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MUSIC PREVIEW: JOAN JETT flying high
from: milton.wickedlocal.com
By Jim Dorman/For The Patriot Ledger
Jett and the BLACKHEARTS now sharing the bill with top tier classic rock acts.
When JOAN JETT hits the stage at TD Garden Thursday night, KENNY LAGUNA will be standing inconspicuously to her right, near the back of the stage, behind the drummer and outside of the spotlight while playing keyboards and providing backup vocals. It's a role he knows well. As producer, songwriting partner and keyboard player, Laguna has been backing up Jett for the past 38 years, ever since he stepped in to co-write and produce some songs she owed her record company from her time with the groundbreaking teenage girl rock group, the RUNAWAYS, which led to them collaborating on iconic hits like "Bad Reputation," "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," "I Hate Myself for Loving You" and so many others.
It was never easy, but they kept at it, and in 2015, Jett, Laguna and her band the BLACKHEARTS were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, receiving recognition from their peers in an industry that has not been very accepting of female rockers who don't conform to standards.
So, why has Jett and Laguna's relationship endured while so many others have crashed and burned, or at least been severely strained? While tossing in a few references to Lennon and McCartney and Jagger and Richards, Laguna makes it sound simple. "We don't compete with each other. I think that's a big thing. We like the same music. We like the same politics (left and strongly anti-Trump). We're both vegetarians. So, that helps," said Laguna during a telephone conversation while occasionally being corrected or supported by a voice that sounded suspiciously like the interview-shy Jett.
In simple terms, they just get along and really care about one another as friends, as well as working partners. And, it has been that way since 1979 when the already-successful Laguna (Tommy James and the Shondells, Jonathan Richman, Darlene Love and Bill Medley to name a few collaborators) produced "Bad Reputation," Jett's first solo record featuring a mix of originals and cover songs.
Although the album was recorded, at first record companies were not supportive. About two dozen rejected it, but Laguna spent his daughter Carrie Anne's (now the president of BLACKHEART RECORDS) college money to finance enough pressings to sell the LPs from the trunk of his Cadillac at shows and events. Eventually, Jett was signed to a deal with Boardwalk Records and they released it. It did well with several hits, and they were off and running. The second album featured the number one hit "I Love Rock 'n Roll," a song that virtually everyone knows, and they just kept moving forward from there.
Somehow, Laguna said he knew Jett was in it for the long haul. That might have had something to do with the character traits he spotted early on in their relationship. "Joanie is driven and very focused. And, she has integrity. She only does what she believes in. It doesn't matter what the rewards are ... If she doesn't feel right about it, she will not do it. You cannot buy her," said Laguna.
While remaining true to her principles helped Jett maintain respect among a strong, if a bit cultish group of followers, it hasn't always translated into mainstream recognition or success. But, over the last five or six years and especially, with her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 (along with the BLACKHEARTS including Laguna, which he thinks was unnecessary, or that she should get in separately by herself, and once more with the RUNAWAYS), Jett has received some of the recognition that Laguna thinks she has always deserved. "It's gotten a lot better. We have now been acknowledged by some of our idols, which is amazing. The Who have always been great. Robert Plant loves Joan. And, we finally met Keith (Richards), and he said that he thinks Joan and he are cut from the same cloth," said Laguna.
And lately, instead of headlining at smaller venues, Jett has been sharing the bill with top tier classic rock acts like the Who, Aerosmith, Heart and Cheap Trick at stadiums, sheds and arenas. This summer she is opening for Boston. "We do pretty well with most bands, and the fans go crazy," said Laguna.
He says this summer's tour with Boston has been going quite well and they feel very welcomed. "It's very nice and we are getting along great. I don't know if their fans are really on the same page as us, but the shows go great. There is power in hit records, so we just remind them of ours, and the fans go crazy," said Laguna.
So, how long can Jett keep it up? Laguna said he doesn't think the road necessarily goes on forever, but it still has some miles to go. "We might cut back, but right now we are in high gear. It took years to get here and we want to enjoy it."
JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS 7:30 p.m. July 13 at TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston. $35-$99.50. 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com |
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