Def Leppard Summerfest 2016 Tickets | REO Speedwagon and Tesla Open the Show

Def Leppard is set to play Summerfest 2016 on July 6. They will headline the Marcus Amphitheater stage, with opening acts REO Speedwagon and Tesla. Tickets are on sale now. Leppard last headlined an evening at Summerfest just five years ago. With the two opening acts, it's safe to say that this is an "80's Night" for music fans. Just to be clear, Def Leppard started in 1977, but hit their peak in 1983. What song made them stars? Photograph was the title track on the album named Pyromania. The band has sold over 100 million copies of their library. 

What can we say about REO Speedwagon? The band came out as a cover band in the late 1960's.  Once Gary Richrath joined the group, the band had turned to harder rock originals. By 1971, they were signed to a major record label. The famous vocal sounds of Kevin Cronin didn't come about until after the band had recorded songs like "Ridin' the Storm Out." That song was sung by Terry Luttrell.
By the early 1980's REO's sound had softened considerably. Songs like "Keep on Lovin' You" and "Heard it From a Friend" had signaled that the band had taken a turn to soft pop. If you want to compare the old REO versus the new, check out 157 Riverside Avenue versus Can't Fight This Feeling. Opening the entire night will be Tesla, another popular 1980's rock band that hit the charts and then faded.