Noblesville/Indianapolis, IN - Media Reviews

Tesla, REO Speedwagon, and Def Leppard: Review By Miss Mojo Rising

Live Nation hit the ball out of the park at its Noblesville, Indiana, Klipsch music center on Friday night, with Tesla, REO Speedwagon, and Def Leppard in what has become one of the hottest tickets of the year. To kick off what for many would be a four day weekend, a bizarre traffic nightmare caused about a half hour delay before Tesla took the stage for a short 45 minute set.

Tesla has been around since the early 80s, selling near 15 million albums in the U.S. alone. The crowd that had arrived heard the band perform a number of their hits, including “Signs,” a remake of the 1971 Five Man Electrical Band song, and the powerful rock ballad “Love Song.”

A quick set change and the arrival of a capacity crowd of 24,000 saw REO Speedwagon perform a powerhouse 9 song set. A midwestern favorite for over 35 years, the band used to travel the college circuit around the Illinois and Indiana border, until one Sunday morning when frontman Kevin Cronin woke up with the opening three chords of “Keep on Loving You” in his head, walked to the piano and sent the band on a collision course with stardom.

While this writer has seen this group on multiple occasions, usually in smaller, more intimate venues, this was a high energy performance, but it was clear that the band knew they were among old friends. Starting behind schedule, condensing the band into that time probably focused its best material – the strong hits “Take It On the Run,” Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Time for Me to Fly”, and “Keep on Rolling”, with unassuming keyboardist Neil Doughty bringing the heat.

The songs stood up well stacked among hits such as the 1987 hit “Animal,” “Let It Go,” the group’s first U.S. charting single from 1981, and its big 1983 hit “Foolin’,” which was slow and strong. The title track from the band’s 1987 album “Hysteria” was well received, “Love Bites” was strong, and “Armageddon It” even better.

Lead singer Joe Elliott didn’t seem as energetic as in past shows at this venue, and appeared annoyed, possibly because of problems that fall under the lighting director, with spotlights that clearly were blinding to all the performers, especially while on the runway.

Notable standout performances on “Bringing on The Heartbreak”, which highlighted Cambell’s skills, and the audience strongly approved of a cover of David Essex’s “Rock On.”

Closing out the main set, “Let’s Get Rocked”, and “Pour Some Sugar on Me” were great, but possibly due to the late start, caught a few fans headed for the exits. This show is a “Must See” when this show rolls into your town.

By OnStage Magazine 2016.

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