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Friday, 27th October 2006
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Moline, IL - Media Reviews

'80s rockers entertain young, old By Katie Vaughn

There’s something magical about the music you listen to in your teens and 20s, a generation-transcending quality that keeps you returning to a special set of songs no matter how much of a serious adult you’ve become.

Given that the heyday of Journey and Def Leppard ran through the 1980s, it seemed natural to assume the bands would draw an audience of mainly 40-somethings Friday night at The Mark of the Quad-Cities.

However, it’s surely a testament to the enduring popularity of these bands that for every 40-year-old in the crowd, there seemed to be at least one 20-year old rocking out just as mightily. Sure, who of legal drinking age hasn’t gotten down to “Pour Some Sugar on Me” at one time or another? Still, seeing nearly 5,000 such people running the age gamut was a surprise.

Def Leppard kick-started its moodier 90-minute set with lead singer Joe Elliott posing to an eager crowd the question, “Do you wanna get ro-o-o-cked?” What followed was a harder-rocking fury of flashy lights, shaggy blond hair, black leather and pyrotechnics. Along with Vivian Campbell, Phil Collen, Rick “Sav” Savage and Rick Allen, Elliott took the audience on a tour of its more than two decades of making music, from 1983’s “Foolin’” to 1987’s “Hysteria” to tracks off the group’s new disc “Yeah.”

Offered together, Journey and Def Leppard provided a fun show that entertained everyone from the gray-haired set to those who will tell stories of the concert at homeroom on Monday. Maybe an ’80s rock band is all it takes to bridge the generation gap. Who knew?

By QC Times 2006.


Journey, Def Leppard win over 8,000 concert-goers at The Mark By Sean Leary

It's no secret the Top 40 chart heydays of Journey and Def Leppard are long in the rear-view mirror. While both bands have had brushes with invading the zeitgeist again recently - Journey with its associations with the 2005 White Sox and the Fox TV show "The OC"; Def Leppard with a successful Greatest Hits CD last year -- neither is making MTV's flavor of the month sweat the Sunday song countdowns.

However, in the concert arena, it's quite another matter. Both bands proved they've still got the goods during a high-energy, three-hour plus show Friday night at The Mark of the Quad Cities. Girded by a bevy of familiar smashes from Reagan era, still performed with the vitality of yesteryear, the groups thrilled a crowd of roughly 8,000.

Def Leppard, a group I've been a fan of since I was in junior high, and the act I'd really wanted to see, actually paled in comparison through the first half-hour or so of its set, which was heavy on ballads and mid-tempo tracks.

However, once the group really cranked into rock mode, it quickly made up for any lost momentum.

The act's evening started with a cheesy, fun video of speakers "going up to 11." A burst of flame erupted from the back of the stage and the group slammed into the heavy voltage "Let's Get Rocked."

A stretch of slower songs was nicely done, but led to a pressure drop for the next 20 or so minutes. Nonetheless, there were some highlights. The ominous, jangling melody of "Foolin'" erupted into a thick forest of sinister guitars and the similarly structured "Bringin' On The Heartbreak" chugged into its chorus on bulging, choppy waves of sound.

Appropriately enough, the set seemed to ignite with the launch of "Rocket." Slashing guitars and strolling rhythm leapt into a chorus that thundered throughout The Mark with the vocal addition of almost 8,000 strong.

The same sonic effect electrified "Photograph." While the vocal mix was a little down, the blistering guitar riffs were killer and the audience's roaring accompaniment made it a highlight. Even a muddy vocal couldn't stop "Armageddon It," with its massive guitar attack, pesky hook and undeniable slam of percussion.

And after lead singer Joe Elliot psyched up the crowd with an audience participation bit that got them screaming along, the band re-emerged for a whipped up "Rock Of Ages" that bashed through the arena, throwing the concert up to 11 with bruising guitars and a rowdy sing-along.

Although deadline pressures precluded me from seeing the end of the show, what I took in impressed me, and likewise seemed to please the thousands of fans in attendance. So, let the kids dominate the pop charts. Journey and Def Leppard -- not to mention their fans -- are still happy with a success of greater resonance, the lasting ability to bring it on the live stage.

By Quad-Cities Online 2006.

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