Live: Motley Crue return with The Stadium Tour in Indianapolis

“I can’t believe my eyes,” Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx said when he was onstage at Indianapolis’ stop of The Stadium Tour, “I can’t believe my fucking eyes. We broke up, got back together, announced a tour, COVID hit, threw us off for over two years, we came back and sold this place the fuck out. Thank you SO much, we fucking did it.” The scene at the sold-out Lucas Oil Stadium was nothing short of a party when the five-band bill hit town, featuring Def Leppard, Poison, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, rising band Classless Act and the return of the almighty Motley Crue. Classless Act opened the show and got the crowd amped up from the very beginning, with singer Derek Day immediately running the extended stage to get up close and personal, doing everything possible to make enough of an impact for the fans to walk out of the show remembering them- a goal they surpassed with ease. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts took the stage next and breezed through a set of hits but a few deep cuts as well as a track from her latest record, which came out earlier this year. She reminisced about the past from time to time but also kept it short to ensure she fit as much music in as possible and it’s hard to remember a recent time where Jett and company sounded better. The party didn’t stop there because Poison was up next and they didn’t disappoint- in fact, they stole the show. Frontman Bret Michaels ran around the stage, jumping and high-fiving fans like a kid off his ADHD meds and made sure everyone close the stage got the experience of a lifetime. “Man, we’ve been waiting two-and-a-half years for this,” exclaimed Michaels, which was met with a roar of excitement from the sold-out crowd. They threw in every major hit they’ve had over their career and commanded a stadium of lighters and cell phone lights during “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn,” making for the most scenic and beautiful moment of the night. Def Leppard started their set with a giant LED screen covering the stage, which slowly raised as they started playing, revealing the band to a roar of pandemonium from the Indianapolis fans. They blasted through the hits but also played a few tracks from their latest record- Diamond Star Halos, which the crowd absolutely loved. Aside from Poison, Def Leppard were the highlight of the night. Motley Crue capped off the night with a set that was highly-anticipated by the crowd and one that’s seen rave reviews throughout the tour, with a lot of people discussing how frontman Vince Neil has never sounded better. Needless to say, the Indy fanbase was anxious to see if this was the case. From the start, Neil looked and sounded better, much like people have been saying. While it still didn’t blow people out of the water, it was still one of Neil’s better performances. The fans absolutely loved the set and the band made sure to pack it full of everything the possibly could. While they didn’t have any of the pyro or special effects they usually have, they still had the female dancers and backup singers, they giant LED screen and everything else. The band took time to talk to the crowd throughout the set, telling the fans how much it meant to them to finally be back in Indy and back on the road, talking about the old days and made sure the night was one to remember for everyone in attendance. -Reggie Edwards