Date: Friday, August 12, 2011
City: Indianapolis, IN
Venue: Verizon Wireless Music Center
Opening act(s): Evan Watson, Heart
Headlining act: Def Leppard
Heart Setlist:
Rock And Roll
Magic Man
Heartless
Straight On
What About Love
These Dreams
Alone
WTF
Crazy On You
Barracuda
———————
The Battle Of Evermore
Love Reign O’er Me
Def Leppard Setlist:
Undefeated
Let’s Get Rocked
Animal
Foolin’
Make Love Like A Man
Love Bites
Rock On
Rocket
Two Steps Behind
Bringin’ On The Heartbreak
Switch 625
Hysteria
Armageddon It
Photograph
Pour Some Sugar On Me
———————
Rock Of Ages
Notes:
- “Make Love Like A Man” replaced “Let It Go,” set remains at 16 songs.
- First time seeing “Make Love Like A Man” since August 15, 2008 in Grand Rapids, MI (show #21).
- “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak” was the half acoustic version.
- “Rocket” was the extended album version.
- Due to venue limitations, only five of the seven video screens were featured on stage.
- Show #1 at this venue.
- First Def Leppard show in Indianapolis, IN since March 22, 2003.
Videos:
Review:
My interest in seeing the band had been rejuvenated after they busted out “Let It Go” at the show in St. Louis just two days prior to the Indianapolis show, so I went in with a fresh perspective.
And of course, hope that they’d either keep “Let It Go” in or rotate it with something else I’d enjoy just as much, if not more.
Pretty much anything as long as they didn’t drop the set back down to 15 songs.
I had never been to the amphitheater in Noblesville (just outside of Indianapolis) before and had decided to attend this show quite awhile after I had gotten tickets for Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City. Therefore, my seats weren’t as good as they were going to be for those shows. Still, I was looking at this show as a ‘bonus.’
I was a bit surprised at the size of the venue. While the seating area itself was comparable to the amphitheater in St. Louis, the stage was much smaller. That was confirmed to me later when it was revealed that the band was limited to five screens behind the stage rather than their usual seven.
Evan Watson played four songs in Indy, one more than he had done in Chicago. I missed his set in St. Louis, so I’m not sure if he’s going back and forth or if he just got an extra one in since he’s from Indiana.
Heart came out and played the exact same setlist as they did in St. Louis two nights before and Chicago two weeks before. I enjoyed them a lot the first time, but tonight I was quite bored with them. Apparently some of the audience was too. During the middle portion of their set, the majority of my section sat down. Perhaps it was a negative reaction to the stripped back approach taken to songs like “What About Love” and “Alone”? I know I’m sick of seeing them that way!
The encore break was once again dull. Those that had stood back up when Heart played “Crazy On You” and “Barracuda” sat back down for the two covers that once again closed out their set.
Def Leppard took the stage right at 9:30. The crowd was once again great. Not quite as great as St. Louis… But still great. “Undefeated” went over really well I’d say. I realized the farther back seats also gave me a new perspective to see the band. I was more among ‘casual’ fans, so the reactions were a little bit different. Which is why I was pleased that “Undefeated” had gone over so well.
“Let’s Get Rocked,” “Animal,” and “Foolin'” all followed in their normal spots. Then it was the most important part of the night… Would they keep “Let It Go” in the setlist? Would they play something else instead? Or worst of all… Would they skip right to “Love Bites” and be back down to 15 songs?
Joe thanked the audience, so I knew “Love Bites” wasn’t coming. And that’s when Viv started “Make Love Like A Man.” The die hard in me would have rather had “Let It Go” or something else, but I was just happy that the band hadn’t dropped the set back to 15 songs. So I took it for what it was and enjoyed it.
The crowd stayed great through the next few songs.
I believe a woman ran on stage during the intro to “Rocket” and tried to get a hug (or something) from Joe, but it was hard to see in the dark. All I really caught was someone being escorted off the stage by security.
