Page updated on March 31, 2018
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. Love Rock 'n' Roll? JOAN JETT playing Colorado State Fair in Pueblo from: krdo.com By ndrew McMillan
PUEBLO, Colo. - If you're like JOAN JETT, you'll be showing your love for rock 'n' roll at the Colorado State Fair this fall in Pueblo.
The fair announced the addition of the classic rocker and her band, The BLACKHEARTS, Wednesday. She'll be playing Aug. 31 at the Southwest Motors Events Center.
Tickets go on sale June 1, but there's pre-sale information HERE
JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS are well known for their hits, "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," "Bad Reputation," and "I Hate Myself for Loving You."
Jett, who is nearly 60, has been rocking since the mid-1970s, releasing 12 albums in that time.
The fair is scheduling nine acts, according to our partners at the Pueblo Chieftain. More artist announcements are expected in the coming weeks. Graded on the Curve: JOAN JETT, Bad Reputation from: thevinyldistrict.com By MICHAEL H. LITTLE
JOAN JETT's 1979 debut LP is one of rock music's most joyful readymadesâ€"an utterly endearing romp through rock history from hoary old standards ("Wooly Bully") to bubblegum pop to Gary Glitter to the buzzsaw sound of the Ramones, Bad Reputation is a veritable vinyl jukebox you'll never get tired of tossing dimes into.
On Bad Reputationâ€"original title JOAN JETT--the runaway Runaway dares to wear her heart on her sleeve by pledging allegiance to the songs that made her who she is; this is JOAN JETT's Self Portrait, and with the exception of her too-stiff-by-half take on the Isley Brothers' "Shout," she does her personal canon proud. Not only does she prove she's the true successor to Gary Glitter (and by association her glam role model Suzi Quatro), she demonstrates conclusively that she's her own gurl by contributing a couple of songs that (with the exception of the punk-tinged title track) blend seamlessly in with their esteemed company.
Jett (the BLACKHEARTS were still in the future) chose her producers wisely. Top guys KENNY LAGUNA and Ritchie Cordell (Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul Cook also lent a hand) were both proud Super K Productions alumni working under immortal bubblegum producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffrey Katz, and they brought their many years of throwaway pop songcraft to the table. Remember that version of Led Zep's "Stairway to Heaven" set to the lyrics of the theme song from Gilligan's Island? You can thank Laguna for it. And Cordell is the guy who bequeathed us both "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Mony Mony."
I could go into all kinds of philosophical digressions about Jett's reactionary backwards-looking worldview but I'm too busy bashing my head to her positively infectious takes on Glitter classics "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" and "Doing Alright with the Boys." Jett hangs on to that big, bad Glitter sound (dig that tribal thump thump thump!) but takes both songs to Glamtastic new heights by making Glitter (no wallflower for sure) sound positively enervated; she doesn't sing 'em, she shouts 'em, bringing an unprecedented amount of bad attitude to the table. Message to Glam Rock: You're not dead until JOAN JETT says you are!
The LP opener (and title track) sticks out by virtue of sheer sonic propulsion; "Bad Reputation" is a tip of the old cap to Joan's punk contemporaries, not her Glam Bam Bubblegum predecessors. It's a whiplash "I don't give a damn" and one of the sleaziest songs to come out of 1979, and I feel obliged to thank Marty Joe Kupersmith (whoever he is) for helping Jett write it.
But as much as I love "Bad Reputation" (and I intend to make it the godmother of my next (first) child), the fun doesn't really begin until Jett turns her attention to Joey "Yummy Yummy Yummy" Levine's "Make Believe." Jett is tailor-made for Levine's brand of Bubble Yum readymades, and she shows she's got what it takes by going from Juicy Fruit sweet (on the verses) to tuff (on the choruses) and back again. [more] The 10 most influential women to come out of Pennsylvania from: matadornetwork.com By Ryan Miscavage
THIS YEAR, we celebrated some of the best Pennsylvanian athletes who participated in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games and some of the best food to come out of this amazing state. Because March is Women's History Month, it's now time to turn the spotlight on the 10 most influential women who were born and raised in PA.
