Def Leppard/Journey

Show Review

Starwood Ampitheatre

July 16, 2006

The wife and I recently ventured out to Starwood Ampitheatre to witness a true blast from the past; a double bill of true 80’s cheesy greatness. This bill was headlined by Def Leppard with Journey co-headlining. I grew up listening to both of these groups in the 80’s and early 90’s. The zenith for both of these groups has already come and gone and I must admit that I was a bit skeptical about what I was in for. Those fears solidified as I recall recently watching a rather sub par performance by Def Leppard on the recent VH1 Rock Honors Show. Boy was I wrong!

The first assumption (yes, I know what that makes us) was shattered on the way to the show. I didn’t rush out the door to get to Starwood because I was sure that a Def Leppard/Journey show in 2006 wouldn’t be much of a draw. Well, after the beer run on the way to the show, the wife and I wound up in bumper-to-bumper traffic near the Starwood exit. Once we hit the exit ramp, I saw a large number of people on the side of the road with “I need tickets” signs. After slogging through traffic and picking my jaw up off the floor, we arrived at the venue.

Journey 2006

It was quite a journey (pardon the pun) getting to our seats due to the fact that 17,000 people were squeezing their way into the venue, by which time I found out that the show was sold out. Once we were seated, the Journey set began with guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathon Caine treating the audience to a rousing musical rendition of the Star Spangled Banner that would have made Jimi Hendrix proud. I was quite interested to hear the Journey set due to the fact that they had to make a singer switch mid-tour. Regular singer, Steve Augeri was sent home with throat problems and was replaced by former Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist, Jeff Scott Soto. I’ve been a fan of Soto’s since the old days and was interested in hearing what he could deliver to their sound.

Journey cruised through a very good collection of their greatest hits. Highlights for me were ‘Chain Reaction’, ‘Don’t Stop Believin’, ‘Any Way You Want It’, ‘Lights’, and ‘Wheel in the Sky’. While Soto performed admirably, he doesn’t have the range of Augeri and Steve Perry. Drummer Deen Castronovo, however, does. Pulling double duty, Castronovo summoned up feelings of 80’s yore with his vocal takes on songs such as ‘Faithfully’ and ‘Open Arms’. I’m not kidding; you could close your eyes and swear that Perry was up on stage with the group. If Augeri is on permanent hiatus, I’d recommend Journey find a new drummer and let Castronovo front the band full time.

While Journey had the unenviable task of playing ‘warm up band’ for Def Leppard and playing during the non-rock-n-roll daylight hours, they certainly proved that you can’t ignore what a hit-machine they’ve been over the years.

Def Leppard 2006

After a brief intermission, Def Leppard took to the stage. After opening their set with two of their most cringe worthy tunes, ‘Let’s Get Rocked’ and the nauseating ‘Make Love like a Man’, Def Leppard plowed through a great performance that was like a trip back in time. The last time that I saw Def Leppard perform was during the Hysteria tour at Atlanta’s now-defunct Omni. That show was one of the sites chosen for the video of ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’. So, to say that they had a lot to live up to in my eyes would be an understatement. I was very surprised at how strong they sounded but even more surprised by how great the majority of their material held up so many years later. Singer, Joe Elliott redeemed himself for his weak vocals on the VH1 Rock Honors show by belting out many of the high notes that brought him fame in the 80’s. Guitarists, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell are a very tight duo, hitting every note necessary. Bassist Rick Savage, while still making some strange wardrobe choices (think, male-Spice Girl), still plays solidly and provides great backing vocals. I had the most fun, however, watching drummer Rick Allen grinning ear-to-ear like a Cheshire cat throughout the set. It reminded me what a trooper he’s been through so many setbacks.

That’s the most noticeable thing about Def Leppard. While they’ve been through more tragedy and setbacks than just about any rock band, you can tell why they keep doing it; they love to play music and interact with their fans. While my favorite songs of the night were the older Def Leppard material such as ‘Rock of Ages’ and ‘Bringin’ on the Heartbreak’, the tunes from mega-seller Hysteria sounded as strong as ever. There’s something timeless about the material on that album. Overall, Def Leppard provided me with a fantastic night of memories and great playing.

I was sure that this was going to be a negative review. I know they are more fun to read but I honestly couldn’t find much to bitch about (outside of the beer prices). So, if you get the chance to see either of these groups in the future, I’d recommend it. It was corny, cheesy, goofy, over the top……and a lot of fun.

That’ll do it for this time.

Until Next Time…I’m out like Rockstar Supernova.

Chris “Uncle Daddy Longlegs” Czynszak

Message from Uncle Daddy: “Remember, only YOU can prevent a lame local music scene”

To reach Chris Czynszak, e-mail at: cczynszak@nashvillerock.net