Def Leppard, Journey dig up oldies for radio fest

08/20/2006 9:11 PM, Reuters


You can almost visualize the guy who provides the voice of Jack FM -- and when he crows about the station "playing what we want," you want to smack that smug smile off his face.

It's been 17 months since southern California was introduced to the radio iPod that is the Jack format, and KCBS' inaugural concert Saturday at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater showcased bands that exemplify its notion of modern classic rock. No, that's not an oxymoron; it's what this DJ-free, focus group-approved format is all about.

Jack FM targets pop-rock fans who were anywhere from grade school to grad school during the Reagan administration. And if this were 1984, the lineup for Jack's First Show could have been billed as Cal Jam III: Def Leppard, Journey, Billy Idol, Cheap Trick and Violent Femmes. The enthusiastic performances ranged from darn good to "well, that was on the radio when I was making out in my mom's Nova," but because this was not a radio station-as-tastemaker festival, the playing didn't really matter. Instead, it was an unapologetic seven-hour nostalgia trip on a grand summer night with short beer lines.

Absent from the bill -- and the between-set PA music -- was the '80s synth pop of Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears, et al., which Jack famously added to the established classic rock format to draw a younger demo. But Jack specifically chose to stick with flailing guitars over keyboards because, ultimately, this was an attempt to re-create of the 1980s arena rawk concert experience -- and as such, it was an old-school success.

After a peppy and well-received opening set by Violent Femmes, Cheap Trick deployed its O.G. power pop, including such rave-ups as "Surrender" and "California Man." The crowd politely welcomed the raucous "Welcome to the World," which was among the smattering of new material the veteran acts presented during the evening.

Journey then puzzlingly took the stage to the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again," with founder Neal Schon striding on during the "Meet the new boss/Same as the old boss" line. Singer Jeff Scott Soto filled in for the ailing Steve Augeri, and his eager-beaver amalgam of frontman cliches made him look a runner-up on "Rock Star: Journey." The quintet's bland rock earned decidedly distaff cheers.

One sight during Journey's set served as a definition of Jack FM's target demo: the commingled glow of Bics and cell phones being held in the air during "Lights."

There were plenty of partied-out fans as Def Leppard closed the show with 90 minutes of mostly mammoth hits. Singer Joe Elliott's voice is a semblance of what it was in its heyday, but he gamely soldiered through with a longtime rock star's aplomb. Criss-crossing guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell's fingers flew, while the original rhythm section of Rick Allen and Rick Savage supplied the knee-bobbing backbone. As Def Leppard moves toward its 30th year, its once-mighty live act has settled in for the long haul. But it remains a spectacle.

Sorta like Jack's First Show. There were plenty of ringing ears and aching heads scattered around southern California on Sunday morning -- along with knowing grins.

Reuters/Billboard