Def Leppard & Journey @ Nissan Stadium

Rock and roll struck down Nissan Stadium as Def Leppard and Journey, joined by Steve Miller Band, brought their joint tour to Nashville, Tennessee on July 20, 2024. With each band having illustrious music careers spanning decades, this event drew in fans of every age, all uniting with the same love of rock and roll. Looking out into the crowd, it was apparent this night meant something special to many people there. Families with parents just as buzzed to be there as their kids. Double dates of all generations, reliving the music they grew up on. Bachelorette parties ready for a night of celebration, and many more people ready to rock out.

Despite the threat of rain in Nashville that night and a large storm taking place before the show started, the crowd was bubbling with anticipation, and the stadium lit up despite being sopping wet as the first chord of “Fly Like An Eagle” rang out when Steve Miller Band took the stage.

Steve Miller Band

The crowd was ready to rock from the very first notes and drum kicks from members of Steve Miller Band. With their tight harmonies, psychedelic tones, and wild riffs that sounded like Steve Miller made his guitar talk and laugh. They got the arena ready for the night. The stadium rang as the crowd began singing along to songs like “Abracadabra”, which Miller would dedicate to Eminem. The song is interpolated in his new hit “Houdini.” Following “Living in The U.S.A”, which featured Miller’s harmonica solo. Then closing with fan favorite “The Joker”.

Even though they were the opener, they were the highlight of the night for a large portion of the crowd. Many fans made an appearance on the jumbotron wearing Steve Miller Band t-shirts during “Rock’n Me”. Fans dancing with each other on the floor of the arena all the way to the upper bowl, as well as a group of fans even spotted dancing with security guards towards the front of the stage.

Steve Miller Band is as strong and impactful to its listeners and to the rock community as when it formed in 1966, and Miller left the crowd with this lyrical message during “Fly Like An Eagle”: “I wanna send a message to every boy and girl; send a message about the world. We gotta build it up, stop tearing it down, build it up and stop tearing it down”.

Journey

Celebrating their 50th anniversary on this tour, Journey gave a performance that you could only describe as cinematic and righteous. Any rock fan would be ecstatic to attend such a high-energy concert headed by singer Arnel Pineda. The front rows around the stage were living the dream as Pineda delivered incredible high notes on his hands and knees while interacting with the crowd by giving out high fives and fist bumps, making eye contact with everyone he could see, and throwing out drum sticks to fans. The impending threat of rain resurfaced as dark clouds rolled in, but the band kept their set going as pianist Jonathan Cain introduced “Faithfully” underneath a single spotlight at his piano, dedicating the song to troops and veterans who sacrifice their lives for America.

The opening of the song was so triumphant that it immediately brought everyone to their feet in the midst of the rain, with everyone holding beer cans and rock hands to the sky, singing together as the sun went down and the stage lights really began to shine. Following this, the rain picked up enough for crowd members to pull out their ponchos while a hauntingly beautiful piano solo (delivered by Cain) contributed to the dramatics of it all. Full fledged rain hit as “Open Arms” begins to play and the crowd took out their flashlights…as dusk turned into night.

After an incredible solo from guitarist Neal Schon, Pineda and Cain emerged wearing Tennessee Titans jerseys, inciting the crowd while performing “Wheel In The Sky”. With the most epic closing combination of “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”, “Any Way You Want It”, and “Don’t Stop Believin’”, Journey left the crowd absolutely radiating, singing so loud that Kentucky could probably hear.

Def Leppard

As soon as the “pyroclock” started counting down, the arena swelled with anticipation for Def Leppard to take the stage. With the rain passing the arena in a rock and roll miracle. Def Leppard’s entrance was otherworldly with thunderous guitar and drums. Also accompanied by smoke cannons, dope graphics, and the members taking the stage with their 1980s charisma, flair, and, hair. Opening with “Rock! Rock! (Til You Drop)”, the band represented 40 years of their album, Pyromania, with red, white, and blue lights representing the British flag. The characteristic hard, grungy sound of the guitar from Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell commanded the room. Drummer Rick Allen rocked the entire stadium with one arm, still sounding as powerful as ever.

It was an incredible sight to see the band take the crowd back to 1983. As well as watching members of older generations be taken back to their rock and roll youth. While also young kids experiencing theirs in real time. With songs like “Armageddon It” and “Rock of Ages”, the stadium was in the palm of the band’s hand the entire show as the last clouds rolled out and a full moon emerged, lighting up the stadium even more. Ending with “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, to see Def Leppard as well as Journey and Steve Miller Band perform with such rigor and talent as they did in their heyday can only be described as one thing: badass.