Thank you so much, friend of @ericstroud who had a wedding on the night that Cheap Trick, Poison, and Def Leppard were scheduled to play the Walnut Creek ampitheater. And thank you Eric, for tweeting out your tix when you couldn’t go, great idea!
There were a few bumps, however. In the “band drama” department, someone decided two hours before the concert that no cameras would be allowed, which caused a HUGE pile-up at the gates as people either 
turned around and walked back to leave them in their cars, then came and got in the line again, or else turned in their cameras to Security (our choice) and hoped for the best (we got it back by waiting in line AGAIN in order to leave). They’re not saying which of the prima donnas uttered this ridiculous “Oh dear, we can’t be caught on film!” decree, but I vote for Brett Michaels just because I can. He seems to stay hip-deep in drama; apparently he fractured his nose last month as he was exiting the stage at the Tony Awards — a descending piece of the set bashed him in the face. (Can you even picture him with Pamela Anderson? Me either, and don’t send me the link to that sex tape, people.)
The entrance Pile Up Of Thousands meant we totally missed Cheap Trick, although we could hear them a little bit over the drunken grousing as we waited in line.
Poison, Brett Michaels included, delivered the goods, and then some. After I got over the shock of paying $10 for a Yuengling (gasp — and I bought two), I went up front to see if I could get close to the stage for an iPhone photo (don’t tell the band), but the bouncers were in fine form and you can’t get past them to even enter the area with the seats at all. ‘Sokay, tho — you could hear juuuust fine, and if you can’t witness the glam up close and personal, at least you can ride the groove. And the peaceable crowd made a nice contrast with the recent insanity of Joan Jett in Moore Square.
Def Leppard can raise up some jam, too, and it was great to hear them do it. I forgave Joe Elliot‘s inability to hit the high notes all night long — it was clever of him to let the crowd carry part of the burden on a couple of their songs, and after all he HAS been doing this since 1977. Gotta cut the dude some slack, Jack.
Classic bands, great music, fabulous night. AND I scored a couple of $10 tickets to CrueFest later this month. Motley Crue will be playing with Godsmack, Theory of a Dead Man, and Drowning Pool, and I’ve already heard great things about it.
Planning to take the First, who is utterly stoked. Gotta raise up the next generation right.
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