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JOAN JETT thrills sold-out crowd with her fierce set at opening of Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park (review)
from: frontiersla.com
by Laura DeMarco, The Plain Dealer | Photo by John Petkovic, The Plain Dealer)
"It's good to be the first."
JOAN JETT wasn't talking about her groundbreaking role in the RUNAWAYS in the 1970s, a girl power act decades before the term was coined.
Nor was she talking about her role as one of the rare guitar-playing woman fronting her own rock band, the BLACKHEARTS, for the last several decades.
Or her rare ability to bring together hard rock, punk, metal and even pop in her music â€" and her diverse audience.
No, the tiny but fierce 55-year-old rocker, clad in a skintight red vinyl jumpsuit, was speaking more literally.
She was the first artist to play the 2200-seat capacity Hard Rock Live concert club at the Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park. Along with her band, the shaggy haired rocker wowed a sold-out crowd with a 90-minute set on the venue's opening night, Wednesday.
It was also good to have been one of the first to score a seat at the new club, an exciting addition to the local concert scene, for a fierce set that showcased the breadth of Jett's career.
The excitement in the crowd was palpable before Jett and the BLACKHEARTS even took the stage. Young punks and indie rockers sat by side-by-side with classic rock fans, metalheads , first-generation punkers, frat boys and suburbanites. Jett and band didn't disappoint any of them with their wide-ranging set that spawned the length of her rock history, from the RUNAWAYS to her glittery pop-rock 2013 release "Unvarnished."
They started the set with the (Gary) Glitterish stomp of the new "TMI," the best use of handclaps in a song in years. The tight romp segued into the biggest applause of the night, as the crowd roared for the raunchy stomping intro of the RUNAWAYS 1976 jail bait hit "Ch-ch-ch-ch-Cherry Bomb!"
The fierce rendition was one of two RUNAWAYS' songs Wednesday, the other being "You Drive Me Wild," which Jett called the first song she ever wrote. It was a heavy, bluesy agro-track that highlighted Jett's throaty delivery. (She said she was suffering from a cold, but if so, it only enhanced her raspy style).
Other classic numbers included Jett's blazing 1980 hard rock anthem "Bad Reputation" -- her second best bad-girl anthem, after Cherry Bomb. The band delivered on the ferocious romp. BLACKHEARTS hits such as the pounding "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," the sassy "Do You Wanna," a no-holds-barred "I Hate Myself for Loving You" and a shimmering "Crimson and Clover" also elicited huge cheers from the crowd.
Unlike many classic rock acts, Jett's new songs also went over well, liberally sprinkled throughout the set. These included the glistening pop of the anthemic "Any Weather"; "Make it Back," an ode to those affected by Hurricane Sandy; and the ballad "Hard to Grow Up," which found the all-grown-up "Cherry Bomb" singer dealing with death, sickness and other issues that affect you more at 55 than 17.
After a rousing "I Hate Myself for Loving You" closed the set, Jett quickly returned for a three-song encore. This included a gentle but rocking take on "Little Drummer Boy" and closed with an "Everyday People" singalong.
The sound quality at the new club was impressive, too, with nicely balanced levels throughout the set. Sightlines, even from further back rows, were also good. Wednesday's show featured floor seating for the majority of the 2200, with a couple hundred chairs on risers in the back. All of the seats can be moved for GA admission for future shows if desired. (The venue's next show, Night Ranger on December 27 is nearly sold out, as is Huey Lewis and the News on January 24.)
There was no opening act for Jett, a format most shows at Hard Rock Live will follow. But with more than 2000 slot machines (er, video lottery terminals); a 288-seat buffet; a Hard Rock Café; upscale Kosar's Wood-Fired Grill; a 320-seat comedy and small stage club; and a chic ultra lounge bookended by glittering chandeliers and costumes from Nicki Minaj and the Black Eyed Peas just steps away, no other entertainment was necessary.
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