Def Leppard and Journey have teamed up once again as tourmates for the The Summer Stadium Tour 2024 along with the Steve Miller Band, creating a proper triple-header that no doubt had the San Francisco Bay Area fans scrambling to get off work in time to catch an unapologetic evening full of rock and roll classics.
The Steve Miller Band took the stage a few minutes before 6PM with the sun still high over the outfield with the Wednesday after-work crowd still busting through the gates. Those that made it in time were treated to a 60-minute set that charted the San Francisco band’s hit-making rise to stardom in the ’70s and had most of the fans on the field level on their feet and singing along from opener “Swingtown” to closer, “Jet Airliner.”
After a quick set change, Journey took the stage ready to celebrate their 50th anniversary in front of their hometown. The 90-minute set focused on the hits from the late ’70s and early ’80s and highlighted the band’s ability to remain relevant amidst numerous lineup changes. “Only the Young” kicked off the set on an energetic note with lead vocalist Arnel Pineda working every inch of the stage extension, high-fiving anyone within reach as he belted out the lyrics with precision that left no doubt why he was handed the mic back in 2007.
In a nod to their local history, keyboardist Jonathan Cain donned a Giants jersey while drummer Deen Castronovo did double-duty on vocals for “Lights” which Neil Schon dedicated to their legendary singer Steve Perry as the fans lit up the stadium with their cell phones. “Any Way You Want It” wrapped the set with an explosion of streamers. No doubt a hard act to follow, especially in front of their hometown crowd!
Having previously toured with Journey in 2006 and 2018, Def Leppard knew what they were following and of course, they’re no stranger to the San Francisco audience, having last visited Oracle Park in 2022 with Mötley Crüe. A countdown clock on the giant LED screens amped up the anticipation before the band took the stage with their signature swagger, frontman Joe Elliott kind enough to remind the packed stadium that they also had something to celebrate—namely the 40(ish) year anniversary of their 1983 breakthrough, Pyromania. While the band opted not to go down the route of a full album play through, the night’s setlist certainly got a healthy dose of Pyromania starting with “Rock! Rock! (Tell You Drop)” as an appropriate (if not a bit tongue in cheek after all these years) opener.
A healthy dose of Hysteria left little room for deep cuts with High ‘n’ Dry’s “Let It Go” being a noticeable miss but the band kept the energy high, even as they set up and the end of the stage extension for a mini set that flipped the mega-stadium vibe on its ear and brought a bit of unexpected intimacy to the evening. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Def Leppard show without the tunes that put them on the map, so it was no surprise when they wrapped the evening with the one-two punch of “Hysteria” and “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”
STEVE MILLER BAND
JOURNEY
DEF LEPPARD