1. Betsy Ross
Betsy Ross is responsible for convincing George Washington to change the stars on the US flag. The original design was a 6 pointed star which was changed to 5. The story goes that George Washington came up with the basic concept but Betsy finalized the design. She was a revolutionary patriot and was undoubtedly a major figure in United States history. Betsy made flags for the Pennsylvania Navy and did all she could to support America in its fight for independence. She fixed uniforms, made tents, blankets, and even prepared ammunition.
2. Tina Fey
Actress, writer, and producer, Tina Fey can do it all. She hails from Upper Darby Township and is best known for her work on "Saturday Night Live," starring in and producing "30 Rock" and writing the cult classic film adaptation of "Mean Girls". Her memoir Bossypants was on top of the New York Best Seller List for 5 weeks in 2011. She's also known to shoutout her Pennslyvania roots in guest cameos on SNL.
3. JOAN JETT
Straight out of Philadelphia, JOAN JETT is best known for her work with the BLACKHEARTS, whose most notable songs include "I Love Rock and Roll" and "Bad Reputation." She made it cool for women rockers to be loud. Her punk rock sound was immortalized when she was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.
4. Patti Labelle
The "Godmother of Soul", Patti Labelle, is from Philadelphia, PA. Her group Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles were the first African-American group to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. When the group split, Patti never missed a beat and continued to produce #1 albums and songs. [more] JOAN JETT, John Mellencamp, John Fogerty, Billy Joel Glad All Over by Dave Clark Five Rock Hall from: YouTube.com By Cal Vid
JOAN JETT / Miley Cyrus / Crimson & Clover / Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame from: YouTube.com By High Definition HD TV
Moody Blues Q&A among special Rock Hall events leading up to the 2018 induction ceremony from: rock107.com By ABC Radio
Courtesy of The Moody BluesThe Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland has announced a series of special events next month leading up to the 2018 induction ceremony on Saturday, April 14, which will honor The Moody Blues, Bon Jovi, The Cars, Dire Straits, Nina Simone and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
Among the events will be Hall of Fame Series interview session with Moody Blues members Justin Hayward, John Lodge and Graeme Edge on Thursday, April 12, starting at 7 p.m. ET with themed happy hour. The event is free with admission to the Rock Hall, although space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Q&A also will be streamed live on the Hall of Fame's Facebook page.
That same day, The Moody Blues' new concert film, Days of Future Passed Live, will be screened all day for free at the Rock Hall's Foster Theater.
Here are some of the other events and activities taking place at the Rock Hall in celebration of this year's induction ceremony:
-- On Friday, April 6, the new JOAN JETT documentary Bad Reputation will be shown at the Foster Theater at 7:30 p.m. ET as part of the Cleveland International Film Festival.
-- On Saturday, April 7, the museum will host a Celebration Day running from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET that will give fans the chance to get a first look at the newly revamped Rock Hall. The daylong bash will offer live music, new exhibit premieres, educational programs, a Bon Jovi album-listening event, film screenings, a fireworks display and more.
-- On Saturday, April 14, the Rock Hall's official website, Facebook page and YouTube channel will stream footage from the pre-ceremony red carpet from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET.
Check out the full list of 2018 events at RockHall.com. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Announces 'In Concert' Series from: billboard.com By Gary Graff
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is mining performances from induction ceremonies between 2010-2017 for release in a variety of formats in April.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: In Concert will be available April 24 as four DVDs and two Blu-rays featuring 53 live performances from the ceremonies, including: Nirvana's 2014 performance with Lorde, JOAN JETT, Kim Gordon and Annie Clark singing in place of the late Kurt Cobain; Ringo Starr and an all-star cast of friends, including Beatles mate Paul McCartney; Pearl Jam; Journey; Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band; Cat Stevens; Chicago; the Red Hot Chili Peppers; Green Day; Cheap Trick; Deep Purple; JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS; Yes; Rush; and more. The video sets will also feature induction and acceptance speeches from the ceremonies.
Five digital Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame: In Concert digital albums, each covering two ceremonies, come out the same day, with bonus performances by Alice Cooper, Donovan, Dr. John, Heart, the Hollies, Darlene Love, Leon Russell, the Stooges, Tom Waits, the Small Faces/Faces, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more.
