Page updated on December 31, 2017
All news is attributed to the source from which it was received so that readers may judge the validity of the statements for themselves.
Have Joan Jett news to report? Email us at jettfc@aol.com, and please include the source of the information so it can be validated. Casinos ring in the new year with JOAN JETT, ‘Selena: The Ultimate Tribute' â€" and more from: sacbee.com BY MEL SHIELDS | Photo by Robb Cohen/Invision/AP
The celebration of New Year's Eve has changed significantly in the hotel-casino industry over the past two decades. What once featured top entertainers in the showrooms at sharply increased prices is now a mere shadow of its former self. Indeed, most of the Northern Nevada and Northern California casinos will keep their showrooms dark this year as 2018 is ushered in more with a pop than a bang.
There are some bangs, though, as the traditional fireworks are set off from the tops of three downtown Reno locations, two levels of the Silver Legacy and the roof of Harrah's Reno.
Another tradition will continue as well, and that's one of crowds, so don't expect to get anywhere with any kind of alacrity in downtown Reno (where Virginia Street will be closed) or Stateline (where Highway 50 will be closed).
It just might be wiser to find entertainment in the days leading up to Dec. 31 or in locations far removed from all others.
For instance, try Thunder Valley, where New Year's Eve will be celebrated with JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS. It was 1981, as of this weekend, 37 years ago when she recorded "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" and it is still consistently listed among the top 25 iconic rock songs of all time. It's a rouser to bring in a new year and Jett is still capable of bringing powerful dynamics to the stage. (7:30 and 10:30 p.m.; $74.95-$89.95; thundervalleyresort.com)
Leading up to the big night we find Terry Fator, the first performer to build a win on "America's Got Talent" into a solid career, indeed in his case a huge career. He brings his show from its home at the Mirage in Las Vegas to the Silver Legacy in Reno on Friday night with all his dummy friends like a cabaret singer and a turtle with a knack for impersonations. (8 p.m.; $74.50-$89.50; silverlegacy.com)
Cache Creek provides a free New Year's gift Saturday with "Selena: The Ultimate Tribute," starring Karla Perez as the Mexican-American powerhouse. (8 p.m.; cachecreek.com) [more]
Op-Ed: Top 10 female concerts of 2017 from: digitaljournal.com By MARKOS PAPADATOS
With 2017 almost coming to a close, Digital Journal ranks its Top 10 concerts by female performers. This list included such artists as Barbra Streisand, Stevie Nicks, Martina McBride, and JOAN JETT, among others.
At No. 10 was Grammy winner Sarah Jarosz at The Landmark on Main Street in Port Washington, New York.
Idina Menzel comes in at No. 9 with her concert at the newly renovated Nassau Coliseum, which featured her smash hits "Defying Gravity" from Wicked and "Let It Go" from Frozen.
At No. 8 was disco queen France Joli for her birthday bash show at Mulcahy's Pub and Concert Hall in Wantagh on Long Island.
Pop princess Ariana Grande comes in at No. 7. She rocked Madison Square Garden back in February, thanks to her superb singing (4 octave range), and clever choreography.
At No. 6 is country queen Martina McBride with her inaugural "Joy of Christmas" show this year at the Beau Rivage Theatre in Biloxi, which Digital Journal described as "phenomenal."
At No. 5 is Rock and Roll Hall of Famer JOAN JETT, and her show at Jones Beach Theater this summer, which she literally transformed into "Joan's Beach."
Stevie Nicks comes in at No. 4. She was able to captivate Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale thanks to her lilting, timeless vocals, and her sincere storytelling ability, where she made the audience as if they were her children. All the fans had to do was "Stand Back" and enjoy Stevie Nicks in her element.
At No. 3 was Nancy Wilson (of Heart) and Liv Warfield's show with Roadcase Royale at Gramercy Theatre in New York City. All hail the "Guitar Queen of Rock" (Nancy Wilson) with the new Queen of R&B/Soul (Warfield). [more] Happy Holidays! from: JoanJettBadRep.com By BLACKHEART RECORDS
JOAN JETT, MAYIM BIALIK
Bet The Farm for a Meet-N-Greet...Help Us Save Livestock! from: tmz.com By Frankie Dunn
Here's an odd pairing -- '80s rock stars, current TV stars and possibly you ... hooking up to protect farm animals. Any takers?
The celebs are auctioning off meet-and-greets to raise funds for a NY based nonprofit called Farm Sanctuary -- and they've got quite a stable of talent.
JOAN JETT, Richard Marx and Mary Chapin Carpenter are on board -- along with Mayim Bialik from 'Big Bang Theory,' Emma Kenney from "Shameless" and "Downton Abbey" star Lesley Nicol.
The music stars are throwing in concert packages, and there's some other cool memorabilia up for auction, too -- like a Moby autographed guitar, and a Jason Mraz guitar string bracelet. Yup, that's a thing.
