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Thursday, 25th June 2009
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Cleveland, OH, USA - Media Reviews

Def Leppard, Cheap Trick, Poison By Lois Elswick

Putting together a summer concert package can be tricky business, but the pairing of Cheap Trick with Poison and Def Leppard this summer was a match made in 80's glam rock heaven. Although Def Leppard closed the show, this was definitely more of a co-headlining gig, as both Poison and Def Leppard had legions of devoted fans in attendance.

Cheap Trick kicked off the show with a decent mix of old and new material. Being together with a fairly steady lineup for 35 years has honed their chops and the quartet did not miss a beat. Singer Robin Zander has never sounded better vocally and the new material from their fresh release entitled "The Latest" meshed well with their older material.

Next, Poison took the stage and the "Rock of Love" wannabes went wild. Poison consistently gives solid live shows and tonight was no exception. Bret Michaels worked the crowd with his usual bravado, strutting and preening between C.C. Deville and Bobby Dall. Aside from the excessive guitar and drum solos Poison is famous for, the show rolled out the hits. Classics such as "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" brought more than a few tears and rollicking favorite "Nothing But A Good Time" closed the show.

Def Leppard finished the evening with a set filled with classic cuts. The sound for Def Leppard was definitely better than Poison's and singer Joe Elliot's voice could be heard all the way to the parking lot. "Pour Some Sugar On Me" saw the band still tight and using every inch of the stage to enliven the crowd. Closing the show with "Rock of Ages" as an encore, Def Leppard proved some bands are timeless.

By Cleveland Scene 2009.


Latest Def Leppard performance at Blossom disappoints By Justin A. Ramer

Being 37, a fan of the Leps since 1981, and since I've contributed an unknowingly high sum of money to their band, I definitely feel ripped off by their latest performance at Blossom.

I understand that they want to remain relevant for today's youth, but who do they really think is buying the CD's, tickets, and incredibly overpriced merchandise at the concerts? The young or the die hard fans that grew up with them? $45 for a T-shirt! $30 for baseball hat! A ticket price that shouldn't be mentioned due to the lackluster performance they put on?

Being a die hard fan, I've seen the Leps more than any other band, and I keep hearing the exact same songs followed up by Joe Elliott's exact same "Thank you very much" tag line after every song. I realize that "Rock of Ages", and "Pour Some Sugar" are staples, but they could really do without all the rest of the same old, same old.

How about catering to the die hard's who have supported them all these years with songs that we don't get to hear live. "Ring of Fire", "Ride Into the Sun", "Personal Property", "Fractured Love", "Desert Song", "Demolition Man", "Paper Sun", "Torn to Shreds", just to name a few.

Since they only played one song from the new disc, the band isn't trying to attract new fans. I'm sure thousands of other fans, have seen them perform the other songs countless times. Do us a favor and play the songs we never get to see played live because honestly; this is one fan that won't be shelling out $150 for a night with the Leps the next time they come around.

I can tell you that a better show would NOT have so many ballads and slower songs back-to-back. Mix it up and don't lose the energy. One more thing, lower the freakin' T-shirt prices.

By Cleveland.com 2009.

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