What’s better than an iconic band going on tour to celebrate a milestone anniversary? How about two bands doing that on the same tour? That’s what The Summer Stadium Tour 2024 with Def Leppard and Journey has brought to cities all over America.
Def Leppard has used this legendary go-round to commemorate 40 years since the release of their breakthrough album, Pyromania. For Journey, it’s been a chance to look back at 50 years as a band, albeit without former lead singer Steve Perry on the microphone.
Before either of those acts dove into their respective sets at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, they had Steve Miller Band warm up the fans as they trickled in on a busy Sunday in August.
In many ways, Steve Miller Band was just as much of a headliner as the two other bands on the bill. The San Francisco-based outfit has long been a staple of classic rock radio, and reaffirmed as much with a hit-filled setlist in South Los Angeles.
Right from their usual “Space” introduction, Steve and company plunged headlong into timeless tracks, from “Swingtone” and “Serenade” to “The Stake”. They dialed up the patriotism and psychedelia simultaneously with “Living in the USA” and “Fly Like an Eagle” before dedicating “Abracadabra” to Eminem, who interpolated the top-ten hit in his own recent single, “Houdini”.
From there, Steve Miller Band ramped up with even more unforgettable tunes en route to a phenomenal finish. Whether Steve was “Rock’n Me” or singing about “Jungle Love”, imploring listeners to “Take the Money and Run” or recounting the tale of “The Joker”, seemingly every voice in the house kept up with him, word for word.
Before bidding farewell to LA, Steve shared a story about his godfather, Les Paul. As Miller recounted, the late electric guitar pioneer taught him his first chords. He then proceeded to put that education to fantastic use on “Jet Airliner”, which Steve dedicated to Les.
For most bands, Steve Miller Band would be a tough act to follow, but Journey managed to pull it off, thanks to their own collection of quintessential rock songs. Arnel Pineda, who has been the band’s lead singer since 2007, more than held his own as Steve Perry’s stand-in. Between power ballads like “Ask The Only” and classic rock jams like “Be Good to Yourself”, “Stone in Love”, and “Escape”, the 56-year-old Filipino sensation hit all the right notes with his powerful pipes.
That said, Arnel has some stiff competition among Steve Perry impersonators in the band. Deen Castronovo, Journey’s mostly-on drummer for the last quarter century, burst out with surprisingly fidelitous vocals while banging away to scenes of the Golden Gate Bridge on “Lights”.
“Who’s Crying Now” occasioned a brilliant guitar jam by Neal Schon. The 70-year-old was similarly superlative during a reprise outro on “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’”, and showed off his outstanding axemanship on a similarly extended “Wheel in the Sky”.
Not to be outdone, Jonathan Cain gave the crowd some memorable moments, as well, albeit mostly on piano rather than rhythm guitar. The 74-year-old Chicago native tickled out a touching piano solo leading into “Open Arms” and got a mixed reaction to his promotion of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams—on their home turf, no less—before dedicating “Faithfully” to members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
To finish off their time, Journey hit the crowd with a wicked combo of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”, “Don’t Stop Believin’”, and “Any Way You Want It”. Each of those tunes turned SoFi Stadium into a giant karaoke booth, thanks to the sheer passion and purpose with which fans belted out the lyrics alongside Arnel.
No band on the bill, though, rocked harder—or made more use of the massive thrust stage inside SoFi Stadium—than Def Leppard. After a dramatic on-screen countdown, the British hair metal band emerged from plumes of smoke to a Pyromania introduction that fed into “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)”. Lead singer Joe Elliott started exploring the space during “Rocket”, with bassist Rick Savage following suit on “Foolin’”.
By the time the second half of the set came around, the entire band had set up on the thrust—even Rick Allen, who traded in his drum kit for a maraca on “This Guitar”. That track came on the heels of a shortened acoustic version of “Two Steps Behind”, which led into a stadium-wide singing of “Happy Birthday to You” for guitarist Vivian Campbell.
Besides those moments and “Just Like 73” (sans Tom Morello), Def Leppard pulled their setlist almost entirely from Pyromania and Hysteria. From “Armageddon”, “Animal”, and “Love Bites” early on to closing the main set with “Rock of Ages” and “Photograph”, to an encore of “Hysteria” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me”, the band made sure that their tens of thousands of fans in the building went home happy.
Those opportunities will soon run dry for lovers of classic rock in America. Def Leppard’s tour with Journey will wrap up with dates in the Pacific Northwest and Denver. As for Steve Miller Band, they will embark on a seven-city tour of their own come late September.
Def Leppard – SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, CA – 8/25/24
[Video: Focus Sounds]
Def Leppard – SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, CA – 8/25/24
[Video: Focus Sounds]
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