Written By: Johnnie Crow
Def Leppard and Journey brought “The Summer Stadium Tour 2024” to Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida on July 10, 2024. Cheap Trick opened the show, as one of the rotating acts on this tour. It was an overcast day in Central Florida, which brought intense humidity to the high temperatures. The conditions remained uncomfortable all night, which is typical for an Orlando summer, but at least the rain held off completely. The stadium is a smaller sized football venue, and there were many seats available in the upper decks.
Cheap Trick got things started early, welcoming the fans who were able to navigate rush hour traffic on a Wednesday evening, find parking, and make their way to their seats. Those who made it in time were very entertained and excited by the always top-notch performance of these rock legends. It was also a family affair, with Rick Nielsen’s son Daxx Nielsen on drums, and Robin Zander’s son Robin Taylor Zander contributing on guitar and lead vocals. Cheap Trick played a full set, from 6:00 – 7:00, and highlighted why you should always arrive early for a big show.
Cheap Trick:
Robin Zander: Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Tom Petersson: Bass; Vocals
Rick Nielsen: Lead Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards
Daxx Nielsen: Drums, Vocals (Touring)
Robin Taylor Zander: Guitar,Vocals
Setlist:
1. Hello There
2. Dream Police
3. If You Want My Love
4. Light Up the Fire
5. Ain’t That a Shame (Fats Domino cover)
6. Downed (Robin Taylor Zander on vocals)
7. Stop This Game
8. Bass Solo
9. I Know What I Want
10. The Flame
11. I Want You to Want Me
12. Surrender
13. Auf Wiedersehen
14. Goodnight
There was a full 30 minutes between acts, giving concert goers plenty of time to visit the merchandise booths, restrooms and endless drink stands. By the time guitarist Neal Schon stepped on stage to lead the band in an instrumental introduction at 7:30, everyone was in their seats and ready to rock. Actually, most were out of their seats, as vocalist Arnel Pineda emerged and Journey launched into a four-song high energy burst, starting with “Only The Young” and “Stone In Love”.
Those summer nights were calling, as they transitioned into a mellow center of the set. Keyboardist Jonathan Cain saluted all armed forces who spend time away from their loved ones, as he started playing “Faithfully”. After a piano solo leading into “Open Arms”, the energy was cranked back up.
This was a night filled with Journey classics and the fans were singing and dancing along. “Separate Ways” got the biggest roar of the entire night, with everyone on their feet and screaming. Their performance ended with the super mega hit “Don’t Stop Believin'” and it was clear that nobody really wanted to stop at that point. But their time was up at 8:50 and it was time to set the stage for the final act.
Journey:
Neal Schon: Lead Guitar, Vocals
Jonathan Cain: Keyboards, Piano, Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Harmonica
Deen Castronovo: Drums, Vocals
Arnel Pineda: Lead Vocals
Jason Derlatka: Keyboards, Vocals
Todd Jensen: Bass, Vocals
Setlist:
1. Only the Young
2. Stone in Love
3. Keep On Runnin’ (Deen Castronovo lead vocals)
4. Escape
5. Faithfully
6. Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’
7. Jonathan Cain Piano Solo
8. Open Arms
9. Line of Fire
10. La Do Da
11. Dead or Alive
12. Neal Schon Guitar Solo
13. Wheel in the Sky
14. Lights
15. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
16. Be Good to Yourself
17. Any Way You Want It
18. Don’t Stop Believin’
Def Leppard hit the stage at 9:30 and played until 11:00. They displayed a countdown timer on the video wall, so everyone would know when to get back to their seats after relieving and refreshing themselves on this hot and sticky night.
The band is focusing on their 1983 classic album “Pyromania”, playing most of those songs. The crowd did not seem to be very familiar with that album. It appeared that they were either at the show to see Journey, or only knew about the “Hysteria” album. There was an acoustic set midway through the performance, and singer Joe Elliott tried desperately to get the crowd to sing along, but they just didn’t seem to know the words to some of their less famous tunes.
Def Leppard introduced a brand new song, “Just Like ’73”, which was accompanied on screen by a Rock Band style animated video. This one went over like gangbusters, with the crowd on its feet roaring its approval.
The boys in the band look and sound fantastic, which is rare for an act of their age. Guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell are ripped and kept their shirts open to show off impressive muscle tone. They delighted the crowd with their impeccable guitar solos. Drummer Rick Allen is a beast on drums and really pulls off their dense studio sound nicely in the live setting. Bassist Rick Savage prowled the stage all evening, sporting flashy outfits and killer basses.
Joe Elliott has been rocking us for 5 decades and continues to sing beautifully. Def Leppard’s albums were some of the most richly recorded and produced in the 1980’s. The band does not attempt to recreate the studio sound in concert. Instead, they play absolutely live, with all of the band members providing backing vocals. Elliott effortlessly drifts between normal and falsetto voices. With the crowd screaming along to the biggest hits, the original magic is recreated.
For the encore, Elliott reminded the fans that even though they were celebrating 40 years of “Pyromania”, there was another album that came after. They closed the night with an extended version of “Hysteria” and a rousing rendition of “Pour Some Sugar On Me”. He promised that they would be back again, and they are still at the top of their game, so there is no reason to doubt that.
Def Leppard:
Rick Savage: Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Joe Elliott: Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Piano, Keyboards
Rick Allen: Drums, Vocals
Phil Collen: Guitar, Vocals
Vivian Campbell: Guitar, Vocals
Setlist:
1. Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)
2. Rocket
3. Foolin’
4. Armageddon It
5. Animal
6. Love Bites
7. Just Like ’73
8. Comin’ Under Fire
9. Too Late for Love
10. Die Hard the Hunter
11. Two Steps Behind (Joe Elliott Solo Acoustic)
12. This Guitar (Full Band Acoustic)
13. Bringin’ On the Heartbreak (Acoustic/Electric version)
14. Switch 625
15. Rock of Ages
16. Photograph
17. Hysteria
18. Pour Some Sugar on Me
I’ve had a love for photography since I was young. Whether it was a Polaroid or a Kodak 110, I was always the kid with the camera. My love of music goes back even further. Nothing beats being at a show when those lights go down and the crowd goes nuts.