It's time to jump into your Wayback Machine and direct it towards the Verizon Wireless Theater this coming Friday, July 24th, as both Judas Priest and Whitesnake are playing.

Together.

Judas Priest is celebrating the 30th anniversary of their classic album British Steel by playing the album in its entirety. To fully understand the significance of the album, consider that of the nine tracks on it, fully half are considered classics. "Breaking the Law" is a song that will live on radio, in some form or another, for eternity, as will fellow track "Living After Midnight," a party rocker that appeals to high-schooler in all of us. Add in "Metal Gods," "United," and "Grinder," and you see how British Steel is one of those perfect time capsules of music that most artists dream of creating. The band will play songs from their extensive catalog, as well, so everyone can get their fill of the Metal Gods. Plus, who wouldn't want a tour shirt with the famous cover from British Steel, with the hand grasping a giant razor blade?

While seeing Whitesnake as the co-headliner may strike you at first as curious, the bands did tour together back in their heyday. Add in that this is the first time that David Coverdale and his band of leather-trousered vandals have played the States in over a decade, and the reality is that they alone will be worth going for.

The band is still promoting the release of last year's Good To Be Bad. The album showed that Coverdale's voice was till in great shape, and with the additions of Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach on guitars, the band sounded as good as ever. Plus, it's the 25th anniversary of Slide it In, arguably the Greatest Album Title of All Time, so those shirts should be cool, as well.

The amazing aspect of this show is that with the advent of Rock Band and Guitar Hero, the crowd will run the age spectrum -- thanks to the play-along video game phenomenon, the appreciation for hard rock has crossed generational lines.

One word of warning: these tickets are not cheap; $60, to be exact, plus the usual service fee from Live Nation of your first born and the title to your house. When you consider that the last time Priest played here, however, it was at Woodlands Pavillion and that Whitesnake has not been here since I wore a 30-waist pair of jeans, this is a must. END