Cleveland/Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Media Review Quotes

By Matt Wardlaw

Live, 'Undefeated' displayed a more muscular feel that's missing from the studio version, especially with images of prominent champion athletes and teams, most notably Michael Jordan, projected behind the band. Guitarists Vivian Campbell and the perennially bare chested and impressively toned Phil Collen were all over the stage, giving the song the extra bit of kick that it needed to take things over the edge.

Collen and Campbell have really grown into a nice pairing, dueling impressively mid-show on a particularly fiery version of 'Rocket.' They traded licks in a fretboard battle that neither side seemed willing to concede. As many times as they've probably replicated that moment night after night, it still put a fresh spin on an old classic.

Looking at the stage setup, it was hard to believe that it wasn't still 1983, with a multi-level set of platform staging making Leppard skinsman Rick Allen look like the king of his own futuristic metal mountain.

By Ultimate Classic Rock 2011.

Read the full review/1 photo at - ultimateclassicrock.com

By Gene Natale

Def Leppard was next, and the band appeared very pumped up after hearing Heart's show earlier in the night.

DL began their set with "Undefeated" (from the 2011 release Mirrorball) as images of sports heroes like Michael Phelps, Jimmy Johnson, and Mark Ingram were projected on the band's backdrop. The song seems intended as a message to all the band's critics - the Leppard is here, and here to stay! Def Leppard is certainly no stranger to adversity (drummer Rick Allen’s 1984 car accident in which he lost his left arm) or overcoming adversity (Leppard releases its biggest album ever, Hysteria with Allen drumming with only one arm). Last night's concert was an affirmation that Def Leppard rocks today, yesterday, and will for years to come.

With a hit-laden set, Def Leppard seemed intent to thrill the packed arena at Blossom. "Thank you, Cleveland," singer Joe Elliot proclaimed early in the set (channeling his inner Spinal Tap), "Tonight, we're going to rock you like it's 1983 all over again!"

The band certainly played with the youthful exuberance and energy they had as young men back in '83 - after all, guitarist Phil Collen could not have been persuaded to put a shirt on at any point in the band's performance.

The final songs of the set were two of the most epic of the night - "Photograph" is simply a great song, and got everyone in the right kind of excited frame of mind for "Pour Some Sugar on Me". Naturally, the band came out for an encore, and it was WELL worth it for everyone who stayed to see it - Rock of Ages is about as quintessential a rock song as any other.

By 98.5 WCNX 2011.

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