Fresno, CA - Media Reviews

Def Leppard proves ready to be the next elder statesmen of rock By Joshua Tehee

It was fitting that Def Leppard played “Rock of Ages” as an encore at its tour stop Monday night at Save Mart Center.

The members of the British band are 40 years into their career and seem to be owning their role as the next great elder statesmen of rock – the hair metal heirs to the Rolling Stones or the Who or Pink Floyd (should those bands ever cease to exist and who knows if that will ever happen).

Def Leppard seems to transcend mere nostalgia, with a visually clean, simple stage setup and a performance as polished and on point as I’ve seen.

Yes, the set, which ran more than 90 minutes, was heavy with hits (“Love Bites” was the highlight of the night) and at points the digital screen flashed with images of the band’s younger days. But the band also seems to have embraced its age, playing through new material and reworking the old tunes to fit changes in Joe Elliot’s voice.

By Fresno Bee 2017 - read the full review via the link.

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