Included in the sets will be the ceremony-ending jams that bring multiple nominees and presenters together to finish the show. Cheap Trick hosted theirs in 2016, which guitarist Rick Nielsen tells Billboard was "just a great time. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame basically told us what to play and how to play and when to play and all that stuff, and it worked out fine. I think they looked at the roster of who was getting inducted and knew we'd go out there and play like any other show. I think they saw that Cheap Trick's an energy, a fun band to be around. And also we were the band that had the least conflict of any band going in that year (which included Chicago and Deep Purple), so we were the right guys to close the night."
Glenn Hughes, who was inducted that year as part of Deep Purple but did not play with the band, wound up singing Fats Domino's "Ain't That A Shame" with Cheap Trick along with his Purple bandmate David Coverdale. "It was just a great thing to be able to do something on stage that night," he recalls. "Obviously it would have been great to play with Purple but that wasn't what they wanted to do, but Cheap Trick were gentlemen and invited us to be with them and it was a fabulous time -- just kind of off-the-cuff and maybe even more fun than something more formal with the band would have been."
This year's Rock Hall induction takes place April 14 in Cleveland, honoring Bon Jovi, the Cars, Dire Straits, the Moody Blues, Nina Simone and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. It will be, as usual, filmed by HBO for subsequent broadcast. 'Ready Player One' premiere gets cheers, despite technical difficulties from: cnn.com By Frank Pallotta
#ReadyPlayerOne premiere post party is more 80s than the film. JOAN JETT rocking out, Tab on tap, the “Back to the Future†DeLorean. Crowd is still amped from the film. pic.twitter.com/hMOOd2EVPm
(CNN)Steven Spielberg's "Ready Player One" had its world premiere Sunday night. Like the classic '80s arcade games the movie references, the premiere came with a few glitches.
The premiere, which took place at the South by Southwest conference and film festival in Austin, Texas, experienced technical difficulties when the theater's sound system went down during a climatic scene in the film's final act.
Some in Austin's packed Paramount Theatre at first thought the silence was part of the movie, but quickly began to laugh and murmur once the film came to a standstill on screen. The projectionist replayed the scene, but again the sound went out, leading to a delay of about 10 minutes while those holding the festival scrambled to get it up and running again.
Though the delay meant a break in the moviegoing spell as audience members checked their phones, went to the bathroom and talked with one another wondering if they would be able to see the end of the movie, it also seemed to heighten the enthusiasm in the room. On the third try, when the sound system finally worked, there was a loud round of applause.
Spielberg, who was in attendance along with the cast, joked after the screening that the technical problems were probably "the greatest anxiety attack" he's ever had.
The movie, which tells the story of main character Wade Watts' adventures through a virtual reality world and includes many '80s callbacks, ultimately got a roaring standing ovation during the end credits, and a positive buzz outside the theater.
Warner Bros. pulled out all the stops to promote the film at SXSW. The studio plastered downtown Austin with posters and advertisements, announced the premiere as a surprise and put together a massive activation space that included virtual reality and recreated sets from the film. Steven Spielberg: ‘Ready Player One’ Was ‘The Greatest Anxiety Attack I Ever Had’ -- SXSW from: indiewire.com By Jenna Marotta
Director Steven Spielberg skipped the red carpet at Sunday's premiere of "Ready Player One," but surprised SXSW audiences by introducing the sci-fi adventure onstage. "This is not a film that we've made, this is -- I promise you -- a movie," he informed the sold-out crowd at the Paramount Theatre, which gave him a long, raucous ovation. "It's a movie that's got to be seen on the big screen, and I'm wondering if this is a big-enough screen, because we made this with a lot of ambition to really fill the screens."
Read More:‘Ready Player One' World Premiere Halted Twice for Sound Difficulties -- SXSW
The two-time Best Director Oscar-winner professed his love for the bestselling source material, written by Ernest Cline, who adapted his book with screenwriter Zak Penn ("X-Men: The Last Stand," "The Incredible Hulk"). Spielberg's goal was making a motion picture that would appeal to both video game enthusiasts and neophytes alike, although he falls in the former category: "I've been a gamer ever since 1974, when I played the first Pong Game on Martha's Vineyard while filming ‘Jaws.'"
He admitted that the movie is so jam-packed with pop-culture homages -- from "Back to the Future" and "Jurassic Park" to "King Kong" and "Say Anything" -- that it could prove distracting. "Just remember one thing: The side windows are for cultural references, the windshield is for a story," he said. "If you look straight ahead, you can always follow the story."
