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Rock and roll legend JOAN JETT highlights bike rally with fairgrounds concert
from: Unita County Hearld
"Shoo-ooop! Shoo-ooop!"
Clad in head-to-toe leather, a rock and roll icon walks the length of her trailer, wailing this sound from the pit of her stomach just moments before she's scheduled to appear on stage at the Uinta County Fairgrounds. The platinum blonde star starts her vocal warmups just after her longtime producer and friend, KENNY LAGUNA, advises her that it's almost time to go on. Taking her cue, she removes her performing gear from a surprisingly small black suitcase and goes to the bathroom to change.
She went into her changing room a mild-mannered, easygoing woman wearing heavy eye makeup and loose clothing, but she emerges as the performer audiences have come to know as a living legend within the rock and roll/punk genre: Ms. JOAN JETT.
"Is everyone ready?" asks Elliot, road manager for Jett and her band, the BLACKHEARTS. "They're getting restless out there."
"Restless isn't good. Let's go on early then. Roll the tape," replies Laguna, referring to the band's pre-show tape, the signal to longtime Jett followers that it's just a matter of moments before they will be graced with the object of their affection's presence.
Jett and the BLACKHEARTS, who with their spiked hair, torn shirts and tattoos appear as the archetypal image of what punk was originally intended to be - before Avril Lavigne - leave the trailer one by one.
Beside the stage, each engages in pre-show rituals, consisting of - for Jett - a combination of stretches with intermittent pacing. The four musicians that make the BLACKHEARTS have more of a non-ritual ritual, which basically consists of the waiting game. They exchange comments about the Utah Bikini Team, which arrived via limousine just prior to the band, discuss the tattoo their guitarist got just hours earlier, and snicker whenever Elliot speaks.
The pre-show tape has finished and it's finally time to go on. The BLACKHEARTS know it and the audience apparently knows it, too. They make a loud roar and looks of anticipation turn to delight when Jett runs on stage and grabs the microphone. The band begins playing "Victim of Circumstance," and Jett's unmistakable voice blares from the speakers.
The front row, comprised of people from every age group - from elementary students to grandparents - stare at Jett and sing every word with the woman they've watched on MTV and heard on their radios for years. An artist with a genuine appreciation for her fans, Jett stares right back, points to the crowd and flicks her guitar pick to a lucky fan. Jett, like her fans this evening, is also living out a dream.
"I decided I wanted to [pursue music] after watching a New York Dolls concert," recalls Jett. "I was in the front row and grabbed [vocalist] David Johansen's beer bottle off the stage and took it home with me."
Jett's referring to the punk band that originated in the '70's and had a strong local following. She kept the bottle for inspiration and began teaching herself to play the guitar, which she picked up simply from listening to her favorite artists' albums. "I really liked T. Rex, the Dolls and David Bowie," she says.
As for new artists, Jett still prefers those who stay true to original punk values, like Fugazi and the White Stripes - not easily accessible, Total Request Live bands.
In fact, while they say imitation is the highest form of flattery, Jett was anything but flattered when pop princess Britney Spears covered her 1981 hit "I Love Rock-n-Roll."
"I didn't get it," says Jett. "It's not her, it's not what she's about. I haven't heard it and - knock on wood - I hope I never do." To add insult to injury, Spears claimed she decided to cover the song because she "loves Pat Benetar." After hearing this, one can only agree with Jett - Spears and rock and roll don't mix.
Jett and rock and roll, on the other hand, seem to be a match made in heaven, and, according to the "JOAN JETT" chant her audience yells to ignite an encore, they seem to agree. After Jett performed three hits in a row, "I Love Rock-n-Roll," her cover of "Crimson and Clover" and "I Hate Myself for Lovin' You," the crowd isn't ready to see her leave quite yet, and begs for more.
The stage lights are out and Jett is zipping up a jacket and rubbing her hands together, trying to get warm. The wind is cold and blowing something fierce, but the fans don't seem to notice. They sit atop friends' shoulders to get a better view of Jett and wave their cigarette lighter flames, hoping she will return. She does, and again the crowd goes wild.
Jett comes back with "Science Fiction Double Feature," a song from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," in which she starred as Columbia on Broadway. She follows it up with a cover of Sly and the Family Stone's "Everyday People," and the crowd bobs their heads in unison with the beat. A little girl, not more than ten years old, stands in the front row and stares at Jett in awe. She sports a short coif and a black tank top with the words "bad girl" in white lettering. Jett finishes her last song, says farewell to Evanston and flicks another pick into the crowd. The little girl and the fans surrounding her scramble for the concert souvenir.
Who knows? Maybe she'll take it home, use it for inspiration and teach herself to play the guitar - another JOAN JETT in the making. Until then, we're just fine with this one.
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