Minneapolis, MN - Media Reviews
KISS, Def Leppard thrill fans young, old with classic thunder By Ross Raihala
KISS really spoiled Twin Cities fans after headlining the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand in both 2012 and 2010. There's a certain magic to seeing a bunch of old dudes rocking out in greasepaint beneath a gorgeous late-summer sky. Sunday night, the newly minted Rock and Roll Hall of Famers turned in a perfectly ridiculous indoor concert at the Target Center.
Was it fun? Totally. But it would've been even better outside, especially given that it was a dual headlining show with '80s metal superstars Def Leppard, a bill far too big and blustery for a basketball arena.
Def Leppard brought a different energy in their own, earlier 75-minute set -- less dyed chest hair, more songs for stripping. The good news for the band is that guitarist Vivian Campbell is in remission from his battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Chemo stripped him of his famous mane of hair, but not his determination to keep playing, so that's awesome.
Less admirable was Joe Elliott's voice. You know how they used all sorts of magical technology to make it so Rick Allen could still be Def Leppard's drummer, even after he lost one of his arms? Now they've done the same for Elliott's voice. But even with all the echo and other effects added, Elliott missed most of the high notes, and his constant pleas for the audience to sing for him got a bit tiresome.
To make up for Elliott, the rest of the band cranked up the volume for a nonstop barrage of hits: "Rocket," "Love Bites," "Hysteria" and "Armageddon It" among them. The beefy one-two punch of "Rock of Ages" and "Photograph" during the encore brought an extra dose of summertime indoors.
By Pioneer Press 2014.
KISS and Def Leppard at Target Center, 8/17/14 By Erik Thompson
Add in a spirited set from co-headliners Def Leppard, and classic rock was alive and well in downtown Minneapolis.
Def Leppard provided massive countdown clocks on the sides of the stage, letting everyone know precisely when the rock would commence. With the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" blaring over the PA, the curtain was raised as the song built to its boisterous conclusion. It eventually dropped to reveal the English quintet picking up the ending of the familiar mod anthem, as singer Joe Elliott chimed in with the lyrical kiss-off, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." Union Jacks were everywhere, from Rick Allen's bass drum, to the scarves draped on Elliot's mic stand, to the big screens behind the band, as the group wasted little time firing up the crowd with their early High 'n' Dry hit, "Let It Go."
Def Leppard have been around since the late '70s themselves, stalwarts of the classic rock scene just like KISS, so they also know a thing or two about longevity and rocking arenas. Their well-paced set was packed with hits from throughout their career, as a slightly reworked version of "Animal" was followed by a rousing run-through of "Foolin'" with the large crowd singing along emphatically. Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell's guitars added some warmth and texture to "Love Bites," while scripted lyrics were spelled out on the screens on stage. On this number and others throughout the set, Elliott's vocals struggled to reach some of the high notes of old, and he counted on his bandmates for help.
Songs like "Let's Get Rocked" and "Armageddon It" represent the bloated, cheesy classic rock that grunge did away with, but they still had an appeal for Sunday's crowd. An acoustic version of "Two Steps Behind" saw a mass exodus to the bathrooms and beer lines, but thankfully that misstep was quickly righted by a slow-burning "Bringin' On the Heartbreak," which began with Collen, Campbell, and Elliott standing side by side at the front of the stage.
After a quick wardrobe change for Elliott, "Hysteria" featured vintage photographs of the band in various stages of their career. "Rocket" had an artistic backdrop of a wall of TVs on the screens surrounding the band, giving a nod to the industry that help propel them into superstardom. The over-the-top guitar jam singalong that is at the heart of "Rocket" perfectly exemplifies just why they became such a massive band in the first place, but also what made them fall out of style so rapidly.
"Are you ready for this?" Elliott asked before the band launched into "Pour Some Sugar On Me," which hasn't aged too well but can easily and effortlessly rock an arena any day of the week. After taking a brief encore break, the band returned with Elliott mentioning how $1 from every ticket sale is going to the Wounded Warrior project, then he let "our own wounded warrior" Allen kick off the boisterous "Rock of Ages," which sounds good no matter what decade we're in. Classic images on archival celluloid rolls appropriately filled the screens as the band delivered their potent last song of the night, "Photograph," with Elliott saying warmly, "Thank you, Minneapolis, it's been a pleasure as always. Don't forget us, and we won't forget you."