During the post-screening Q&A, Spielberg said of the "Ready Player One" callbacks to his own work, "I didn't know this would become a vanity album of my 1980s movies," placing some blaming on persuasive producers and sly visual-effects artists: "We made seven passes on one shot, and it was the last pass right where I had approved a final -- it's hard to go back after you approve a final -- where I said, ‘Shit, is that a gremlin?' Which [Industrial Light & Magic] had snuck in, thinking I wouldn't notice."
For Spielberg, "Ready Player One" was "perhaps the greatest anxiety attack I've ever had," he said. "When I make a movie that I direct behind the camera … I am pretty much in control," he continued. "But when I decided to make a movie sitting in the audience with you, and I direct a film in the seat right next to you, that means I'm making the picture for you. And your reaction is everything." He then basked in applause with Cline and Penn, plus cast members Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, Win Morasaki, and Philip Zhao. [more] Showtime to Premiere Documentary NEW WAVE: DARE TO BE DIFFERENT Telling the Story of America's Most Influential Radio Station 3/30 from: broadwayworld.com By TV News Desk
U2, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, Blondie, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, The Clash, The Cure - over half a billion records sold, but you might have never heard of them if not for a small suburban radio station on Long Island, NY called WLIR 92.7. NEW WAVE: DARE TO BE DIFFERENT, premiering on Showtime on Friday, March 30 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on-air, on demand and over the internet, is a nostalgic look back at the rogue radio station on the cutting edge of music throughout the 1980s. Program director Denis McNamara, the station crew and the biggest artists of the era tell the story of how they battled the FCC, record labels, mega-radio and all the conventional rules to create a musical movement that brought New Wave to America.
Directed by Ellen Goldfarb, NEW WAVE: DARE TO BE DIFFERENT features rare archival footage and candid interviews with artists including JOAN JETT, Debbie Harry, Billy Idol, Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), Dave Wakeling (The English Beat), Annabella Lwin (Bow Wow Wow), Jim Kerr (Simple Minds), Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, YAZ and Erasure), Curt Smith (Tears for Fears), Fred Schneider (The B-52s), Mike Score (A Flock of Seagulls), Mike Peters (The Alarm), Katrina Leskanich (Katrina and the Waves), Thomas Dolby, Howard Jones and Midge Ure (Ultravox, Live Aid founder), among others. WLIR helped introduce most of these bands to a U.S. audience while creating a community centered around the punk and New Wave scene. Now, 30 years after the station went off the air, the film tells the story of the unique rise and fall of this independent cultural institution.
NEW WAVE: DARE TO BE DIFFERENT is directed and produced by Ellen Goldfarb and produced by Roger Senders. Serving as executive producers are Denis McNamara and Gregg Goldfarb.
SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple(R), Roku(R), Amazon, Google, Xbox One and Samsung. Consumers can also subscribe to Showtime via Hulu, Youtube TV, Sling TV, DIRECTV Now, Sony PlayStation(R) Vue and Amazon Channels. The network's authentication service, Showtime ANYTIME, is available at no additional cost to Showtime customers who subscribe to the network through participating providers. Subscribers can also watch on their computers at www.showtime.com and www.showtimeanytime.com.
PUEBLO, Colo. - If you're like JOAN JETT, you'll be showing your love for rock 'n' roll at the Colorado State Fair this fall in Pueblo.
JOAN JETT's 1979 debut LP is one of rock music's most joyful readymadesâ€"an utterly endearing romp through rock history from hoary old standards ("Wooly Bully") to bubblegum pop to Gary Glitter to the buzzsaw sound of the Ramones, Bad Reputation is a veritable vinyl jukebox you'll never get tired of tossing dimes into.
THIS YEAR, we celebrated some of the best Pennsylvanian athletes who participated in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games and some of the best food to come out of this amazing state. Because March is Women's History Month, it's now time to turn the spotlight on the 10 most influential women who were born and raised in PA.
Courtesy of The Moody BluesThe Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland has announced a series of special events next month leading up to the 2018 induction ceremony on Saturday, April 14, which will honor The Moody Blues, Bon Jovi, The Cars, Dire Straits, Nina Simone and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.