The anticipation of a long-awaited concert is one of my favorite feelings. There’s just something incredibly fun about counting down the days until you see one of your favorite bands live. I’m always down to spend an evening rockin’ out alongside people who feel the same way I do about music, and Friday night at Target Field was a very special reflection of that.
The familiarity I have with the music of Cheap Trick, Def Leppard and Journey made this concert in particular more exciting than most. Everyone in attendance knew every word and guitar riff by heart, and the crowd participation is what I remember most when thinking back to my favorite moments. As soon as Cheap Trick kicked off at the early 6 pm start time, the concert morphed itself into a giant sing-a-long. It’s important for me to make an effort to connect with my fellow rock and roll fans, and these legendary songs make it easy.
Because of the intense amount of live music euphoria I was experiencing, I don’t really have anything terrible to say about this concert. It was so amazing to be outside, under the open sky, singing along to my favorite songs with my greatest friends. The weather was perfect, everyone was feeling good, and the amount of fans I saw wearing band t-shirts made the concert feel like a high-energy sporting event. Yes, the lines for the bathrooms were long and the main concourse was packed, causing me to miss the majority of Cheap Trick, but it didn’t really bug me as much as it would have if the concert were indoors. When I’m outside listening to rock music on a perfectly sunny day, I tend to only focus on the positive aspects of the experience.
It’s important for me to connect with my fellow rock and roll fans, and these legendary songs make it easy.
Def Leppard is one of my favorite bands, and they are the ones who really stole the show for me. They played all the songs that made me a fan back in the day; the ones that bring to to mind a sexy 80s version of Joe Elliot, up on stage working the hell out of his distressed blue jeans. Pour Some Sugar on Me was the first Def Leppard song I ever heard, but Foolin’ was the first song that truly made me freak over this band, so it was especially exciting to hear that one played live. I crave that kind of fist-pumping, head-banging thrill when I’m at a rock concert.
The live versions of Photograph and Hysteria, though much more slow and sultry, gave me the same intense energy, but instead had me screaming out the lyrics with a more heartfelt attitude. Each member of Def Leppard still looks as good as they sound. When I wasn’t busy drooling over Phil Collen’s ripped, shirtless bod, it was Rick Savage’s big, white-blonde hair that locked my gaze multiple times during the night. Drummer Rick Allen’s consistent ear-to-ear smile made me feel all cheery inside every time I saw him on the big screen. Def Leppard is definitely a band that knows how to keep the party rockin’ at full speed.
In my opinion, Journey also sounded fantastic. It bums me out to hear some people didn’t feel the same way. Instead of being critical, and probably upset over Steve Perry’s absence, I wish some people could take the music for what it is, rather than always focusing on its missing parts. Arnel Pineda is undeniably talented, and I appreciated the return of Journey’s longtime drummer, Steve Smith, after so much time spent on and off with the band. Concerts are a moment in time; a unique experience that only happens so often. I wish more people would have a positive outlook on that instead of always comparing it to what it could have been. Maybe I would feel differently if I actually got too see the original Journey with Steve Perry. If I could only be so lucky!
It was cool how the sun finally set as Journey took the stage. The dark, starlit sky made for a much more romantic experience. I shed a few tears when they played my favorite Journey song Only the Young. It sent me back to the first time I heard the song as a preteen. Another memorable moment for me was when everyone had their phone shining bright during Lights. It felt like the field turned into a magical snowglobe once the confetti began to float throughout the sky above us. I live for moments like these, and often wonder what life would be like without them. I don’t think I would be the same person I am today if I wasn’t so spellbound for live music.
All in all, this concert was about having fun. I can’t think of a better way to describe it. The songs I heard reminded me of how I first got into rock and roll music. They made me think about the defining moments of my life, when I met the people closest to me, and all the fun times I’ve had jamming out to this music. I feel really fortunate I was able to go to this concert on such a perfect night, in the company of people just like me. The way the songs of Journey, Def Leppard and Cheap Trick bring people together and connect them to one another is what I love most about their music.
Check out these great shots of Journey, Def Leppard and Cheap Trick at Target Field courtesy of RKH Images:
PHOTOS: Journey, Def Leppard & Cheap Trick at Target Field (July 27, 2018)