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05/08/05 - COVELESKI STADIUM,
SOUTH BEND, IN Review
by Dave Garber: ********** Review
by Shawna Tsoumas (Truth Intern:) Def Leppard and Adams made the stop in South Bend on their "Rock 'N Roll Double-Header Tour." The '80s super groups are stopping at 26 minor league baseball stadiums this summer, and the Silver Hawks' field was stop No. 22. Johnson and her family were at the Cove to listen to Def Leppard, but were looking forward to Bryan Adam's chart topper "Summer of '69." Even though both bands debuted in 1980, their appeal spans generations. Brandon Brown, 18 of South Bend, likes Def Lep because it's more "real" than today's bands. "It's real rock," Brown, Johnson's nephew, said. "There are so many acts that are just manufactured." Kari Freund, 28, of South Bend was at the stadium to hear Adams play. The night was special for her and husband Ryan, 29, because Adams' song "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" was their first dance at the couple's wedding. This was also their first concert, and the Freunds weren't going to waste the night sitting in the stands. They were rocking out on the field as close to the stage as they could get. Although it was definitely hotter among the mass of crowded bodies, the atmosphere was better. "It's cool," Ryan said. "It's pretty exciting down below because you're getting into it more and everybody's jamming out." The bands pumped up the crowd so well that Grant Stillson of Mishawaka, 35, said he'd like to see more concerts at the Cove, especially those of the '80s variety. "It's great," Stillson said. "I love this. I'd come here every weekend if there was a concert I'd like to see." Johnson and her sister-in-law, 39-year-old Carol Kline of Mishawaka, were glad the event was something kids could attend, saying bands nowadays are full of explicit lyrics. Adams and Def Lep are good, clean fun, they said. Not only was the experience fun for their whole family, but it also took older adults in the group back to their youth. "It's worth every bit of the $45 that I paid for," Johnson said. "Just for one night I have a chance to sit back and feel young again. Def Leppard makes me feel 16 again." ********** Review
by Andrew Hughes (South Bend Tribune): Never a favorite of critics, this one included, Def Leppard gave an admirable performance powered by the energy and enthusiasm of the group's members, particularly singer Joe Elliott and lead guitarist Phil Collen. (Bass player Rick Savage deserves praise, too, just for performing. Pacific Coast Concerts owner Peter Kernan, who promoted the concert with Jam Productions, said afterward that Savage injured his back early in the day, and it wasn't clear as late as 4:30 Friday afternoon if he'd be able to perform. Savage, Kernan said, visited a local chiropractor and played despite severe pain.) It's a testament to how much Def Leppard saturated rock radio in the '80s and '90s that nearly every song the group played was recognizable, even to a non-fan such as myself. Songs such as "Promises," "Rock of Ages" and "Animal" displayed Def Leppard's brand of glam-influenced pop metal at its most successful: melodic, tightly arranged and played well. For "Photograph," everything clicked -- the melody, Elliott's vocals, the harmonies, even Collen's metal-god guitar solo -- to make it sound exhilarating live. Most of the songs in Def Leppard's set sounded better live than they ever did on the radio, in part because of the invigorating effect of hearing music played loud and in the company of thousands and in part because of Def Leppard's seasoned stage presence. Elliott's voice sounded distorted on a couple of songs early on, but that's not a reflection of his ability as a vocalist, only the sound engineer's performance. Indeed, Elliott's singing showed that he possesses a smooth but full and pleasurable voice and that he has a commanding sense of melody, particularly on Def Leppard's covers of Badfinger's "No Matter What" and David Essex's "Rock On." Def Leppard played first, and it seemed to benefit the group to play in the daylight. The members of the group appeared relaxed and appeared to enjoy themselves. As darkness descended just before Def Leppard's last song, "Pour Some Sugar on Me," however, Elliott transformed into an arena-rock performer. With the flashing green, yellow, blue and magenta stage lights now necessary in order to see the group, Elliott added staged and mannered rock star moves to his presentation, including splaying his arms in a Christ-like posture. Adams took the stage about 9 p.m. and gave a vibrant, free-spirited and varied performance that showed he has retained that rock 'n' roll spirit -- a combination of youthful vitality, ecstatic joy and reckless abandon -- that caused him to buy his "first real six-string" years ago. Adams performed hits such as "Run to You," "Cuts Like a Knife" and "Kids Wanna Rock" with conviction and freshness, as if he felt the emotions portrayed in these and other songs right then and for the first time. "Open Road" sounded even more powerful live than on Adams' fine new album, "Room Service." "Back to You" featured Adams on acoustic guitar with his band, and the acoustic guitar brought out a breezier side of Adams and made the song sound somewhat like some of John Hiatt's songs. Adams finished the concert alone on stage with his acoustic guitar for sincere renditions of "Straight from the Heart" and "All for Love" that were every bit as electric in feeling as when his band accompanied him on the previous 16 songs. The audience played several -- and one during -- featured roles during Adams' set. He turned the vocal duties for the first verse of "Summer of '69" over to the audience, and it responded with enthusiasm, as it did again later for an extended section of "na, na, na" during "Cuts Like a Knife." For "When You're Gone," however, Adams took a big risk, and it paid off for him: He invited a member of the audience, "Diana from Houston, Texas," to join him as his duet partner. "I didn't say I can sing, but I know the song," Diana said and then turned in a credible performance, matching Adams word for word and note for note and injecting feeling into her singing. Kernan said later that a member of Adams' tour personnel said Diana was indeed plucked at random from the audience. Adams' voice still has its signature rasp to it, but it also has power and depth, and his four-piece backing band gave him expert, energetic support. In particular, Keith Scott brought to life all the hooks from Adams' hits with his guitar. Keyboardist Gary Breit, however, was mixed too low and could be heard on only a few songs. Call it a fielder's choice based on musical preference, but Adams gave the winning performance Friday night at Coveleski. | |||
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BA rocks the Coveleski Stadium in South Bend For this show Def came on first followed by BA |
