Journey- Def Leppard -Nikki- Backstage Crew Review Nikki [Monday, August 28, 2006] Journey -Def Leppard Shoreline -Mtn. View Aug 26 2006 My first real concert was last year when I saw Def Leppard at a small baseball stadium. I can still vividly remember that day-- me and my brother lined up for hours outside the stadium, anxiously waiting to see Def Lep. The show was General Admission, which meant that anyone and everyone had the opportunity to get up close to the stage. Naturally, me and my brother pushed our way up to the front and witnessed a show that neither of us will ever forget. To this day, that concert is still one of my very favorites. So when the boys from Def Lep announced a co-headlining tour with Journey, I jumped at the chance to see them again-- I couldnt pass up an opportunity to relive one of my fondest concert memories. Of course, things were a little different this time around-- the show wasnt in a GA baseball stadium, but rather in an amphitheater with seats. My tickets were in the way-ass-back of the seated section at Shoreline (you know, the part of the upper section that almost qualifies as Lawn tickets but somehow still manages to be worth $30 more than the grass seats 10 feet behind you). But this didnt bother me too much-- I knew that this was going to be a great show, regardless of where me and my boyfriend were sitting. But before the boys from Def Lep took the stage, there were two opening acts: a one-man-band and Journey. Stoll Vaughan (the one-man-band) was not very impressive-- he seemed to fill the role of walk around band more than anything else (at most shows, theres always that opening act that most people miss because theyre walking around buying merch. For this show, Vaughan was just that. He wasnt terrible, but theres nothing too exciting about one guy strumming an acoustic guitar). After Vaughan came Journey, and they were a lot better than I had expected. They played a lot of songs that I knew and some that I had never heard before-- but everything sounded good to me. Every band member put 110nto the show, but Id say that the drummer impressed me the most (he did the vocals during a lot of the tracks, which was pretty damn cool). Journey is not one of my very favorites, but they have a lot of great songs that are perfect to chill out to on a summer nightthey truly got the show off to a rockin start. I know a lot of people criticize Journey, but these guys know how to rock in my book. Def Leppard took the stage after Journeys performance, and I thought that they finished the night off with a bang. I heard almost all of the songs that I wanted to hear-- my favorite was definitely Rocket (the extended solo during that song never disappoints). The only letdown about their show was their stage setup-- it was better than last year, but thats not saying much. If youre expecting to see a wild and crazy stage show, dont count on it at a Def Lep concert--rock n roll gimmicks like pyrotechnics and theatrics are as out-of-style as teased hair nowadays. But I guess Def Lep doesnt need those things to put on a kick ass show-- their songs are good enough to stand on their own. After seeing them twice, I would definitely see Def Leppard again. There is something magical about them-- no matter how close you are to the action, you are bound to have a good time at their show and make some lasting memories in the process. I know that I will never forget the first time that I saw them, nor will I forget their rockin performance last night. They are a timeless band that has definitely rocked the ages-- long live Def Lep! -- Nikki http://www.bayareabackstage.com Click Here to return to the "About Heavy Metal Albums" Home page. Click Here to return to the Heavy Metal Daly News of "About Heavy Metal Albums". If you have any questions, please Click Here for «About Heavy Metal Albums» Customer Service.

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