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Live Review: JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS in Los Angeles
from: livedaily.com
by Paul Gargano, LiveDaily Contributor
On a night that featured Motley Crue and Aerosmith co-headlining the Hollywood Bowl, the legendary New York Dolls in a theater performance a few blocks away, and reggae/jungle/dub innovator Lee "Scratch" Perry also performing on the fabled Sunset Strip, few would have predicted under-the-radar icon JOAN JETT (tickets | music) to steal the evening's headlines.
But by the time the dust settled on her 75-minute performance at the Music Box Tuesday night (11/7), few in the near-capacity crowd could argue that they'd have rather been elsewhere.
Yes, on a night that featured industry heavyweights, trend-setting originators and genre-shaping innovators, it was a former Runaway with a solo career driven by cover songs that stole the spotlight, proving that all the hype, history and hoopla in the world is no substitute for the visceral throb and raw power of time-honored and true rock and roll. JOAN JETT is the real deal, and her 17-song set drove the point home with little room for debate.
Opener "Bad Reputation" immediately set the show into overdrive with a flustered urgency and frenetic pace, only to have Jett stop after the first song to dedicate the night to recently deceased RUNAWAYS drummer Sandy West (who succumbed to lung cancer Oct. 21), and introduce former bandmate Cherie Currie to share lead vocals on their mid-'70s hit "Cherry Bomb." As far as live performances go, it was a tribute that would have made West proud, and laid the perfect groundwork for the back-to-back rip and tear of "Light of Day" and "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)."
If the show had a fault, it may have been pacing, as six of the next eight songs were from new release "SINNER." Even so, a few of the "new" tracks have been featured in Jett's live shows in recent years, and it wasn't the first time faithful fans had heard the hearty twang and carefree rollick of "Androgynous," or witnessed Jett--wearing her now customary skin tight latex top and tighter leather pants--slam the sexually charged "Fetish" around the stage, turning her back and shaking what she's got to the delight of the seemingly liberal and free-wheeling crowd.
"Change the World" spun a hyperactive whirlwind that must have been a perfect fit as she headlined last summer's Warped Tour, while "Five" and "Riddles" took on more of a throwback feel and "Naked" featured more of a pop fancy. Not surprisingly, it was the time-honored and road-tested tracks that solicited the best response, though, as "Love is all Around" cast the "Mary Tyler Moore Show" theme with a punk-rock bravado, "I Love Rock & Roll" electrified the air, and the slow burn and climb of "Crimson & Clover" proved the perfect lead to set closer "I Hate Myself for Loving You."
The only question that begs asking is the "JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS" billing, given that the once-formidable side band has since been reduced to a number of young, hired guns. They're capable musicians, but other than playing off the name's nostalgic ring, they offer little more than a competent accompaniment to Jett's shining star. That said, JOAN JETT is the queen of rock and roll and can rule her kingdom as she sees fit.
She definitely ruled Hollywood on this night.
Setlist:
"Bad Reputation"
"Cherry Bomb"
"Light of Day"
"Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)"
"Change the World"
"Adrogenous"
"Five"
"Love is Pain"
"Naked"
"Love is all Around"
"Riddles"
"Fetish"
"I Love Rock & Roll"
"Crimson & Clover"
"HateMyselfForLovingYou"
ENCORE
"A.C.D.C."
"Everyday People"
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