Nearly thirty thousand fans filled Hersheypark Stadium on Tuesday night for one of the biggest tours of the summer. The Stadium Tour featuring Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Poison, Motley Crue, and Def Leppard finally pulled into town after a nearly two year delay.
Things got off to an early start with Classless Act taking the stage at 4 p.m. The group just dropped their debut album Welcome To The Show at the end of June and have been labeled one of the most buzzed-about up-and-coming rock bands. Halfway thru the opening song, “This is for You” the skies opened up letting lose heavy rains followed by lightning causing the stadium to eventually be evacuated until the storms passed.
Following the brief delay and fans being allowed back into the stadium Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Joan Jett & The Blackhearts took to the stage for a sixty minute set that spanned Joan Jett’s career. The set kicked off with “Victim of Circumstance” followed by The Runaways’ hit “Cherry Bomb.” Of course no Joan Jett & The Blackhearts set would be complete without hits like, “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah),” “Crimson & Clover,” “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” and “Bad Reputation.” At sixty-three years young Joan proved she still has what it takes to hold her own when it comes to large stadium shows.
Up next was PA’s own Poison, the guys took the stage to a packed house as they kicked things off with “Look What the Cat Dragged In.” Thru out the set Bret reminded the crowd how grateful he was for all the fans support over the years, and with this basically being a hometown show he reminisced about playing shows in the area during the band’s early days. With a limited set time Bret and the guys packed in as many hits as possible and fans were treated to a drum solo by Rikki Rockett as well as a blistering guitar solo by C.C. DeVille. Poison’s set was an energy packed sixty minutes of hit after hit leaving the crowd wanting more when things wrapped up with “Nothin’ but a Good Time.” Unlike the other bands on the tour Poison are playing solo shows mixed in with The Stadium Tour dates. Fans can purchase tickets and VIP packages for those shows HERE.
The tour sees headliners Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard alternating nights on who closes out the night, and on this night it was Def Leppard’s turn to close things out so up next was Mötley Crüe. With a brief public service announcement the guys took to the stage and kicked things off with “Wild Side.” Vocalist Vince Neil has been criticized thru out the tour for his vocal performance but on this night his voice held up pretty well. Next up was a couple of classics that had the crowd up off their feet and pumping their fist as they sang along to “Shout at the Devil” and “Too Fast for Love.” The guys threw a couple of newer tracks in before returning to the classic Crüe we all grew up with with “Live Wire” and “Looks That Kill.” Tommy Lee was in top form and able to make it thru the whole set behind the drum kit, Mick Mars proved he still has what it takes on guitar, and Nikki Sixx kept the energy high as he roamed the stage from side to side and even out on the catwalk. The setlist did a pretty good job of spanning the career and catalog of the band, although I would liked to have seen a setlist with more classic cuts from the first three albums. There’s been no word on what Mötley Crüe will do after the ‘Stadium Tour’, will fans get new music or a possible solo tour? I guess we’ll have to see. One things for sure, fans couldn’t be happier the guys came out of retirement and are playing shows again!
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Def Leppard wrapped things up for the evening. Hot off the release of their twelfth studio album, Diamond Star Halos the guys closed out the night with a seventeen song set that consisted of hit after classic hit. Only “Kick” from the latest release made the night’s setlist, but fans didn’t seem to mind as they got to enjoy hits like, “Foolin’,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Rock of Ages,” and “Photograph” to close out the night.
Victim of Circumstance
Cherry Bomb (The Runaways cover)
Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) (Gary Glitter cover)
You Drive Me Wild (The Runaways cover)
Everyday People (Sly & the Family Stone cover)
Fake Friends
Crimson & Clover (Tommy James & the Shondells cover)
I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll (The Arrows cover)
(I’m Gonna) Run Away
I Hate Myself for Loving You
Bad Reputation
Look What the Cat Dragged In
Ride the Wind
Talk Dirty to Me
Your Mama Don’t Dance (Loggins & Messina cover)
Guitar Solo
Fallen Angel
Drum Solo
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Nothin’ but a Good Time
Wild Side
Shout at the Devil
Too Fast for Love
Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
Saints of Los Angeles
Live Wire
Looks That Kill
The Dirt (Est. 1981)
Rock and Roll, Part 2 / Smokin’ in the Boys Room / White Punks on Dope / Helter Skelter / Anarchy in the U.K.
Home Sweet Home
T.N.T. (Terror ‘N Tinseltown)
Dr. Feelgood
Same Ol’ Situation (S.O.S.)
Girls, Girls, Girls
Primal Scream
Kickstart My Heart
Def Leppard Setlist:
Take What You Want
Let It Go
Animal
Foolin’
Armageddon It
Kick
Love Bites
Promises
This Guitar (Acoustic)
Two Steps Behind (Acoustic)
Rocket
Bringin’ on the Heartbreak
Switch 625
Hysteria
Pour Some Sugar on Me
Rock of Ages
Photograph
Remaining Tour Dates:
July 15 Cincinnati, OH Great American Ball Park
July 17 Milwaukee, WI American Family Field
July 19 Kansas City, MO Kauffman Stadium
July 21 Denver, CO Coors Field
August 5 Boston, MA Fenway Park
August 6 Boston, MA Fenway Park
August 8 Toronto, ON Rogers Centre
August 10 Orchard Park, NY Highmark Stadium
August 12 Pittsburgh, PA PNC Park
August 14 Minneapolis, MN U.S. Bank Stadium
August 16 Indianapolis, IN Lucas Oil Stadium
August 19 Houston, TX Minute Maid Park
August 21 San Antonio, TX Alamodome
August 22 Arlington, TX Globe Life Field
August 25 Glendale, AZ State Farm Stadium
August 27 Inglewood, CA SoFi Stadium
August 28 San Diego, CA Petco Park
August 31 Seattle, WA T-Mobile Park
September 2 Vancouver, BC BC Place
September 4 Edmonton, AB Commonwealth Stadium / Stade du Commonwealth
September 7 San Francisco, CA Oracle Park
September 9 Las Vegas, NV Allegiant Stadium
