Wilkes-Barre, PA - Media Reviews

Fans Get Rocked At Arena As Def Leppard Shines By Alan K. Stout

The drum sound is huge, the guitars biting, the choruses soaring and the melodies comfortably on target. There is charisma, a sense of showmanship and a big catalogue of hard-rock classics. That is Def Leppard.

And that is what the crowd of 6,000 got on Saturday night at the band's show at the First Union Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township.

Opening its set with 1983's "Rock Rock (Till You Drop)," the polished British outfit followed with the new "Demolition Man."

"So this is Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania?" shouted singer Joe Elliot, drawing an easy roar from the crowd.

"Women," a bombastic sounding track from 1987's "Hysteria" was another early highlight in the set, as was a powerful performance of "Foolin'."

In addition to the aforementioned qualities, the thing that makes Def Leppard's hard-rock sound so unique - and ultimately, so good - is the diversity of their song arrangements. Not simply set in the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-verse-chorus mold, Lep's tunes often break out into more dynamic areas while always remaining cohesive, breezy and fast moving.

"Animal" inspired a fun sing-along and "Hysteria" was also met with a roar from the audience. The new "Paper Sun" aptly displayed Lep's conscious decision to return to its early sounds and the bass-fueled "Love Bites" again showed the band's aptitude at combining punch with melody.

"Let's go all the way back to the summer of 1999," joked Elliot as he introduced last summer's comeback hit "Promises." An acoustic version of "Two Steps Behind" was preceded by a teasing few notes of Led Zeppelin's "Over The Hills and Far Away" and fiery, consecutive performances of "Photograph," "Rocket," "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Rock of Ages" ended the set with a bang.

The band members - who continuously ran and strutted about the large stage throughout the show - returned for a series of encores, including performances of "Let's Get Rocked" and the show ender "Let It Go."

In an added treat, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts opened the show with a tight, fast-paced, punk-style performance that included Jett's hits "Crimson and Clover," "I Love Rock & Roll" and "I Hate Myself for Loving You." Jett - whose head was completely shaved - did a good job of warming up the crowd and had the audience on its feet on several occasions.

Still, this was clearly Def Leppard's night. And as one of the few bands that have successfully survived the pop/metal movement of the '80s, they proved why they're still in arenas playing to thousands of loyal fans: They've got some great songs, and they put on a good show. And that will keep them coming back every time.

By The Times Leader 2000.

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