By Minneapolis City Pages 2014.
Rock icons KISS and Def Leppard invade the Target Center By Caleb Baumgartner
Last night’s KISS and Def Leppard show at the Target Center was, on paper, a little slice of rock-and-roll heaven for the “clap your hands, pump your fist” crowd. Combining the power of an 80s arena icon and a recent hall of fame inductee should have been a surefire hit, but unfortunately only one of those two icons managed to deliver.
Def Leppard finally kicked off the real show (sorry, Daisies) following a very long intermission, powering in with a quick bit of The Who and blasting right into their setlist… and a whole mess of problems.
This is where a very obscure experience may come in handy for folks who have had it… have you ever played Rock Band? And in possibly doing that, have you ever experienced the terrible frustration of the calibration being off juuuuuust a little bit? Where it almost sounds right, but it’s not hitting at the right times, and it’s just terribly frustrating?
If you have, you now know exactly how Def Leppard’s performance felt. So congratulations on Rock Band coming in handy somehow.
There is no better word for their performance than “off.” In fact, one could possibly excuse it as simply being an off night for these guys. But one cannot deny that Joe Elliot’s vocal range is incredibly diminished today, forcing him to use a lot of smoke and mirrors to try to cover for the fact that he simply is not capable of hitting the sort of notes that he is famous for, and the overall performance suffered as a result. The hits were there, from “Hysteria” to “Photograph” to “Foolin’” and “Rock of Ages,” and there were moments in each of those songs where you could feel that old energy, but again, it was just off. Toss in some questionable decisions in the guitar solos that seemed to take away from the performance more than add to it and it just seemed like there may be nothing left in the tank for Def Leppard.
But do not tell that to the fans, because they were loud for those guys all night (minus a few moments of awkwardness during an acoustic rendition of “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak” where it seemed the crowd didn’t know they were supposed to be singing.) After every track, the whole Target Center went nuts, which was incredible to be a witness to. Off or no, people there were VERY excited to see Def Leppard live, and it was clear they were willing to excuse quite a bit for the pleasure of being a part of that sound that they were familiar with.
So while Def Leppard may have disappointed a touch, KISS absolutely did not.
While last night made it clear that Def Leppard has diminished with time, KISS seemed to still be on their game, and that made the entire night worthwhile. KISS definitely put on a memorable and enjoyable show that will likely stick with those in attendance for quite awhile.
By Twin Cities Daily Planet 2014.
AEG and Target Center presents Kiss and Def Leppard By Tracy
As the Def Leppard curtain goes up so do the tunes. Won't Get Fooled Again is the indication that they are going on soon. As Daltry hits the YEAHHHHHHH The Lep kick into the song. Right as you think they are gonna finish the whole song they start up with Let It Go from High N Dry. I huge treat for all us NWOBHM fans. The stage consisted of one huge screen in the back 2 on each side of the stage. enough to create way cool images through out the show. Animal is next to keep in with the greatest hits set of the night. Def Leppard knows exactly what the fans want and they play it for them. Kicking it back to Pyromania with Foolin', Love Bites from Hysteria and Let's Get Rocked from Adrenalize. The acoustic guitars come out and we get Two Steps Behind and about half of Bringin' on the Heartbreak. When the solo kicks in so do they, and even hanging on the end to play Switch 625. LOVE IT. Phil Collen, Vivian Campbell, Joe Elliot, Rick Savage and Rick Allen are so good. To see this them is a treat and should never be missed. Ending out the set is Hysteria, Rocket, Armageddon It, and are you ready for it? are you ready for it? Pour Some Sugar On Me. The corwd is great all through the set. Of course closing out is Rock of Ages and Photograph. Again it is a pleasure to see a band that knows what the people want and not try to push the boundries where the fans are going, What Are They Doing? They had the best response of the evening.
By 1013 Music Reviews 2014.
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