Def Leppard’s First Kansas City Concert at Kemper Arena in 1980

Years before Pyromania and Hysteria made Def Leppard one of the biggest bands of the 1980s, Kansas City rock fans had an opportunity to see them near the bottom of a three-band bill at Kemper Arena.

On June 18, 1980, Def Leppard made their first documented Kansas City appearance at Kemper Arena. They were supporting Ted Nugent, with German hard-rock band Scorpions also appearing.

At the time, Def Leppard was promoting its debut album, On Through the Night. The Kansas City performance came during the band’s first American tour, long before songs such as “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Love Bites” became rock-radio staples.

It’s been estimated that 9,586 people attended the event, with tickets priced at just $7.50 and $8.50. The documented lineup featured Joe Elliott, Steve Clark, Pete Willis, Rick Savage and an extraordinarily young Rick Allen behind the drums.

Kemper itself was barely six years old. The arena would become one of Kansas City’s defining concert destinations, hosting countless rock and pop stars throughout the decade. Today, the dramatically renovated building survives as Hy-Vee Arena.

But imagine having kept that 1980 ticket stub. For less than nine dollars, you saw Def Leppard before most of America knew just how big they were going to become.