Steve Miller Band, Journey, and Def Leppard Bring A Booming Explosion of Nostalgia to Target Field

The giant weekend of music in the Twin Cities (including two Metallica shows, one Hozier, and one Green Day/ Smashing Pumpkins show) continued into Monday as Steve Miller Band, Journey, and Def Leppard took over the gorgeous Target Field for a three-headliner bill. I know what you’re thinking, three headliners- that’s weird, but come on, look at those names. Steve Miller Band, Journey, and Def Leppard. All of those are headliner quality acts, so, at the end of the day, it’s the only thing that really makes sense.

The last time Steve Miller Band was in a stadium in Minneapolis was back in 1977 when they were with The Eagles (although Steve let it slip that his dad is actually a Saint Paul native). A lot has changed over those decades, but one thing that has remained constant is this group’s lasting power. With the only and only Steve Miller (aged 80) at the helm, I felt that Steve Miller Band sounded great. Although I was not one of the people in the audience singing to all twelve songs, I could belt it out to a couple of tracks, including “Joker” and “Fly Like An Eagle.” Although Steve is the only remaining original band member from this 1966-born band, the group felt tight and like they had been playing together for ages. Although that’s true with some of the amazing musicians standing on stage during the set, some have only been with Steve since as recently as 2021 (shout out to drummer Ron Wikso). It’s incredible to see such a legendary band with so few original members feel so timeless, and it made for the perfect way to kick off a beautiful Monday night at Target Field in Minneapolis.

You could feel the anticipation in the air as the stage was turned over for the next band of the night and as the backdrop on the stage changed. Formed in 1973 in San Francisco, California, Journey is one of those bands that truly needs no introduction. You know their logo, but, more importantly, you know their songs. You may not know the new ones, but you know the classics, and that’s what stood out to me on Monday night during their nearly twenty-song set. Even with one remaining original member (Neal Schon), Journey, like Steve Miller Band, proved that you can carry on a legacy with new people.

I remember seeing Journey back in 2018 and being super impressed with vocalist Arnel Pineda. It was crazy how he could not only match but also enhance the legendary and distinct vocals of original vocalist Steve Perry. Unfortunately, I feel like they were not as on point on Monday night. There was something a bit raspier about them giving them a rough edge when, in the past, I’ve been impressed by the smoothness of his voice. Maybe Arnel was feeling a bit under the weather, or it was the manifestation of all of the drama lingering behind this band right now (they are all suing each other, from what I can gather). Regardless, it let me down a bit, but the band’s tightness and iconic songs helped me look the other way a bit.

Another thing that helped sell Journey’s set on Monday night was how Arnel broke the wall between the band and the audience. “Wheel In The Sky” ended up turning into a pretty lengthy instrumental jam, but instead of just standing on stage or taking a much-deserved breather (this man was running all over the place throughout the performance, he took to the small space between stage and audience. He flew down the stairs and ran the length of the ballpark, ensuring that if you were in the front and wanted a handshake or fist bump, you would get one. Journey is a massive band. Even without the original members, there’s no denying their sheer star power, so seeing the vocalist of such a massive world-renowned band to this really had me sold.

Closing out this massive three-headed headlining show was the one and only Def Leppard. Like the previous two acts, there’s really no need to give a lot of background here because, even if you don’t know much about the band, you know a bunch of their songs. After a five minute count down with some of the most epic sounds and a video to match, Def Leppard finally took the stage at 9:30 PM to a roar of applause from the packed audience. The earth-shattering sound of the opening track, “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop),” boomed throughout the stadium and worked as a great way to keep everyone on their feet. From there on, the band blasted (and I mean blasted) through an eighteen-song set that went back the back of the stage up to the catwalks that flowed into the audience.

Def Leppard has a distinct sound. Whether you love it or hate it, you know a Def Leppard song when you hear it, even if it’s a b-side. Like Journey, Def Leppard does not have their original line-up. Sure, you still have Rick Savage, Joe Elliot, and Rick Allen, but that’s it. The rest are members that came much later after the band’s conception in the 70s. That being said, the band sounded tight, and every note perfectly fit everything else. Clearly, this band knows what they are doing. I mean, come on, they have been touring for decades, but, like while watching Journey and even Steve Miller Band, there’s something truly insane about seeing a band with such a notable sound pull it off without the original members.

I definitely felt a bit young for the night. I could only sing along to the hits (unlike everyone around me who was screaming every word), and I honestly don’t know how I even knew those, being that neither of my parents were into any of these three megastar bands. That being said, I had a great time and definitely felt that I was in the presence of giants throughout the night.