http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/entertainment/12236743.htm

Posted on Thu, Jul. 28, 2005

Def Leppard, Adams show wins praise for sound

Star News Services

Chris Beaumont, writing for blogcritics.org, reviewed one of the shows on the
Def Leppard/Bryan Adams ballpark tour which comes to Community America Ballpark
on Wednesday.

His conclusion: "If you have the opportunity to catch this tour, do it, you will
not regret it."

Beaumont praised Def Leppard's 16-song set and stage, which includes a giant
screen. But mostly he praised their sound.

"Def Leppard was born to roam the big stage, everything about their music is
huge, and this concert reinforced that for me," he wrote. "I had co-workers who
kind of snickered when I told them who I was going to see, but they just don't
know! This is possibly one of the best concerts I have been to this year. I
hated to see it end, as there were so many more songs I would have liked to have
heard.

Beaumont wrote that he was never a fan of Adams, but "I will admit for the 90
minutes that he was onstage, he owned the crowd. He played a mix of old classics
and more recent stuff, including the first single from his latest album, ‘Room
Service.' There was also ‘Summer of 69,' ‘Kids Wanna Rock,' and ‘Can't Stop This
Thing We Started.' His voice sounded great ripping through all of the songs,
from the rockers to the ballads. At one point he even brought a fan up from the
crowd to sing a song with him, it was a great moment, showing Adams is a class
act.

Def Leppard's Joe Elliot also impressed him, even though his voice doesn't have
the range it used to, he said.

"You know, I wondered just how much of a draw they would be, since they are not
exactly an act on top of the world right now," Beaumont wrote.

"I honestly thought that if I got to see them that it would be in a small club,
like I have seen so many other bands from the '80 in recent years. After
witnessing this spectacle, I don't think it would have worked so well."

Tickets cost $45 to the local show. Call (816) 931-3330