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Review: Billy Idol and JOAN JETT bring hits to Tampa, but getting into the venue was tough
from: cltampa.com
By Gabe Echazabal
Last Saturday night proved to be an evening with plenty of hits and misses at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre. The hits came in abundance, thanks to the heavyweight acts on the bill; the always solid and reliable JOAN JETT and the King of Pop Punk, Billy Idol.
The misses came in the way of the many gaffes the outdoor venue committed in expediting the admittance of the thousands of patrons who showed up on the rainy night to relive their Gen X glory days, and revel in the sounds of Jett's ragged brand of rock 'n roll and Idol's pop-rock swagger.
Granted, the weather didn't cooperate with the night's proceedings; heavy rains and threats of lightning kept the previously scheduled gate-opening time at the venue from occurring as planned, and the venue deserves kudos for keeping concertgoers abreast of the proceedings via its social media pages. However, as the venue has recently decided to charge a hefty price tag for parking on its grounds (after several years of offering complimentary parking), the lines of cars waiting to enter the venue caused severe traffic snags and extremely long wait times for those attempting to get in to catch the evening's dynamic double-bill. After the long wait, patrons were then faced with the extra headache of waiting in a line that seemed to be a mile long to get screened and scanned before entering the amphitheater. In total, the entire ordeal of just getting into the venue took roughly 90 minutes for me. Had the night's lineup been one of a lesser caliber, I might have turned around and headed back home. But, having seen both acts multiple times in the past, I knew that once the first electric guitar was cranked from the stage, it would be all worth the hassles.
Kudos to the venue for pushing back Jett's start time by 30 minutes, allowing many who were faced with the multiple delays of getting in to find their seats and get a chance to catch her energetic 55-minute set.
Beaming a retrospective montage video on the venue's screens that traced Jett's earliest days as an up-and-coming rocker through her rise as a superstar, musical accompaniment came from two other equally-important female artists who Jett fancies; rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson and esteemed riot grrrl pioneer band, Bikini Kill.
Soon after, Jett emerged, donning a black sleeveless vest and tight black pants, alongside her current, four-piece incarnation of her band, The BLACKHEARTS. Kicking off with "Change the World," a song from her 2006 album SINNER, seemed like a deliberate statement by Jett regarding the current state of affairs. In strong voice, Jett's trademark raspy snarls and growls were as ferocious as ever and gave hints of the type of rock steady set she's always known for providing.
Giving props to her former group, the groundbreaking all-girl hard rock-protopunk outfit The RUNAWAYS, Jett revisited the band's signature song "Cherry Bomb," as well as "You Drive Me Wild," another album cut from the band's legendary 1976 debut album which Jett described as the first song she'd ever written.
Equally impressive when showcasing newer material, Jett's vocals were particularly sharp and angst-filled for "If You're Blue," a single from her last studio release, 2023's Mindsets. The hook-filled and crunchy number only showed that Jett hasn't lost any part of her edge after so many decades of releasing records.
A welcome surprise came when Jett put down the electric guitar she sported for the duration of the night to deliver a heartfelt rendition of "Androgynous," one of the very best numbers from the stellar catalog of The Replacements (which she covered on her 2004 Naked album). As an outspoken advocate for human rights and LGBTQ rights for many years, it seemed fitting for Jett to include this number as part of her set.
Holding off on unleashing her best-known monster hits until the end of her set, Jett managed to get every single person in the house up and on their feet for megahits "I Love Rock 'n Roll," "Crimson and Clover," and "Bad Reputation."
Taking their bows and showering the front rows with guitar picks after their set, Jett and her band took well-deserved bows as the 1958 Danny & the Juniors hit "Rock and Roll is Here to Stay" blared through the venue's powerful PA. A fitting closing message for this band, which has long kept the torch of pure, raw rock and roll burning, to exit the stage.
The evening's momentum continued once the stage lights dimmed and Billy Idol's appearance on it was imminent. As futuristic graphics appeared on the jumbo screens and an unmistakable image of Idol's outlined head was beamed, the buildup to his arrival set an ideal tone of excitement and drama.