After “Rocket,” the acoustic break came. Joe once again played a snippet of “Indiana Wants Me” (as he had done in Indianapolis in 2003) and a snippet of Heart’s “Barracuda.” Then they kicked into “Two Steps Behind.” This is when I got another glimpse of the show from a casual fan’s point of view… When Joe announced “Two Steps Behind,” a lady two seats down from me screamed in delight.
But a huge chunk of people directly to my left sat down. And stayed seated through the entire song. I couldn’t blame them, I’m bored with it, and now it’s confirmed for me that at least a chunk of the casual fan base is too.
Some of them stood back up when the band started “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak,” and some didn’t stand back up until the entire back kicked in with the electric portion of the song. Perhaps the half acoustic version can go as well?
Yet another upside about the farther back seats was that they gave me a great chance to pay more attention to the screen animations. I was extremely happy to see that during “Switch 625,” Steve could be seen playing behind Viv and Phil. It brought a smile to my face to see him up there rocking out during his masterpiece.
The rest of the show flew by with the standard hits. The crowd went insane during “Rock Of Ages” and was chanting for more as the show came to an end… Once again at 11:06. I had even run a timer during the show and it clocked in at 1 hour 36 minutes and 37 seconds. This makes the second straight show to end at 11:06 and one could argue that is solely due to the addition of the extra song. The Chicago show ended right at 11:00 and security guards were even telling lingering fans that the show was over and that there was an 11:00 curfew. So either the band has said “to hell with it” or these other venues have a more relaxed curfew. Either way, I hope they keep the set at a minimum of 16 songs throughout the rest of the tour.
I haven’t said this since the “X” tour, but the Indianapolis show meant I have seen three different sets in three shows on the tour so far. I’ve got one show left in Kansas City in two weeks. Hopefully the band finally breaks out “Gods Of War” at that show.
But regardless, for a ‘bonus’ show, the Indianapolis concert was pretty damn great.
Media Review:
Def Leppard, Heart At VWMC
There’s not much to say about Def Leppard that hasn’t already been said.
They’re unquestionably one of the most popular rock bands of all time, with their popularity hitting its highest point in the ’80s, a time when artists of their ilk pulled out all the stops to make concerts truly ostentatious.
Such was the case Friday at Verizon Wireless Music Center. There was no pyro, but plenty of lights, displays, fog machines, a catwalk and drum riser. It looked just like a hair metal music video you can now only see on YouTube and VH-1 Classic.
The members of Def Leppard looked like they’d used a hot tub time machine. All of them except drummer Rick Allen and guitarist Vivian Campbell are 50 or older. Yet they still proudly rock the leather and spandex. Guitarist Phil Collen is still performing shirtless but also still has the abs to justify it.
They played every single from their definitive 1987 release Hysteria, with extended vamps on “Love Bites” and “Rocket.” Aside from the mini acoustic set of “Two Steps Behind” and “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak,” the night was all about arena rock and the English band’s melodic and heavily polished sound.
No surprise, the near-capacity audience reveled in it. I hadn’t seen a crowd that into a concert in a while. No doubt there’s a strong nostalgic factor to a show like this. And that was the only problem with it. Most acts would give anything to have a body of work like Def Leppard’s. But how much longer can they rely on songs that came out almost 15 years ago? Aside from the tracks “Undefeated” and “Switch 625,” both of which are on Def Leppard’s first live album Mirrorball released this year, everything performed here, while all classic rock radio staples, come from a long-ago era. All their albums from the ’90s and ’00s were ignored.
It was essentially the same story with openers Heart. Of course they can’t play a show without seminal hard rock numbers “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You” and “Barracuda.” But aside from the fervent stomp of “WTF” from their 2010 record Red Velvet Car, the rest of their set was comprised of classic rock covers and originals issued in 1987 or earlier. Inexplicably, that included an acoustic version of one of their best power ballads, “Alone.” If not for the fact that Ann Wilson, at 61, can still fill an arena with her voice, I’d say quit resting on laurels and focus more on the new.
By Wade Coggeshall @ Nuvo, 2011
TurnToDust86 