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Innovative rocker Jett bringing energy to Aztar
from: CourierPress Entertainment
By Gordon Engelhardt Courier & Press
JOAN JETT never set out to be a trendsetter or innovator. She just couldn't help herself. After forming the RUNAWAYS, an all-girl rock band in the mid-1970s, Jett later became the first woman to start her own label, BLACKHEART RECORDS.
Arguably one of the most influential female figures in rock 'n' roll history, Jett and her BLACKHEARTS will play two shows on Friday and Saturday at Aztar. The first performance will begin at 7:30 each night, with the second show at 10.
KENNY LAGUNA, Jett's longtime collaborator, co-producer and keyboard player, said the punky tomboy's energy level is what sets her apart.
"You see her and you think, 'Holy smoke,' " Laguna said. "She was 15 when you first heard of her, and she doesn't look any different to me now. And that's a blessing. The way she plays guitar is just amazing."
Jett was the first act to perform in East Germany before the Berlin Wall came down and is considered the No. 1 noncombatant to be in war zones - from Kosovo to Iraq to Bosnia to Afghanistan. But she prefers not to talk about her involvement.
"She never wants any publicity," Laguna said. "She supports the troops, but that doesn't mean she supports the policy (that put the troops in harm's way)."
Dabbling in politics, Jett ran as a candidate to be a convention delegate from New York for Howard Dean. She and Laguna were on stage during Dean's infamous "scream speech" in Iowa in 2004.
"There were a hundred reporters around and nobody noticed anything (out of the ordinary)," Laguna said. "He was kidding around with a group of kids at a private party. There were 5,000 kids from all over the country. It was like a pep rally."
But cable news networks began showing Dean's "scream" incessantly, and he was suddenly finished as a Democratic presidential candidate.
"Howard Dean was destroyed," Laguna said.
If not for Jett and the RUNAWAYS, other successful all-girl rock bands such as the Go-Gos, Bangles and Donnas might never have materialized. Back in the 1970s, many people still expected girls to be dainty and ladylike, with the notable exception of Janis Joplin, Laguna said. But Jett's "bad reputation" preceded her. After 23 major and minor labels rejected Jett as a solo artist, she and Laguna helped form BLACKHEART RECORDS. She got the last laugh when her single, "I Love Rock 'n Roll" was a No. 1 hit for seven weeks in 1982.
Jett's rendition of Tommy James and the Shondells' classic "Crimson & Clover" elicits the largest crowd reaction for any song other than "I Love Rock 'n Roll," Laguna said.
Playing "Crimson & Clover" is no accident, because he was once a member of the Shondells. He played on various bubblegum hits in the late 1960s, including "Yummy Yummy" by the Ohio Express and "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies. He had played or sung on more than 50 Billboard Top 40 hits by 1972.
After bubblegum had run its course, however, he found himself back in New York, loading boxes. But the punk rockers loved some of those bubblegum hits, and his career was resurrected.
Jett and Laguna are working on a new BLACKHEARTS record, "Naked," projected for an August release. She and Laguna are also co-producing an album by the Cleveland punk band, The Vacancies.
"Joan and I have a passion for getting kids on the radio," Laguna said.
He considers himself a part-time member of the BLACKHEARTS.
"I'm not an official Blackheart. I'm an idol maker," Laguna said.
Who: JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS
When: Friday and Saturday; shows at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. each night.
Where: Aztar
Tickets: $40; $35 for reserved seats with Aztar Rewards Card; standing room is free. For information, call (812) 433-4000.
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