Ripken Stadium Rocks!

Def Leppard & Bryan Adams Tear It Up In 2005

So yesterday was the day of the Def Leppard and Bryan Adams concert at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland. We met a couple friends from Jersey (Dee & Allan) before the show and ate at Cracker Barrel. Then we headed over to the stadium where we were a couple hours early. It was apparent by the people pouring in that we needed to get in line right away. The stadium holds 6000+ people and the line was growing quickly.

For some reason digital cameras were not allowed in. I tossed the idea around of sneaking the camera in, but ultimately Shelly decided for me. :) The camera stayed in the van. We took a few pictures in the parking lot, then headed to stand in line.

The stadium, for those familiar, is similar to Camden Yards in Baltimore. It wouldn't surprise me if the very same people designed and built it. It's a beautiful ballpark. We'll have to get over there to see a game at some point. But this time, we were there to see a concert. The infield was roped off so that no one would disrupt it. The entire outfield was surfaced so that the grass was protected. Center field was the location of the stage and was strategically placed so that everyone could see from the seats of the stadium.

This was a different concert than normal for me. How's that? Well, this time we took the two kids. Cade is now 5 and Cale is 2 1/2. FWIW, I was 17 when I went to my first concert. I'm one of those wacky people that tries to get as close to the stage as possible. This time, we knew beforehand that we would be sitting in the stands, as we had the two kids. The bands were actually encouraging people to bring their kids. Any child under 12 got in for free. As a result, many families were there. It was really cool to see.

Def Leppard and Bryan Adams alternated who opened and closed the shows each night. During our show, Def Leppard opened. Cade & Cale weren't overly into watching, but they enjoyed the music. Cale even danced quite a bit and wiggled his rump. This is something so freaking funny. I need to get it digital somehow and post it for you all to see.

Def Leppard did a great job and belted out the more popular tunes. After they finished there was an intermission so that Bryan Adams could set the stage. We brought some bubbles for the kids to play with and they had a little fun with some of the other kids sitting nearby. It got dark and then Bryan Adams took the stage. Both Shelly and I like Bryan Adams also. The kids were content, so we stayed. At this point you could tell Cade & Cale were getting tired. They actually sat and watched the show. Cale eventually even fell asleep. Bryan Adams also did a fine set.

Afterwards, we bought some merchandise and bid farewell to our Jersey friends Dee and Allan. It took us 35 minutes to get out of the lot, but once free from there it was smooth sailing home. By the time my head hit the pillow it was all better of 1 in the morning. It was a long day, but a fun one none-the-less.

There are a few photos of before the show on my Flickr page. Dee and Allan took some photos on their cell phones (my phone was full). The quality is definitely not going to be as good, but I'll post a few when I get them.