Def Leppard Entertainment Art First Midwest Bank Amphitheater Tinley Park, Ill. June 30, 2007

A packed audience, peppered with Union Jack t-shirts, nearly exploded out of the arena as the British metal band took the stage for only the third night on a tour that will last until October. Lead singer Joe Elliott honestly looked better than ever and his voice, sans for one omitted high note in “Photograph,” matched his outer appearance. His voice had power and range and it clearly evoked plenty of emotion from his band members and from the audience alike. Opening with “Rocket,” followed up by “Animal,” Def Leppard played all of the hits they are famous for, even throwing in “Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes)” and “Another Hit and Run,” from their 1981 album “High and Dry,” which Elliott proudly announced that they hadn’t performed since 1983. They didn’t pull out any brand new songs but instead chose to let the audience reminisce about the 80s and 90s, times when Def Leppard were at the height of their fame and most of the audience at the height of its youth.

Making full use of the catwalk, Elliott frequently leaned out into the audience, slapping hands and making eye contact with fans. His outfits changed almost as frequently as songs, seemingly refreshing Elliott and his voice every few minutes. The rest of the band kept up with their singer, in sound and in appearance. Drummer Rick Allen played barefoot in his characteristic way, while guitarist Phil Collen ripped off his shirt after the opening song, exposing a well-muscled upper body that should have belonged to a man half his age. Vivian Campbell, the band’s other guitarist (who joined in 1992, shortly after the death of original guitarist Steve Clark) sported a frilly shirt cut to the navel, and later, joined Collen in all his bare-chested glory. Rick Savage merely looked his age but his personality cut through in his playing.

These guys, after almost three decades of togetherness, were more than impressive in their tightness of sound and ensemble. There were no fireworks or explosives used on stage, but the show lacked absolutely nothing. All the members of Def Leppard were in full form, captivating the audience with their charm, eye contact, and musical prowess. Fans were even treated to an acoustic version of “Two Steps Behind,” and a half acoustic, half electric version of “Bringin’ On the Heartache,” the boys picking up their electric instruments at just the right moment to make the song bring goose bumps to the arms of all in attendance.

In comparison to their last appearance in Chicago in 2006 with Journey, which was definitely a great show, this show was still more amazing than a fan could have ever dreamed to hope for. Def Leppard took their bows on the catwalk after the encore “Rock of Ages,” bowing to the crowd, mostly half-naked and completely sexy. They shook hands, slapped hands, and waved to the crowd. Yours truly even got a special point and acknowledgement from gorgeous Vivian Campbell (who wouldn’t wave at a girl frantically and repeatedly screaming “I love you, Vivian!” for most of the show?). After a performance like this, Def Leppard is welcome back to Chicago anytime.

Foreigner opened up for Def Leppard, though many people were not in their seats to hear them, followed up by Styx, who delivered a performance that their fans seemed to enjoy. It was solid, although a bit strange, mainly due to the keyboardist who was a cross between the lead singers of Enuff Z’nuff and Rush and Joan Jett. Oddly enough, they didn’t play “Mr. Roboto” at all.

Comments

question Written by Guest on 2007-07-03 09:38:55 What does this mean??  "Rick Savage merely looked his age but his personality cut through in his playing."

Rick Savage Written by Guest on 2007-07-03 13:07:13 Ummm...Sav looks HALF his age AND his personality always cuts through whether playing...putting his hair above his eyes or waving at his fans!

Written by Guest on 2007-07-03 19:43:37 I agree! Sav always looks sexy and he does NOT look his age!!! I think he looked HOT!!!

Written by Guest on 2007-07-04 02:46:02 I like goats and soup dogs. Bon Crappi sucks!!!!!

Stynx Written by Guest on 2007-07-05 07:55:21   It's not Styx without Dennis.

Obviously... Written by Guest on 2007-07-05 08:59:46 ... this article was written by a Def Leppard fan who know nothing about Styx. Lawrence Gowan is the keyboard player and he's an unbelievably accomplished musician/singer/songwriter in his own right. Do your research next time. Did you even watch the Styx show? It's nice that you could gush so much about Def Leppard (especially their looks), but a real journalist would have reported on the whole show.

Assignments Written by publisher on 2007-07-05 19:51:52 With all due respect, Styx was not covered in depth because Styx was not the assignment. Lumino was there to cover Def Leppard and Def Leppard's tour. And just because someone is an accomplished musician/singer/songwriter does not mean he's not odd.

Thanks! Written by publisher on 2007-07-06 13:16:35 Hey everyone thanks so much for al the comments and keep them coming. It's great to know you have such passion for some of these legendary bands. It's true we were really there to cover the headliner which was Def Leppard but knowing how you feel about Styx we'll keep that in mind the next time they hit the Windy City!

Really??? Written by Guest on 2007-07-06 13:21:10 Why should she write about a band that gave up on their singer much like the band Journey?? Who cares about Styx if you want to hear something to close to their music go to a Dennis DeYoung concert or better yet go listen to their cds

Oh well Written by Guest on 2007-07-07 22:08:35 I liked your review. I'd rather you did the review than some other person. Myself, I'll be going to the Arizona concert and I'm going for Def Leppard.

Rick Savage & Tour Written by Guest on 2007-07-08 01:07:14 Sav looked merely his age, I think the critic should get their eyes checked because Sav looks half his age. I did like the review but that bit about Sav was so stupid and he still has a body worth drooling over. Now all we need is Def Leppard touring other countries for a change instead of the typical America/ Canada tours. The fans in other countries have been missing out for years, even England has started to be ignored.

styx and def leppard both rock Written by Guest on 2007-07-14 23:37:20 I love both these bands since since I was a youngster. Styx is much better and rock harder than with Dennis Deyoung who ruined their rep for many years. High marks for tommy Shaw for saving this once great band!

def leppard review Written by Guest on 2007-07-15 17:11:48 thanks for the review but agreed def lep are ignoring their fans in england and especially from their home town

fnmansvv Written by Guest on 2008-06-20 05:48:35 xpcrphml abhuispt http://rihshslf.com mopooslx gxmccsvk [URL=http://ttkcgzwh.com]cahhnnvk[/URL]

Write Comment
Name:	Guest
Title:
Comment:
Code:*

Powered by AkoComment 2.0!