? No offense intended, but seriously, compared to timeless and classic pieces such as "Magic Man" and "Crazy on You," not to mention "Barracuda," it just seemed to me as though the dots were being connected in a very strange manner on this warm August night.

Yet, it is not up to me to ponder the decisions of super smart music executives, but to merely report on my observations, so with that said, on to the show.

While watching these sonic siblings rock through a catalog of music that spans almost 40 years in length, yet still perform it like they were in their 20s, showed not only the professionalism that these two bring to the table, but more importantly, it shows a loyal and true dedication to the their craft. Wow, what an awesome experience!

It was right about then that the half-dim light bulb, which floats over my head, began to brighten and I could finally see why the acts were positioned the way they were. After seeing Heart perform live and witnessing the audience become entranced in such a state of entertainment euphoria, it finally hit me. You could be the worst band in the world and it wouldn't even matter, as all of the concert goers would still be encompassed in a Heart-shaped cloud. Again, wow!

However, for a rare instance, that did not turn out to be the case. English rockers Joe Elliott, Rick Allen, Vivian Campbell, Phil Collen and Rick Savage, otherwise known as, Def Leppard, continued the pace set earlier in the evening and actually even upped the ante by bringing an energy level to their performance which could only be matched by 5 year olds on a sugar high! Although definitely not up to the musical mastery of their lovely tour partners, Def Leppard instead has that amazing ability to make the crowd feel as if the "rock concert" is nothing more than a big backyard party, and that is a gift in its own right.

Well done!

By Colorado Springs Gazette 2011.

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Def Leppard rocks Denver By Michelle Humphrey

Def Leppard is one of the few bands from the 80's who can still pack a large venue. They did just that at the Comfort Dental Amphitheater in Denver last night. The band played to an enthusiastic close to sold out crowd.

Def Leppard always puts on a great show. This iconic band has so much history, and so many hit songs. They are one of the biggest rock bands in the world. To date, they have sold more than 65 million records worldwide, and both Pyromania and Hysteria are Diamond certified by RIAA.

The guys hit the stage with a new track, "Undefeated." The band never disappoints, as they put on a spectacular show. They continued through their biggest hits, including songs such as "Animal", "Love Bites", "Rocket", and "Hysteria", just to name a few. The band, with the exception of drummer Rick Allen, gathered at stage front for an acoustic portion that included "Two Steps Behind" and "Bringing on the Heartbreak."

Def Leppard is very impressive live because of the tight musicianship, the neverending great hits and stage presence. While performing "Pour Some Sugar on Me", there was not one person sitting down. They ended the night on a high note with "Rock of Ages" as their encore.

Heart opened the show, and began their set with "Rock and Roll", a Led Zeppelin cover. They sounded great and Ann Wilson's voice is as powerful as ever. The band then went into songs such as "Magic Man", "Heartless", "Crazy on You", and "Barracuda." The crowd went crazy when they performed their older songs.

All in all, this was an excellent show, and the fans were not disappointed. If you get a chance to catch the show, be sure you do!

By Denver Examiner 2011.

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