Def Leppard and Kiss Review!

92 degrees in Noblesville, Indiana at The Klipisch Music Center, and everybody was fanning themselves and looking various shades of red.  This was the biggest crowd of the tour.  The Dead Daisies kicked off the night, and I was skeptical as to how this band (most any band, really) could open up for two such prominent rock and roll icons.  They did more than good – they did stupendous.  I would definitely recommend checking out their album or live show if you get a chance.

Def Leppard, where do I begin?  I was listening to their music in the womb.  I am 21 years old, and much of the crowd was at least 15 years older than me.  Sadly, I didn’t see many fans my age, which is a real shame since most of my generation is listening to radio singles with the same beat.  At 85% of the concerts I’ve been to the band doesn’t sound half as good as their recorded material.  I can honestly say that Def Leppard was the best live performance and concert I’ve seen in my time on this earth.  Since I’ve seen over 100 bands live per year lately, add that together and that’s quite a compliment to this band of Brits.

The five took the stage to a backdrop of the signature Def Leppard logo dropping behind them.  It was one of the most classic rock star moves, and the crowd went nuts.  I needed earplugs just for the crowd noise, which was pretty amazing when you consider I was surrounded by a sea of people mostly twice my age.  I couldn’t believe lead singer Joe Elliot kept a jacket on the entire show (which was impressively about an hour and a half long).

The guitar riffs were phenomenal; I couldn’t take my eyes off the guitar.  When my eyes weren’t trying to keep up with guitar playing, I was trying to figure out how Rick Allen drums with such ferocity and power.  His foot pedal work was non-stop and impressive.  To end off the night they played their classics “Pour Some Sugar on Me”, “Rock of Ages”, and “Photograph”.  Joe Elliot even was able to balance his mic stand above his head, captivating me and the whole crowd!

Kiss closed out the night, and I have a question for them: how in the heck do you keep your makeup on in the humidity and heat?  I, as a woman, would like to know and use this secret of yours! Their band threw out picks to the audience like there was no tomorrow.  The pyrotechnics were off the chart great, happening what seemed like every minute! “Shout It Out Loud” seemed to be the crowd favorite, with everyone screaming along and fist pumping along with the band to the beat.  Their whole show and production was top notch; the crowd was engaged the entire time.

I am extremely impressed by this production hiring two former military as roadies.  Not only that, but one dollar from every ticket sale is going to charities including the USO, Project Resiliency/The Raven Drum Foundation, Augusta Warrior Project, Hiring Our Heroes, and Wounded Warrior Project.  That’s true class acts.  They also did the ice bucket challenge in response to Motley Crue, and followed up by nominating  U2, Prince, and David Coverdale. This impressive tour continues through November 2^nd, covering Texas, California and Mexico – see it if you get a chance!