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Def Lep, Adams rock Cove
'80s groups stop in South Bend as part of ballpark tour
Published: Saturday, August 06, 2005 -- The Truth, A1
Last updated: 8/5/2005 11:59:16 PM

By Shawna Tsoumas
Truth Intern

SOUTH BEND -- A sea of devil's horns pounded to the beat as Def Leppard took the
stage Friday night at Coveleski Stadium.

Throughout Leppard's power ballads and rock anthems and later during Bryan
Adams' feel-good tributes, the cheers never stopped.

"This was so awesome," said Debbie Johnson, 39 of Niles, Mich. "When I was
younger this was like my dream."

Def Leppard and Adams made the stop in South Bend on their "Rock 'N Roll
Double-Header Tour." The '80s super groups are stopping at 26 minor league
baseball stadiums this summer, and the Silver Hawks' field was stop No. 22.

Johnson and her family were at the Cove to listen to Def Leppard, but were
looking forward to Bryan Adam's chart topper "Summer of '69."

Even though both bands debuted in 1980, their appeal spans generations.

Brandon Brown, 18 of South Bend, likes Def Lep because it's more "real" than
today's bands.

"It's real rock," Brown, Johnson's nephew, said. "There are so many acts that
are just manufactured."

Kari Freund, 28, of South Bend was at the stadium to hear Adams play. The night
was special for her and husband Ryan, 29, because Adams' song "(Everything I Do)
I Do It For You" was their first dance at the couple's wedding.

This was also their first concert, and the Freunds weren't going to waste the
night sitting in the stands. They were rocking out on the field as close to the
stage as they could get. Although it was definitely hotter among the mass of
crowded bodies, the atmosphere was better.

"It's cool," Ryan said. "It's pretty exciting down below because you're getting
into it more and everybody's jamming out."

The bands pumped up the crowd so well that Grant Stillson of Mishawaka, 35, said
he'd like to see more concerts at the Cove, especially those of the '80s
variety.

"It's great," Stillson said. "I love this. I'd come here every weekend if there
was a concert I'd like to see."

Johnson and her sister-in-law, 39-year-old Carol Kline of Mishawaka, were glad
the event was something kids could attend, saying bands nowadays are full of
explicit lyrics. Adams and Def Lep are good, clean fun, they said.

Not only was the experience fun for their whole family, but it also took older
adults in the group back to their youth.

"It's worth every bit of the $45 that I paid for," Johnson said. "Just for one
night I have a chance to sit back and feel young again. Def Leppard makes me
feel 16 again."

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