another def leppard concert under my belt

Monday night my sister and I went to see our favorite boys in concert in Syracuse, NY. Always the best time of year for me. Even better than Christmas.

It was at the newly-built Lakeview Amphitheater, which was a total surprise to us--for some reason both of us assumed it was at the NY State Fairgrounds.  I wasn't on the ball this year.  Normally when I buy tickets for a concert, I spend a lot of time researching the venue, the seating charts, the general area, etc.  I want to know where I'm going, where the good restaurants are, and, most importantly, what kind of view I can expect from my seat.  This time?  I didn't even look to see where it was being held.  I'm slipping in my old age, I guess. Or getting lazy. Good thing I checked the ticket before we left the hotel!

The theater is a quick drive from the hotel we stayed at, maybe 15 minutes; however, the person at Hotel Reception suggested we leave at least an hour, maybe more, before the show started. Apparently there can be a lot of traffic in that area and it's a long walk from the parking lot.  He wasn't kidding--the theater FAQ says that two of the parking lots are a 30 minute walk from the venue!!  Luckily we were able to park in the Orange lot, which was about a 10 minute walk.  And it was very hot and dusty.  The parking lot is all dirt and gravel.  (Note to self:  if I go there again, I WILL NOT wear black leather boots.  What a mess!)

The amphitheater.

We had great seats in the 7th row on Sav's side; however, that was the side where the sun sets.  So, we baked until about 8:45 pm when the sun finally went down.  We went outside a few times and stood near the side gate.  Someone famous was talking to various concert-goers and taking pics with them, but I had no idea who it was.  His sticker said he was a guest of Def Leppard.  I wanted to approach him, but I didn't.  I'm shy like that.

Tesla opened up and played for 45 minutes.  For some reason, I'm not a fan of listening to Tesla on the radio or on CD; however, I do like their music live. They were pretty good.

Next up was REO Speedwagon.  They played for an hour.  I always enjoy seeing them.  I noticed that a couple songs seemed to be slowed down a bit, which make me wonder if Kevin Cronin was having issues with his voice. It didn't seem as powerful as the last time we saw them.  It was a great set, though.

Then came the main attraction: Def Leppard!  They played the usual 90 minutes (please play longer!!).  The show started off with the curtain covering the stage.  They started playing "Let's Go"--a new song--and then the curtain was whisked away.  Then it all went by in a blur, as it usually does. They sounded great and Joe's voice seemed to be healed.  I was thrilled they played "Let it Go."  It's one of my favorites to hear live. They also played "Dangerous"--another new song--and it seemed to go over well.  I was really hoping they would play "Man Enough," but no such luck.

My only complaint was the security guard.  He kept letting people move up when seats became empty.  That's OK with me, but rather than letting us move up, he let the two people behind us move up.  So, my panties were in a bunch for a bit, but I got over it.  When the row in front of the thrust/cat walk opened up, my sister and I ran over to take some last minute pics as the guys were saying goodnight.  And then it was over.

Next was breakfast at Denny's at 1:30 am.  They got slammed with people after the concert, so it took awhile to get the food.  When we finally got it, it was good.  There was definitely a subdued vibe in the restaurant.  Most people seemed tired.  Or maybe they were half deaf and their ears were ringing. (Not me!  I wore my ear plugs.  Yeah, I'm old...)

I think this is my favorite picture. 

I went to bed around 3 am, an hour I haven't seen in a very long time.  Then I got up at 7 am and did my workout.  OMG that workout was so hard!!  Obviously, I was very tired, my back, knees and feet hurt from standing the previous night, plus there was the four-hour drive there.  But I got through it. It was hard, but I was so happy I got it over with.  (That's actually my new motto:  Just get it over with. Seriously.) I'm also happy to report I didn't eat a bunch of junk food.  I had bought trail mix, but I put it in the trunk for the drive up there.  I knew if I had it in the car I would polish off most of it.  And trail mix has a crazy amount of calories!

On my way home I stopped at Wegman's, a huge grocery store in the Northeast.  It's kind of like a giant Whole Foods, but with much better prices.  I got some hot food for the ride, and also stocked up on cheese blocks.  Then I drove home.

And that's a wrap.  Another concert that has come and gone. I had a great time with my sister and we had a great time in general.