PHILADELPHIA – It’s tough to look at a triple threat lineup of Def Leppard, Journey and the Steve Miller Band and not wonder which rock bands will be filling 40,000-60,000-capacity stadiums in 15 years?
These stalwart behemoths of the ‘70s and ‘80s (and even the ‘60s in Miller’s case), as well as most of their peers such as Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney will be long retired, with no obvious heirs.
Actually, we can probably expect to see Mick Jagger and Keith Richards un-mothballing The Rolling Stones for one more run.
But concurrent with that sad reality of the future is the unfettered joy of the present with this plainly named Summer Stadium Tour.
The trifecta of hitmakers rolled into Citizens Bank Park July 23, the seventh date on a road trip that runs through early September, with a battery of smashes that inspired everyone from middle-aged concessions workers to teenagers clad in vintage rock T-shirts to shout and dance along.
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The number of hits among this collective of is staggering, and for five brisk hours, fans were presented with thunderous, polished renditions of these well-worn nuggets as well as a few unexpected album cuts.
Here’s how the night unfolded.
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Steve Miller Band thanks Eminem with ‘Abracadabra’
The dean of this triple-decker lineup welcomed fans streaming into the stadium with a friendly, “C’mon in!,” and those who arrived in time for his 6 p.m. set were quickly reminded of his extensive hits parade.
If you don’t think you know a Steve Miller song, you would be wrong. So ubiquitous was his blues-rooted rock in the mid-‘70s that it would be impossible not to be familiar with the guitar riff that opens “Rock’n Me,” the smirky slide guitar in “The Joker” or the elastic groove of “Swingtown.”
Miller, 80, and his four-piece band offered an invigorating 60 minutes of fingers dancing across the fretboard (“Fly Like an Eagle”), sizzling harmonica (“Living in the U.S.A.”) and funky hi-hat work and handclaps (“Take the Money and Run”).
Before playing the poppiest tune on his resume, 1982’s “Abracadabra,” Miller teased it by singing, “Guess who’s back, guess who’s back, guess who’s back?” – a nod to Eminem, who sampled the melody of the track for his recent hit, “Houdini.”
Miller smiled as thanked to the rapper for using his song, which hit No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 and is now guaranteed to have a next-generation audience.
(Cheap Trick replaces the Steve Miller Band on a handful of tour dates.)
Journey’s Neal Schon is a bona fide guitar hero
By opening with the double punch of “Only the Young” and “Be Good to Yourself,” Journey kicked off their 90-minute set with the fervor usually reserved for closing songs.
But when your catalog is stuffed with soaring anthems, what’s the harm in dribbling out a couple of them early to rouse a crowd?
Singer Arnel Pineda, a member of the band for 16 years, owns his spotlight. He scampered down the three ramps jutting from the stage, ran laps while Journey co-founder/guitarist Neal Schon ripped out an extended solo after “Be Good to Yourself,” leaned into fans with his microphone and hopped into the crowd during “Wheel in the Sky.”
He’s a sparkplug who also happens to possess a colossal set of pipes to comfortably nail these classics originally delivered by the uniquely voiced Steve Perry.
The trio of video screens stationed across the stage afforded prime views of the band digging into their instruments. Drummer Deen Castronovo – who ably handled lead vocals on “Lights” – exhibited how the drum fills in “Faithfully” are as important as Jonathan Cain’s lovely piano and Schon’s guitar melody with his tasteful work behind the kit.
Cain, who alternated between guitar and piano/keyboards, also led the crowd in a swoon-a-thon of Journey’s biggest chart hit, 1982’s “Open Arms” and, later in the set, uncorked a whoosh of nostalgia with the spidery opening notes of “Separate Ways.”
But it was impossible not to keep drifting back to Schon, one of the last great stand-in-front-of-the-mirror-air-guitar heroes who showcased his adroitness with unceasing energy. Whether it was the scalding boogie-rock of “Line of Fire,” a song from 1980’s “Departure” that the band has only played about 50 times since the ‘80s, or one of his two stirring solos, Schon captivated.
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Closing out their performance with the synth-tastic “Separate Ways,” “Any Way You Want It” and yes, the ubiquitous “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Journey proved the undiminished muscularity of these fist pumpers.
And if you’re not moved, even a little, by the sight and sound of nearly 40,000 people unified for four minutes while screaming along to “Don’t Stop …,” well, we’re very sorry about the ice in your veins.
Def Leppard romps through visual and sonic feast
In an interview with USA TODAY before the tour kickoff, guitarist Phil Collen said Def Leppard, always dutiful about stage presentation, had an invigorated production.
He did not lie.
Banks of lights were stacked behind the stage, a kaleidoscope of colors beamed from high above, the edges of the two video screens flanking the stage were continuously illuminated – all a vibrant swirl to complement the band’s supple rock.
In a combination of sequins, spandex, scarves and, in the case of the chest-baring Collen, pure sinew, Def Leppard romped through 90 minutes of timeless material speckled with a bit of current work.
The twin turbo guitar power of Collen and Vivian Campbell coupled with a cascade of harmonies led by bassist Rick Savage to launch “Rocket,” while singer Joe Elliott, silver mane blowing, strutted the stage while unwrapping “Foolin’.”
After sating fans with a trio of hits – “Animal,” “Love Bites,” and, with Campbell donning his sunglasses at night as he tossed out the opening riff, “Armageddon It”– Def Leppard dovetailed into “Just Like ’73,” their new stomp-rocker that pays homage to idols such as Marc Bolan and David Bowie and sounds constructed for exactly this setting.
They zagged into “Comin’ Under Fire,” a track from 1983’s breakthrough “Pyromania” that they’re playing for the first time on this tour, as well as “Die Hard the Hunter,” another “Pyromania” album cut resurrected a couple of years ago.
Red lighting streaked the stage as Collen and Campbell crisscrossed each other in a gentlemanly guitar duel before the band ceded the spotlight to Elliott for an acoustic fan-fueled rendition of “Two Steps Behind.”
The other four members returned for more Def Leppard unplugged, leaning into “This Guitar,” a sweet song recorded with noted fan Alison Krauss for 2022’s “Diamond Star Halos” album. Elliott dedicated the track to British blues maestro John Mayall, who died July 22, and explained his importance to the puzzled audience.
“Without John Mayall there would be no Rolling Stones and without the Rolling Stones there would be no Def Leppard,” he said.
The band utilized the underappreciated instrumental guitar-gasm “Switch 625” to swing back into fist-pumping ecstasy with “Rock of Ages,” which paired with an awe-inspiring solo from the inimitable Rick Allen.
The closing selections of the sublime “Hysteria,” one of the band’s musical masterpieces, and the silly yet undeniably fun “Pour Some Sugar on Me” showcased the dichotomy of Def Leppard and their chameleonic songwriting.
Long live rock 'n'roll, indeed.
