Oklahoma City, OK - Media Reviews

Def Leppard, Tesla transport crowd back to the 80s By Michael Kinney

I didn’t grow up listening to rock, heavy metal or hair bands during the 80s. However, you would have to have been living under a rock to not have known about Def Leppard.

While they may not be on the Mt. Rushmore of rock bands, they left their mark on the 80s with classic songs like “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”

For that reason, I decided to check out their Aug. 10 concert at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Not only was it my first time seeing Def Leppard live, it was my first rock concert of any kind. Being surrounded by people wearing stonewash jeans, bandanas wrapped around their legs, long mullets and tons of Aqua Net made it a memorable experience.

The opening act was a group that I had never heard of, Tesla. When I announced that fact on social media, I was pounded by several followers who wanted to take away my writing credentials. As one person told me, “Tesla is one of the all time great hair bands.”

But all could think of while listening to their hour-long set was just how much lead singer, Jeff Keith, looked and sounded like Steven Tyler.

Despite Keith being a doppleganger, Tesla put on a solid performance. When they performed “Love Song” the crowd at the Peake was right there singing the vocals word for word.

After a 30-minute break to change the stage, Def Leppard popped up right at 8:30 p.m. Even though they had originally sold seats up in the third level, due to a less than expected turnout, the top level was closed and fans filled the floor seats and first and second level.

Since the majority of those who came to the show seemed to be diehard fans, they were probably expecting the pure loudness that Def Leppard played at. I wasn’t. There were times when the music was so loud I could feel organs in my body reacting. That’s not a good thing.

The other problem with it being so loud is that I really couldn’t understand the music. But that is a hallmark of the rock and heavy metal bands during that time. It was all about turning the volume up on the speakers to 10 and letting the music rip.

Despite that, the fans seemed to enjoy the show. Saw lots of head banging, high fives and air guitars.

DL pulled heavily from its Hysteria album. Even though it was released 28 years ago, their fan base knew each song they played. They included ‘Love Bites,” ‘Women” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”

The band played for more than an hour and a half with no breaks or intermission. The only times there was a lull is when each band member would get their own two-minute solo.

Overall, it was a decent concert even if you’re not an especially avid fan of the hair band genre. But for those who are still carrying that era with them, it was a time machine back to the 80s.

By The Norman Transcript 2015.

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