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Concert review: Heart, JOAN JETT, Cheap Trick rock loud and proud at Pavilion
from: post-gazette.com
By Scott Mervis / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Heart, Cheap Trick and JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS -- bands that entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame long after their eligibility period -- showed why they belong there Thursday night on the Rock Hall 3 for All Tour at the First Niagara Pavilion.
It was three hours and 45 minutes of classic-rock heaven with a few surprises and a sprinkling of new tracks to allay the nostalgia factor.
While the bands were generous with the songs, one thing they did not do was let us get close to them. Cheap Trick played in the bright sunshine, so it wasn't an issue, but when the screens kicked in for Jett and Heart, there were no close-ups. Jett used he'r back screen for old film and video clips and graphics. The side and lawn screens for Heart were fixated on a static long shot of the band, so the overall effect was a feeling of distance from the artists.
The passion had to come from the music alone, and that was not a problem. Chicago power-pop icons Cheap Trick were up first with a 13-song set focusing on the golden era between 1977 and 1982. Frontman Robin Zander hit the stage in his white, glammed-out Dream Police garb, joined by Rick Nielsen in black suit and cap, original bassist Tom Petersson and Nielsen's son Daxx on drums (in place of Bun E. Carlos).
Nielsen, strapping on one oddly shaped guitar after another, including the five-neck black and yellow Hamer, was way up in the mix, but so was everyone else, making Cheap Trick's sound like a blaring radio. They warmed up with deeper singles like "Way of the World" and "She's Tight," new entry No Direction Home and the Petersson-led drug-run through "I'm Waiting for the Man"/"Heroin" before getting around to their calling cards, starting with chart-topping power ballad "The Flame."
They barrelled to a thrilling finish with "I Want You to Want Me," "Dream Police" and "Surrender," the last one coming with a surprise guest spot from one of their biggest Pittsburgh fans: Mayor Bill Peduto. Our rock mayor has been on a summer swing that included an appearance with Guster at the Three Rivers Arts Festival in June. This time, he got a full-fledged duet with Zander on the iconic teen anthem, which we can say was fun while also making us really, really appreciate the vocal talents of Cheap Trick's Hall of Fame frontman.
JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS hit the stage like punk rockers with "Bad Reputation," launching the punchiest set of the 3 For All. Jett, who was born in a Philly suburb but lived here at some point before she was 8, cozied up to the crowd, saying, "We are mighty close to Pittsburgh, yes?" [Yes, in fact, we are a mere two hours away...with traffic.] "I'm gonna use this word 'cause I lived here a little when I grew up as a kid. How YINZ doin'?"
Yinz was doin' just great while the ageless, 57-year-old Jett delivered crunchy hard-rock candy with RUNAWAYS songs "Cherry Bomb" and "You Drive Me Wild" and snarled through Gary Glitter's "Do You Wanna Touch Me," Springsteen's "Light of Day," The Arrows' "I Love Rock and Roll" and Tommy James and the Shondells' "Crimson and Clover."
Her current BLACKHEARTS kick it hard, highlighted by the fast and furious leads of NYC punk DOUGIE NEEDLES. They freshened the set with new songs ("Make It Back," "Any Weather") and deeper cuts ("Love Is Pain," "The French Song") that were almost as tasty as the hits. After roaring through "I Hate Myself for Loving You," she added "Everyday People," recognizing, as Joe Walsh did earlier this month, that the Sly & The Family Stone has a message people need to hear in a time of increasing intolerance.
Early in the tour, a Billboard review noted that Heart skipped "Magic Man" and bogged down the middle of its set with the ballads "These Dreams," "Two" (from Ne-Yo) and "Alone." Heart corrected that by splitting up the ballads and re-inserting 1976's "Magic Man" right away, revealing the band's ability to faithfully recreate a studio hit, with great work from guitarist Craig Bartock.
Beginning with the Mutt Lange-penned Romeo's Daughter song "Wild Child," Ann and Nancy Wilson led a muscular set powered by voices that still soar in their 60s. The band's yin-yang factor was on full display going from a wild, driving "Bebe Le Strange" to Nancy's wispy, "mystical love song" "These Dreams."
New song "Beautiful Broken" fit well with vintage rockers like "Kick it Out" and "Straight On." And while Ann sounded uneven on "Alone," she quickly regrouped with a fiery "Crazy on You," beginning with Nancy's fluid acoustic lead-in, and a monstrous "Barracuda" that had just about everyone joining in on air guitar.
Heart, the closest thing to a female Led Zeppelin in the ‘70s, ultimately wielded the hammer of the gods with "Immigrant Song" and put an exclamation point on a classic night of classic rock with an explosive finale of "Stairway to Heaven."
At one point, Nancy said, "We've been everywhere, done everything, seen everything...except this thing tonight."
It serves as a good summation of three proud bands that bring it for the people. |
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