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Disparate rockers Boston, JOAN JETT meet in Hyper Space at KeyBank
from: post-gazette.com
By SCOTT MERVIS
It would be fun to hear what JOAN JETT and Tom Scholz talk about backstage, other than their shared vegetarian lifestyle.
The two stars come from such different worlds, Jett having been a rough, tough glam-rock chick in a girl band and Scholz being an MIT grad who was meticulously recording Boston's first album in his basement while working for Polaroid.
It's a long way from "Cherry Bomb" to "More Than a Feeling," but they crossed paths on the radio in the late '70s/early '80s and 40 years later here they are on the 2017 Hyper Space Tour that landed at the KeyBank Pavilion on Friday.
Jett, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, played the same stage with the BLACKHEARTS last year, in between Cheap Trick and Heart. This was a bigger challenge, playing to a smaller, more scattered crowd that was far from warmed up. What she never does, though, is leave a crowd cold, because, you know, she's a rock goddess with great songs.
Jett, at 58, challenged the crowd right away to get up and then brought thrashy punk-rock fury to "Victim of Circumstance," The RUNAWAYS' "Cherry Bomb," "Do You Wanna Touch Me" and "Bad Reputation."
"Yo, yinz," the Philly native said to the fans, explaining, "I spend the first six years of my life here, that's how I knew 'yinz.' " She added that she lived on Maytide Street.
The set was similar to last year's with a new twist being a cover of "Love Is All Around," the "Mary Tyler Moore Theme Song," once done by Husker Du. Her keyboardist/manager KENNY LAGUNA explained that when they started the BLACKHEARTS it was "a radical idea for a girl to play guitar" and noted that Moore was another groundbreaking inspiration for women. It was interesting that the high part in the chorus was handled by guitarist DOUGIE NEEDLES because Jett's voice is more of a barking growl.
With the crowd firmly in her grip, she kept the energy level up and the hits coming with "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," "Crimson & Clover" and "I Hate Myself for Loving You," vintage rock 'n' roll that never gets old. As she did last year, Jett, who was impeccable taste in covers, capped the show with a inclusive statement, rocking through Sly Stone's "Everyday People."
During the break, we got a PSA that inclement weather was coming and that the lawn dwellers should move down into the seats for shelter. Most did, and a few said the hell with it and held their ground. They would end up getting really wet.
It's strange that Boston doesn't draw better, considering that they don't tour constantly â€" the last show here was Stage AE 2014 â€" and still seem to be on the radio every other minute. But, there are a lot of "No Brad, no go" fans. Original singer Bradley Delp took his own life in 2007, marking what seemed like the end of Boston.
But Scholz found Tommy DeCarlo, a lifelong Boston fan and Delp-soundalike who was working at Home Depot, and brought him in to play the tribute show that August. A year later, DeCarlo got the job full time. Fans should be used to that as Journey, Styx, Kansas and Foreigner all have replacement singers.
Scholz began the set alone in front of a screen that looked like a spaceship flight deck for a guitar solo that launched "Rock and Roll Band," one of the many hits from the '70s that's about being in band (it seemed to be the easiest thing to write about). No matter who goes in or out, Boston maintains that massive, shiny space-rock sound with Scholz synching a lot of the solos with Gary Pihl, and keyboardist Beth Cohen adding to the lush harmonies.
Also from that 1976 debut, "Smokin'" was indeed hot, with Scholz moving back to the organ to infuse some prog-rock boogie. The 70-year-old from Toledo, looking lean and youthful in a sleeveless Batman T-shirt, is rarely in the discussion with the '70s guitar heroes, but he should be for his sense of melody and thick, distinctive tone. "Peace of Mind" and "Don't Look Back" were slices of guitar heaven.
Boston could have played the whole first album straight through, and parts of "Don't Look Back" and "Third Stage," and people would have gone home thrilled. Instead, they stretched the show out to two hours, playing more than half of 1986's "Third Stage" (which I admit I never got all that excited about). Along with monster hit "Amanda," which Scholz noted was responsible for a lot of girls getting that name that year, they loaded with the middle of the set with "Cool the Engines," "We're Ready," "I Think I Like It" and "Hollyann," among others.
They went even later into the Boston catalog for "Magdalene" and "Heaven on Earth."
Having seen Marilyn Manson/Slipknot get shut down there last year (due to a lightning strike), I started to get a little concerned as the rain started blowing into the pavilion and hitting the equipment. Should they skip a few songs and get to "More Than a Feeling" before it becomes a monsoon?
Boston stuck with the program and did get to that signature song, but towering above everything else in the show was "Foreplay/Long Time," with some masterful "Foreplay" from Scholz on the organ.
For fans, it pays off having a notorious perfectionist at the helm.
Boston Set List
Rock & Roll Band
Feelin' Satisfied
Smokin'
Heaven on Earth
Peace of Mind
It's Been Such a Long Time Interlude
Cool the Engines
We're Ready
Hollyann
Don't Be Afraid (Whole Lotta Love)
I Think I Like It
Don't Look Back
Something About You
Amanda
The Journey
Magdalene
More Than a Feeling
"E" Jam (instrumental)
To Be a Man
Foreplay / Long Time
Party
JOAN JETT Set List
Victim of Circumstance
Cherry Bomb
Do You Wanna Touch Me
Bad Reputation
You Drive Me Wild
Light of Day
Love Is Pain
Love Is All Around
I Love Rock 'n' Roll
Crimson & Clover
I Hate Myself for Loving You
Everyday People |
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