Def Leppard, Journey & Steve Miller Band Bring Hit Filled Rock Brigade To Inglewood's SoFi Stadium (SHOW REVIEW/PHOTOS) - Glide Magazine (2024)

• August 28, 2024

• Reviews, Show Reviews

• By Andy J. Gordon
• 2 Comments

In today’s live music scene, very few legacy acts, often referred to as classic rockers or “Dad” rock, can fill stadiums by themselves. Perhaps that’s why Def Leppard, Journey, and Steve Miller Band joined forces to do a massive show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, on August 25th. This “Summer Stadium Tour” has been on the road since early July, and the August 25 show at SoFi attracted thousands of boomers, teens, and in-betweens as each band displayed the chops that made them successful hitmakers from the ’70s to the mid-90s.

The number of chart-toppers this trio of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame bands produced over the years is staggering. The show’s schedule followed the bands’ history – the Steve Miller Band opened, followed by Journey, while Def Leppard closed the show. The musical styles of each band may not be exactly alike, but there was logic to the lineup. Steve Miller Band started in San Francisco in the late 1960s, while Journey also hails from the Bay area and formed in 1973 with previous members of Santana and Steve Miller Band. Miller was invited to join the current tour by Journey guitarist Neal Schon, who was still in his teens when he and Miller became friends in the early 1970s. Def Leppard formed in England in 1976 as a band part of thenew wave of British heavy metal, eventually leading to a glossy pop metal sound that made them MTV favorites.

Here is how the five-hour night of music transpired.

The stadium was barely filling in, probably because of the early 6 PM start time, notorious LA traffic, and frustrating parking queues when Miller hit the stage. His catchy, blues-based rock songs still resonate, and the 80-year-old musician seemingly has not lost his touch. His voice and guitar skills were impressive for the entire hour-long set. Second guitarist Jacob Petersen, keyboard player Joseph Wooten, drummer Ron Wikso, and bassist Kenny Lee Lewis provided expert support for Miller as they blew through one hit after another. Timeless songs like “Swingtown” and “Living in the USA” had the crowd, including many stadium workers standing and singing with Miller.

Wooten’s trippy, effects-laden synthesizer intro and long solo during “Fly Like An Eagle” exemplified their exploration of the early 70s psychedelic sound. “Jungle Love and “Take The Money and Run” featured excellent harmonies and timeless Miller guitar solos. “The Joker” turned into a loud audience singalong, and Miller showed off his considerable slide guitar skills. Miller closed the set with the Paul Penacover, “Jet Airliner,” that he dedicated to Les Paul.

By the time Journey kicked off their set with “Only The Lonely” and “Be Good to Yourself,” SoFi had filled up, but the roars from the crowd could hardly be heard above the sonic onslaught brought by the band. SoFi is a huge space that gets extremely loud, but the sound was clear and balanced throughout the stadium. Unlike the Steve Miller Band, Journey took advantage of the state-of-the-art lighting effects, giant video monitors, and massive three extension ramps that jutted out from the stage. Lead singer Arnel Pineda got a full workout, sprinting along the ramps while belting out the band’s hits. Lead guitarist Neal Schon sported a wide grin for the entire 90-minute show. He also ventured out on the ramps, albeit at a leisurely pace, and engaged with the crowd while he blasted an array of solos interspersed with familiar guitar riffs.

The hits kept coming as Todd Jensen’s thumping bass beat, and Deen Castronovo’s thunderous drums pulsated the stadium seats on “Who’s Crying Now.” Pineda got excellent harmonic support from keyboardist Jonathan Cain and Castronovo while Schon wrapped it up with the familiar guitar solo he creatively expanded upon. “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’” focused on Cain’s impressive piano playing and interplay with Schon’s guitar, contradicting their ongoing financial and political offstage battles. All band members except Cain left the stage for a solo organ sequence that transitioned to a classical-inspired piano solo.

Although Pineda has been with the band since 2007, people still compare his vocal abilities with those of the legendary former Journey vocalist Steve Perry. He proved his chops when Cain’s solo eventually segued into the dramatic, familiar opening notes of the ballad “Open Arms” as Pineda and the rest of the band rejoined. Pineda’s passionate and striking vocals led to Schon’s riveting guitar solo. Later in the set, Schon went to the end of one of the ramps and played an extended solo sequence with lots of reverb and sustain effects. It eventually led to the opening notes for “Wheel in the Sky.” Pineda crooned the lyrics, then hopped into the crowd with a security escort while Schon went on another solo exploration. Castronovo did an outstanding job on lead vocals for “Lights,” and Pineda took over again for the closing sequence of mega hits that included “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Anyway You Want It.”

Def Leppard took full advantage of the SoFi setup. A wall of lights was stacked behind the stage, and various colors beamed from behind and high above. Rotating, closeup images of the band members filled the three video screens. All five band members trekked to the ramp extensions throughout their 90-minute set, and singer Joe Elliot spent the most time strolling along the ramps. His flowing white locks seemed transparent under the floodlights as he sang and engaged with the crowd.

Much of the set was dedicated to the fortieth anniversary of their 1983 album “Pyromania.” They certainly mixed in other tracks, but from the opener, “Rock! Rock! (Til You Drop),” that album’s songs were featured prominently. Collen and Vivian Campbell’s double guitar assault joined with bassist Rick Savage’s harmonies on “Rocket” before returning to Pyromania’s “Foolin’.” Elliot led the way on the dramatic “Too Late For Love” with additional, rich harmonies from Savage and a forceful guitar solo from Campbell. Elliot went to the front of the ramp alone with an acoustic guitar and said, “if you know it, sing it” before launching into “Two Steps Behind.”

Eventually, the rest of the band joined him up front amid the floor crowd. Each had acoustic instruments. Elliot asked the audience to join them in singing “Happy Birthday” to Campbell, and then they all strummed together and harmonized wonderfully during “This Guitar.” The musicians returned to the main stage, and the song smoothly transitioned back to electric instruments. Elliot, Collen, and Campbell started “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” with acoustic strings, letting the audience sing the chorus before they switched back to electric. The band closed out the set with “Rock of Ages” and “Photograph,” two more blockbusters from Pyromania. Drummer Rick Allen got the spotlight for a thunderous solo during “Rock of Ages,” and there was a lot of loud audience participation during “Photograph” before Collen closed it with a killer guitar solo.

The five musicians barely left the stage for a minute before they all came back to give the audience two more songs. They started with the title track from 1987’s Hysteria album. That song and album were both critical and commercial successes, which blasted the band to the top of the charts. Elliot belted out the lyrics, and the Collen/Campbell two-barreled guitar onslaught exploded throughout the stadium. They followed that with the silly but undeniably fun show ending, “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” showcasing the band’s sense of humor and diverse songwriting ability. Of course, the crowd ate it up, sang, and cheered mightily well past the closing notes.

Live photos courtesy of Andy J. Gordon ©2024