St. Louis/Maryland Heights, MO - Fan Reviews

Fan Review - Curt Taft

My very first Def Leppard concert was in St. Louis, MO on July 30, 1996.

My tenth Leppard show was also in the St. Louis area in 2003. My twentieth? St. Louis, 2007. My thirtieth? St. Louis, 2012.

So it was only appropriate that my 40th Def Leppard show would also be in St. Louis here in 2015, and it was happening at the exact same venue as the very first in 1996. Only now, it has gone through several name changes. Originally, it was the Riverport Amphitheater. Then it became known as the UMB Bank Pavilion for few years before switching to the very common name of Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. This year, it was renamed again... Now it's the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater.

As far as I'm concerned, it will always be called Riverport Amphitheater.

I couldn't help but be full of nostalgia as I walked into the venue. It's a big place, but it seemed MASSIVE when I was nine years old. My second visit was on August 6, 2000 for yet another Def Leppard show, and even at 13 years old, it still seemed huge. I've seen more shows in this venue than any other, but the nostalgia really sets in for my earliest experiences of seeing Def Leppard live.

Tonight was also 10 years to the day since my 15th show, which was Loopfest in Chicago. It just so happened that Def Leppard will once again be headlining Loopfest in Chicago tomorrow.

We had arrived early enough that the gates were open, but they weren't letting people into the seating area yet. So my girlfriend and I wandered over to the merchandise booth to scope out the shirts. Aside from the Ded Flatbird shit I bought in Las Vegas, I haven't bought a shirt at a Def Leppard concert since 2006. I just haven't wanted to pay $40 or more for a simple t-shirt.

But... Seeing as how today was a special occasion, I decided to go ahead and buy one to commemorate my 40th show. I got my very first Def Leppard tour shirt at this venue more than 19 years ago, I might as well get another one now. So I chose a shirt and plopped down my $40. It made me wonder how much my shirt was in 1996. Probably $20 or $25.

Not to mention the actual concert ticket was more than $100 cheaper back then...

Soon enough, the seating area was opened and we made our way down the lower level. My original seats for this show were in the front & center section, Row M. Later, I upgraded to the right section, Row B (third row). But then I saw that more center section seats opened up. I did some comparing to other venues (mainly Sedalia) to try to figure out how far out the catwalk would extend compared to the seats that were open. I decided to take the risk and upgrade again. I got tickets back in the center section, Row F (ninth row), near the center.

Turns out I was one row away from the catwalk and right near the corner. So the gamble paid off.

Since we had gotten there early, we had some time to kill. And it was hot as hell. We made a trip to the concession stand, then just sat down and tried to keep cool. Fellow forum member Stephanie came over to introduce herself. It's always neat to meet fans from the forum in person.

Once again, Wolfie and one of the other techs got into a pick throwing contest and I got my hands on a pick belonging to Tesla's Dave Rude.

Shortly before 7:00, Tesla took the stage and played their usual setlist. I was in a very happy, celebratory mood so I enjoyed the show for what it was. Someone shouted for "Song & Emotion," which I would LOVE to hear, but it wasn't to be.

After a short changeover, Styx took the stage and played their usual setlist as well. The only difference tonight was that their original bass player, Chuck Panazo, came out to join the band on "Fooling Yourself," "Come Sail Away," and "Renegade." He did the same thing when I saw the band open for Leppard in Tinley Park in 2007. I think he's had health issues, but it was neat to see him up on stage with the band and he was having a good time.

My luck with guitar picks continued as I managed to snag one of Styx's James Young's picks at the end of their set. I had to wonder if it was just a souvenir one though, as his pick is so thin you can almost see through it. There's no way he could possibly be playing with something like that...

My girlfriend had gone for a bathroom break during the intermission. Another pick throwing contest broke out and one of Vivian's picks landed a couple of rows in front of me. No one seemed to notice, so I asked the security guy at the end of the catwalk to grab it for me. He did, so I managed a hat trick. One pick from each band.

Finally it was time for Def Leppard. Just like my first show in 1996, they took the stage with "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)" and set the tone for the night. That song has opened more of their shows that I've seen than any other song, and I wouldn't have had it any other way for my 40th show.

"Animal," "Let It Go," and "Foolin'" followed.

The stage went dark, Phil stepped in front of his mic stand, and began plucking the intro to "Paper Sun." This was an obvious highlight of the evening and I was thrilled to see it live for a second time this tour. The instrumental breakdown that comes immediately after the second chorus is being played heavy as hell on this tour.

After "Love Bites," Vivian got his introduction and well deserved round of applause. He is playing with a renewed energy on this tour and is clearly having a blast every night. It's awesome to see him up there smiling away all night.

The rest of the set was no different from any other show on this tour, other than Joe strumming a bit of Cheap Trick's "The Flame" before "Two Steps Behind." "Rocket" and "Let's Get Rocked" had the crowd shouting along, and the encore of "Rock Of Ages" and "Photograph" only got louder.

The night flew by as they always do. I didn't take any video and quit taking pictures (for the most part) after "Switch 625" as I just wanted to take in the show and enjoy every last minute of it. Despite the heat, everyone was on top of their game and it was a perfect 40th show.

Can't wait for number 50 in St. Louis!

Back

share this page:

---

---