Driving into SPAC is always a treat. The tree lined road seems so majestic, a special place. A slightly humid evening and threat of severe thunderstorms kept us under one of the elevated walkways on the lawn.
The Dead Daisies opened the show right at 7pm, with a short half hour set. Jon Stevens of INXS fame, along with Richard Fortus of Guns N’Roses and David Lowy of Mink were joined by a group of tight musicians. Their heavy metal material was loud, but crystal clear. The drummer was a showman, throwing sticks high into the air and coming down right in beat. They closer their set with a fun cover of The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter>Whole Lotta Love.”
Prior to Def Leppard hitting the stage, The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” played over the PA, and the crowd went wild!! During the keyboard solo, strobe lights flashed over the stage. A large Def Leppard banner was raised over the front, and, as soon as the famous Keith Moon drumming kicked in, it was pulled up to reveal the band playing along with the song. They finished it with a fervor that would make Who fans proud.
Their set opened with “Let it Go,” playing right into one of their big hits “Animal.” Joe Elliot sounds like he has not aged. Rick Allen puts two-armed drummers to shame. Vivian Campbell (looking quite good after another recent chemotherapy treatment to battle cancer) and Phil Collen are a great pair of guitar slingers. The band brought us back to the hair band 80’s, without all the pretentious attitudes… this was just fun rock n roll. Songs like “Foolin'”, “Love Bites” and “Armageddon It” brought back the enjoyment of good ol’ rollicking music.
You can see the full Def Leppard set list here.
There is not much that compares to the spectacle of a KISS show, complete with fans dressed in full KISS regalia. The crowd was pumped after some Zeppelin prior to show start. And then the infamous beginning to every KISS show since the seventies…”YOU WANTED THE BEST, YOU GOT THE BEST, THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD…KISS!!!!”
Unfortunately, the one thing that let me down was that they broke into “Psycho Circus” as their opener. I have to say that it was a bit disappointing. “Deuce” was a great follow up and then “Shout it Out Loud” got the crowd whooping it up. Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer do a great tribute to Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, respectively, but to a long time fan, they are just a copy.
They dug deep for several songs, including “War Machine” from the Creatures of the Night album, “Hotter than Hell” (Gene breathes fire) and “God of Thunder.” Paul Stanley is still soaring over the crowd during “Love Gun,” and Gene still spits blood during his bass solo. They even broke into “Won’t Get Fooled Again” during “Lick it Up,” bringing the concert full circle from the Def Leppard opening.
All in all, the band still has chops and gives the crowd their money’s worth. As they end each show, GOD GAVE ROCK AND ROLL TO YOU!!!
Check out the full KISS set list here.
-Marty Weinbaum
[Photos courtesy of KISS Facebook Page]