Pyromania has stood the strength of time and is one of the rock album of the ages! This weekend was about to be epic; Def Leppard is on their stadium tour. They brought along some great supporting acts that would really help build the night up and make it perfect: Journey and the Steve Miller Band! The stadium was packed and people kept arriving in waves.
This night was also special for myself. I grew up listening to Journey and Def Leppard with my mom; she would tell me all the crazy stories about her and her friends venturing all over California to watch Journey. Def Leppard became one of my favorite bands from the 80s so being able to go to that show and watch them was a bucket list item and would become a core memory for the rest of my life.
I was not the only one who would feel like this. There were many families in attendance, sharing their music and their own memories from the past with their children.
Right before Def Leppard appeared on the stage they had created a fun digital countdown to announce to the fans they were almost up. The cool graphics were space ship themed. They also used imagery of Downtown Phoenix and Chase Field; this was a fun little detail that was also very personal to the area. The fans began to count down and then they appeared on stage.
Def Leppard formed in 1976 in Sheffield, England. The band’s current lineup is formed by Rick Savage – bass/keyboards/backing vocals, Joe Elliott – lead vocals, Rick Allen – drums/percussion/backing vocals, Phil Collen – guitar/backing vocals and Vivian Campbell – guitar/backing vocals. The stage set up was beautiful; it was a giant t shape square which means the band could safely come out into the crowd without being on the floor and they weren’t limited to the main stage.
They opened their set dramatically with smoke that shot up into the air! They opened their set with “Gods of War” that bled and mixed into the “Pyromania Intro”. Everyone cheered and screamed. After the first song, “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)” ended Elliot announced they were celebrating 40 years of Pyromania, everyone screamed with joy! This album happens to my favorite of theirs, it was also my first Def Leppard album.
The band was so energetic; they moved all over the main stage as well as using the cat walks so everyone in the pit and seats could see them. The stadium was packed and there was not an empty seat in site. The band played all of the classic hits that are well loved such as “Hysteria”, “Rock of Ages”, “Photograph” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me” to name a few. Overall this band really hit all the points needed for an amazing show: stage Prescence, connection with the audience, amazing songs, great visuals and effects.
Def Leppard
Journey was the second band to hit the stage, this band was the band I listened to most with my mom growing up. There was a good small sea of Journey shirts floating around the stadium. Fans were excited and so I was. What I also love about Journey is they are from where I am. Being a transplant in Arizona has been a transition but being able to see bands from back home that I grew up with helps quiet that homesickness; especially when Journey plays their song “Lights” or “Wheel in the Sky”.
The band came onto the stage and the fans erupted. They opened their set with “Only the Young”. They walked up and down the cat walks. Arnel Pineda even made some fans nights by giving them high fives and shaking their hands while walking down the center catwalk. Everyone cheered and screamed as their performance went on. People sang along while taking videos and phots. Overall a fun and interactive performance
Journey
The first band of the night. was the Steve Miller band! Another Bay Area local favorite that formed in 1966. Their blues music took the San Francisco Bay Area by storm in the late 60s and early 70s. This was another band that my mom had loved in her teens that she had passed down to me. Being able to finally see them was a treat! They opened up their set with “Space Intro”.
Miller serenaded the audience throughout the night with his strong vocals and fantastic guitar skills! He played all his hits such as “Fly Like An Eagle”, “The Joker” and “Abracadabra”. He dedicated “Abracadabra” to Eminem which makes a lot of sense since Eminem samples this song in his lates single “Houdini”. Miller put on an amazing performance that truly showcased his skills and validated why he was and still is a top performer and musician.
Steve Miller Band
The night overall was magical and filled with new core memories that accompanied the old ones. It was a night of stepping back in time and experiencing what our parents got to participate in with a new modern day twist with the visual advances of technology.
