My summer is set

Summer is the best time of the year, because of one thing: summer tours! It's the time when everyone seems to be going out on the road, whether or not they have an album to promote. Festivals, co-headliners, county fairs--you name it.

Now, I have been quite the sucker for the "80s hair metal" tour packages that seem to hover around the Midwest during the summer, and usually manage to see at least one every year or so (2007 was particularly successful, with Warrant and Firehouse, and 2008 was no exception seeing L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat perform at a baseball field in Farley, IA).

This summer's concert festivities will finally fulfill the dream of an 80s rock extravaganza: Bret Michaels recently announced that Poison will be on the road with Def Leppard. *jumping jacks and cartwheels ensue*. Poison is certainly no stranger to this "hair metal" touring gig, as they have partnered up with the likes of Winger, Skid Row, you get the drift.

Many fans probably never thought they'd see the day, as Def Leppard has always been adamant about avoiding that kind of tour circuit. What's more, in recent history, DL's lead singer Joe Elliott and Poison's Bret Michaels and Rikki Rockett were involved in a "friendly" spat, in which Elliott moaned about the superficial nature of bands like Poison, while Michaels and Rockett jabbed at Def Leppard for not performing live during their appearance on Dancing With the Stars.

Fortunately, it seems they've put their petty differences aside.

In my opinion, Def Leppard's success and status as legends is leaps and bounds past that of Poison, but who can deny that this tour is going to be one hell of a party?



Def Leppard was just as much a part of the 80s as their glammed-out, trashy, Sunset Strip counterparts! Def Leppard has been touring on a regular basis for years. These guys know what their fans want, and they aren't ashamed to play their biggest hits to get the crowd in a complete frenzy.

Sadly, tour dates have not yet been announced, but rest assured, this Lep-head will be road-tripping to the closest venue possible to catch a glimpse of the best hair metal tour the world's seen in a long time.