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10 reasons JOAN JETT rocks
from: TheNewsTribune.com
by Ernest A. Jasmin, The News Tribune
Rock legend and prototypal rock vixen JOAN JETT is the main attraction Saturday night at the Emerald Queen Casino’s showroom, where she will perform with her longtime backing band, the BLACKHEARTS.
And while it’s been a minute since that combo has scored a chart-topping hit, here are 10 reasons why JOAN JETT still rocks.
1. She gave us one of the greatest remakes of the rock era. Her smash anthem "I Love Rock ’N Roll" was originally a B-side for British rock outfit, the Arrows. But Jett’s remains the definitive version, all the more since Britney Spears’ blasphemous remake made us all the more nostalgic for JOAN JETT’s charismatic snarl.
Jett has also put her mark on Tommy James & the Shondells’ "Crimson and Clover," Sly & the Family Stone’s "Everyday People" and Gary Glitter’s unfortunately named "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)," among other set staples.
2. She looks tougher as a chrome dome than Charles Barkley, Bruce Willis and especially that wimpy Sinead O’Connor combined. Anyone who saw Jett at Bumbershoot in 2000 can attest to this; the sneer, leather pants and obscenity scrawled on her guitar could only enhance the hard-core motif.
Looking tough was actually a fringe benefit, though. It was a spiritual thing: "I had been planning it for six months," she told radio talk show host Dr. Drew, "figuring if I shaved my head on the millennium, I’ll sit and contemplate my life, and what it means to be alive during this time, and my hopes for the future, for humanity, for the Earth, and just to really be present in that. So that was all attached to this head shaving."
3. She’s an inspiration to indie rockers everywhere. Jett and longtime producer/manager KENNY LAGUNA were turned down by no less than 23 record labels as the duo shopped Jett’s solo debut around. So they put it out on their own BLACKHEART RECORDS before tiny indie Boardwalk picked it up, redubbed it "I Love Rock ’N Roll" and scored big in 1981. Good thing Jett was savvy enough to buy the radio rights for that little number for $2,500 back then; today the song is worth around $20 million, according to Rolling Stone.
4. She’s down with the Gits. Jett and Bikini Kill leader Kathleen Hanna teamed up to write "Go Home," a song inspired by the 1993 murder of Mia Zapata, the lead singer of Seattle’s Gits. Jett starred as a woman being stalked by a predator in the video. And in 1995, performing under the band alias Evil Stig, she teamed up with the surviving Gits to play a benefit concert to raise funds for the investigation of Zapata’s death.
5. She’s a double threat. Prince, Usher and Eminem aren’t the only pop stars who could make the transition from rocking arenas to acting. Jett did Broadway as a cast member in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" a few years back. And she’s been in a few flicks, too, including the Gina Gershon vehicle "Prey for Rock & Roll," "Godly Boyish" and "Light of Day." Speaking of which ...
6. She can make Michael J. Fox look like a rock star. Who can forget her playing MJ’s rebellious sister in "Light of Day"? And anyone who can make Alex P. Keaton look cool tiene mucho rocko.
7. She’s worshipped by tribute bands. Some of you may have caught Seattle-based tribute band Jett City perform a New Year’s show in Centralia. If not, you can warm up for the real deal by catching their performance tonight in Seattle at El Corazon.
8. She’s the patron saint of riot grrls. A gang o’ riot grrls and chick rockers owe a debt of gratitude to JOAN JETT, from Bikini Kill and L7 to Hole and the Donnas. Speaking of Jett’s saintly stature …
9. She has her own WWJJD shirt. And what better guiding principle could you incorporate into your life than "What would JOAN JETT do?"
10. She’s been known to rock a mullet. At least back in the ’80s she did. So step aside, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Billy Ray Cyrus and Michael Bolton. JOAN JETT is representin’ for the ladies.
What: JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS in concert
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Emerald Queen Casino I-5 Showroom, 2024 E. 29th St., Tacoma
Tickets: $20 to $40
Info: Ticketmaster (253-627-8497 in Tacoma, 206-628-0888 in Seattle or www.ticket master.com)
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