We're told everyone involved is seriously down for Farm Sanctuary's cause -- defending livestock from cruelty. Joan's even visited their shelter.
Old MacDonald would be proud! BMG Moves Aggressively Into Film With JOAN JETT, T. Rex, Reggae Documentaries (EXCLUSIVE) from: variety.com By Jem Aswad
BMG's first feature-length documentary, "Bad Reputation," a film about JOAN JETT's life and career, will make its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The company is both financier and executive producer of the film, which is the first feature-length documentary project in a strategic move of the integrated record label and music-publishing company into music-related films and TV production.
Documentaries on T. Rex -- which will be accompanied by a tribute album -- the influential reggae label Trojan Records, and the legendary concert promoters and agents who built the rock touring industry are slated for next year, with more projects in the works. The goal is for the new business unit to include feature-length documentaries, narrative features, concert films, scripted and unscripted series, both long and short-form.
"Be in no doubt: This is a strategic move [for BMG]," CEO Hartwig Masuch said. "From YouTube to the rise of the music documentary to the increasing emphasis of Spotify and Apple Music on video content, technology is transforming music into a visual medium. These are early days, but increasingly we expect video content to develop into a formidable addition to BMG's strategic offering to artists and songwriters alongside music publishing and recordings."
The company's first effort, "Bad Reputation" explores the life and career of pioneering female rocker Jett from her early days as founder of The RUNAWAYS and her first meeting with longtime collaborator KENNY LAGUNA to her solo career and enduring influence on rock and pop culture. It was directed by Kevin Kerslake ("As I AM: The Life and Times of DJ AM," "Nirvana Live! Tonight! Sold Out!"), edited by Joel Marcus and produced by Peter Afterman and Carianne Brinkman; Submarine Entertainment also executive-produced.
"We have been pretty successful so far in keeping BMG's strategic move into audiovisual production under wraps," said BMG SVP Justus Haerder, who is spearheading the company's move into film and TV since 2014. "'Bad Reputation' being selected for Sundance kind of blows the lid off of that, but we are incredibly excited and proud. JOAN JETT is an American icon and Kevin Kerslake has created a superb documentary which really captures her story."
Haerder's team, based in BMG's Los Angeles office, includes Director of Audiovisual Kathy Rivkin-Daum (also an executive producer of "Bad Reputation"), Senior Manager of Audiovisual William Kennedy; SVP of Audiovisual Joe Thomas is based in Chicago. The team is also supported by industry veteran Bob Frank. [more] newsflash: debbie harry and JOAN JETT narrate the impending apocalypse from: i-d.vice.com By Frankie Dunn
Is it doom or destiny? Watch the new Blondie video here to find out.
When Blondie released their 11th album in May of this year, we saw the band call on very hot for 2k17 songwriters like Dev Hynes and Charli XCX to contribute, but fans were also treated to a more heritage gift in the form of Doom Or Destiny. The lead single and album opener features longtime friends Debbie Harry and JOAN JETT -- uniting two of the most iconic women in rock history on one glorious protest song. "Is it doom or destiny?" the lyrics cry. Seems like it's destiny -- that we've ended up with a first-look at the brand new accompanying music video, that is.
Described by Debbie Harry as, "The most openly political video Blondie has ever done," the cut and paste punk tribute was directed by friend of the band Rob Roth and inspired by the current state of the world. "In trying times we try harder," adds Blondie co-founder Chris Stein, "politics have become the new pop culture phenomena." In the video, Debbie and The RUNAWAYS former frontwoman Joan take over a television station to deliver a more real take on news.
As well as endless feminist slogans and an appearance from a familiar-looking sock puppet President, a delightful weather report for the rest of December includes soaring temperatures coinciding with an asteroid impact on the 29th, seven plagues on the 30th and thermonuclear war in time for NYE, before things spiral into total nuclear winter with lows of -27 before we steadily move into a state of post history. Oh well. Nasty women unite!
The celebration of New Year's Eve has changed significantly in the hotel-casino industry over the past two decades. What once featured top entertainers in the showrooms at sharply increased prices is now a mere shadow of its former self. Indeed, most of the Northern Nevada and Northern California casinos will keep their showrooms dark this year as 2018 is ushered in more with a pop than a bang.
With 2017 almost coming to a close, Digital Journal ranks its Top 10 concerts by female performers. This list included such artists as Barbra Streisand, Stevie Nicks, Martina McBride, and JOAN JETT, among others.
Here's an odd pairing -- '80s rock stars, current TV stars and possibly you ... hooking up to protect farm animals. Any takers?
BMG's first feature-length documentary, "Bad Reputation," a film about JOAN JETT's life and career, will make its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The company is both financier and executive producer of the film, which is the first feature-length documentary project in a strategic move of the integrated record label and music-publishing company into music-related films and TV production.
