Hershey, PA - Media Reviews

Def Leppard, Poison powerful rock combo at HersheyPark Stadium By Jen Onusconich

There are two words to describe the Def Leppard/Poison/Lita Ford concert last night at HersheyPark Stadium: Loud and Powerful.

Def Leppard showed its British pride, each member wearing something that symbolizes the British flag - lead singer Joe Elliot wore a rhinestone British flag shirt. Phil Collen wore no shirt as usual showing off his amazing physique that he has kept through the years.

The band mixed in some new music with the hits. But they played mostly crowd pleasers - "Foolin'," "Animal," "Love Bites," "Let's Get Rocked," "Bringing on the Heartbreak." Early on they played "It's All About Believin'" from the newest record, "Mirror Ball."

Elliot performed his own rendition of The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" while sitting on a big black roadie's trunk. Then the rest of the band sat down with him front and center and together they performed an acoustic version of "Two Steps Behind".

Things got back into high gear quickly with "Hysteria," "Armeggedon It," and, of course, "Pour Some Sugar on Me."

Elliot took a moment to give props to Collen for sticking with him for 30 years.

The band encored with "Rock of Ages," obviously trading in on the popularity of the new rock movie, and the crowd went wild.

Elliot's voice does not seem as strong as it once was and the sound seemed a little off. But the stage show and lighting was great and it's hard to complain.

Poison started off rocking right from the start. Bret Michaels rose from center stage wearing red bandana and tight hip hugger jeans with American flag on them.

The show went from electric to acoustic and back again.

After the third song Michaels thanked the crowd for coming and also thanked the troops "who fight for our country." With that he put on a rhinestone cowboy hat and rocked the harmonica to "Your Momma Don't Dance." A ripping five-minute guitar solo from CC Deville followed.

"Unskinny Bop" was followed by a five-minute drum solo from Ricki Rockett, who has been with the band for 26 years.

Michaels was acoustic on "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," then the band rocked for "Talk Dirty to Me" and the finale crowd pleaser "Nothin But a Good Time."

Michaels kept reminding the audience that he and his fellow band members got their start here in central Pennsylvania 26 years ago and he couldn't thank everyone enough for supporting the band for all these years.

He also announced that be will be part of the Allstar cast of the next "Celebrity Apprentice" with Donald Trump.

Hard rocking Lita Ford opened the show with songs from her new album, "Living Like a Runaway."

But for her 30-minute set she concentrated on her classics, such as "Kiss Me Deadly" and "Close my eyes forever," her popular duet with Ozzy Osbourne.

By The Morning Call/Lehigh Valley Music 2012.

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