By Carly Maitlen
Entertainment Editor

The ‘80s are back and coming to Purdue tonight. Def Leppard will be performing at 7:30 at Elliott Hall of Music. There are still plenty of tickets left — go and enjoy the show. It is my pick of the week.

Many of the freshmen may not know who Def Leppard is. I barely remember them myself. Because I am attending the concert simply because there is nothing else to do, I decided it might be wise to listen to some of Def Leppard’s music in an effort to at least look like a fan even though I wasn’t.

Exponent features editor Vanessa Renderman owns the Def Leppard CD "Hysteria." On Monday, we decided to listen to it repeatedly until the concert tonight. Only twice did we get past the one song we actually know, "Pour Some Sugar on Me." This causes a problem — I know none of the words to any of the songs. I actually know nothing about the band. Everyone keeps telling me that once I get to the concert and hear them perform songs, I will recognize the songs and know some of the words. However, I am afraid this will not be the case. I can’t remember any songs except "Pour Some Sugar on Me." That’s it. Maybe I can convince my friends to leave after they perform that song.

I must say that I am most excited about the Joan Jett and the Blackhearts part of the show. I remember my little sister, Gabrael, listening to her all of the time when we were younger. I liked her music a lot, possibly because I was repeatedly exposed to it. My sister, a high school freshman and cheerleader, is devastated that she can’t go see Joan Jett because she has to cheer tonight. I say forget cheerleading. How many opportunities will one get to the heroes of his or her youth performing live? Especially once it has been 10 years or more since they have been popular.

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage the best early ‘90s band, NKOTB (better known to devoted fans as the New Kids on the Block), to reunite and come to Purdue to perform. The New Kids on the Block were the coolest thing around in the fourth grade. They can’t compete with these lightweight Backstreet Boys, ‘NSYNC and 98° .

Now, I know what you all are thinking. A reunion between Jon, Jordan, Joey, Danny and Donnie would be impossible. Joey and Jordan are both involved in exciting solo careers, and Donnie looks so different I didn’t even recognize him in his cameo in "The Sixth Sense." Remember the scene in the beginning with the skinny, crying adult standing in the bathroom? THAT’s Donnie Wahlberg. I know, it’s amazing, isn’t it?

But could you imagine how lucrative a comeback could be? Def Leppard is seeing success — what about the New Kids? The New Kids On The Block are probably a little too old to appeal to the new generation of teen-agers, but they could tour college campuses to appeal to their former fans.

Students our age remember the New Kids on the Block. Renderman once owned a NKOTB nightgown. My favorite New Kid was Jordan while Renderman’s was Jon. Joey was the favorite of campus editor Kelly Lucas. There are even comparisons made between NKOTB and the Backstreet Boys. Renderman feels that Kevin, one of the Backstreet Boys, is the "Danny" of the group. I disagree. To be called the "Danny" means he is the least attractive and the least popular of the group. This is simply not the case.

In order to encourage more quality bands to reunite and take back the throne from new pop idols like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, purchase tickets and attend the Def Leppard concert. If one band like this has success, more will want to join in and jump on the bandwagon. We all need causes to support. If you want to see bands like NKOTB, Poison and Slaughter come back from the dead to play again, support Def Leppard in its effort. Besides, you might have a little (or a lot) of fun along the way of supporting your cause.