Racing out to his pedestal at the large stage's center, Idol, sporting an ultracool red and black leather jacket and black slacks, looked youthful and ready to go several rounds in the ring. Opening with "Still Dancing," the closing cut from his brand new studio album, Dream Into It, Idol, who'll celebrate his 70th birthday later this year, sounded energized, ferocious, and in full control. Admittedly, the song (and all of the other selections from his current release Idol included in his set list) sounded rawer, ballsier, and more driving than their recorded, studio counterparts. What the current album lacks in dimension and production value was more than made up for in a live setting by Idol's fine band, giving the tunes some extra punch.
The band, made up of two guitarists (including Idol's longtime bandmate and co-writer, guitar whiz Steve Stevens), a bassist, a keyboard player, a drummer, and two backup singers, added plenty of color and texture to Idol's set list, whether performing current material or tried and true hit singles.
While giving a shout out to Jett for her sizzling opening set, Idol affectionately mentioned having known her since meeting her in 1978 at a Dead Kennedys/Germs gig which showed that the night's two performers have been around the punk-rock circuit since its earliest days and have individually paid their dues; Jett with The RUNAWAYS and as producer of The Germs' debut album, and Idol as the leader and focal point of original British first wave punk act, Generation X. In his nod to his early days with the band, Idol and his group unleashed a razor-sharp version of "Ready Steady Go," the first song he acknowledged ever having written in his life.
But the night's heartiest and most earnest responses came when Idol visited his '80s and '90s catalog of hits, which helped make him a mainstay on MTV in its heyday. "Flesh For Fantasy" won over the crowd, thanks to its thumping, seductive beats and Idol's hushed croons; the high-tech video images boasting dozens of television screens containing clips from the song's accompanying music video made for an eye-catching backdrop. Thankfully, his version of the Tommy James and the Shondell's hit "Mony Mony" benefitted from a trimmed-down, straightforward reading, as opposed to the long, drawn out, extended rendition he's opted for on previous tours; despite that, the song was still a massive crowd pleaser with just about everyone in attendance singing along raucously.
A surprise addition to the night's program came when Idol announced he'd be covering an old Rolling Stones song. What followed was a faithful version of "Gimmie Shelter" which gave backup singer Jessica Childress a fantastic opportunity to show off her vocal prowess and her powerful pipes.
The night's highlight came in a stunning version of "Blue Highway," an album cut from Idol's 1983 breakout album, Rebel Yell. Stevens' guitar was up high in the mix and showed off his chops and served as the perfect accompaniment to Idol's impassioned and confident vocal stylings. For that album's title cut, Idol reflected, "Where would we be if we hadn't written this song?" while looking in Stevens' direction. With that, the two kicked off the song, thanks to its familiar opening riff and Idol's sneering, snarling vocals.
For his encore, Idol emerged wearing a black leather overcoat and launched into another one of his mega-hits, "Dancing With Myself," a song that emerged from the Generation X era, but became a much bigger hit with Idol rereleased it as a solo artist in 1983. A minor hit from his solo catalog, "Hot in the City" sounded revitalized and fresh and benefited from an almost doo-wop style outro, thanks to the backing vocal accompaniment of the band members.
Ending the night with "White Wedding," arguably his signature tune and a definite crowd favorite, the massive video screens boasted graphic animations of stained glass church windows which were breathtakingly realistic looking. The song was a fitting closing for this high energy night which found both Billy Idol and JOAN JETT doing what they do best, and what they've done for the past fifty years or so.
In an unexpected move, and following Idol's band introductions after the conclusion of "White Wedding," Idol joked "One of these days, we should play one more song to show all those who are leaving," referring to those heading for the exits before the band had left the stage. With that, he spontaneously broke out into an a cappella version of the rockabilly classic "Twenty Flight Rock," originally written and recorded by Eddie Cochran in 1957.
At this stage in his career, Billy Idol seems reenergized thanks to having a new record to tour behind, and is happy and enthused to revisit his hits and his many career highlights. This, one of his strongest performances among his most recent visits to the area on previous tours, only proves that he has a lot left to offer and is capable of owning a concert stage with the same authority and charisma he's always boasted. |
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