June 2023 News

By Charlotte Varnes | Photo by Ivy Ceballo




The rock legend attended Wednesday's game against the Rays before her show at Amalie Arena.

ST. PETERSBURG - JOAN JETT doesn't care about her "Bad Reputation," but the rock legend does care a lot about the Baltimore Orioles.

The musician attended Wednesday's game against the Rays at Tropicana Field ahead of her evening concert at Amalie Arena. Jett, who grew up an Orioles fan, watched from the first row above the visitors' dugout, clapping throughout the game and leaping out of her seat after a Ramon Urias home run in the third inning.

Jett said she felt the game's early start time was a sign from the universe telling her to go.

"Usually, the game would be at night and there would be no chance for me to come," Jett said. "(When) the game is 12:10, I kind of have to do it. The baseball gods are saying, ‘Here you go.'"

Jett planned to stay for a few innings before going straight to Amalie for her soundcheck. The 64-year-old is spending the summer touring the U.S. with Canadian musician Bryan Adams. She and her band, the BLACKHEARTS, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

Jett was born in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, and later lived in Rockville, Maryland, before her family moved to the Los Angeles area when she was 12. She attended Orioles games with her father and has been spotted at several over the years.

In 2012, the Baltimore Sun reported that she wrote a letter to the postseason-bound Orioles telling them about her experience witnessing a Jim Palmer no-hitter against the Oakland A's at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore in August 1969.

Jett is no stranger to Tropicana Field, either. She threw out the first pitch at a Rays-Blue Jays matchup in July 2014 and performed a free concert after the game.

By Shawn Michaels




It was a great night at the "Garden". Folks were in a great mood and the music was perfect for a weekend in New York City. It was packed for a night with Bryan Adams and his special guest JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS. The two were together for a night at the iconic Madison Square Garden.

The night began with JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS. Joan and the band remarked on how nice it was to be home. "We are a New York band," said keyboardist KENNY LAGUNA, who remarked their families were on hand. He thanked local radio for helping the band get a start in the New York/New Jersey area. Joan hit the "hits" and there were many on their feet and shouts of "We love you Joan" came often from the crowd. The band is out promoting their new EP "Mindsets" which the band played several cuts from. It was a great start to the night and lots of light & lighters during "Crimson & Clover."

Next, it was time for Bryan Adams and his band, and from the very first moment it was electric and you just felt comfy listening to Bryan and his huge catalog of hits. As Bryan said in the beginning they may not get to all your favorites, but what we do you'll like. They did every song on my list. Bryan is out promoting his latest album "So Happy It Hurts." The title track was celebrated with a huge inflatable car from the video that flew around the Garden, I think much like a drone. Great effect!

I thoroughly enjoyed the Bryan Adams set. It brought me back and had a fresh sound. Bryan's energy and friendliness were infectious. If you are a fan, this is the tour to see. One great moment was during an audience exchange when Bryan took requests and one fan asked to hear his Christmas song "Christmas Time". Bryan laughed and replied "Hey New York Christmas is Coming Early This Year" and they went right into the song, fun stuff in June in NYC.

Great music, great fun, thanks Bryan and Joan :)

ByMarkos Papadatos | Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez




Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS released their new digital EP, "Mindsets."

This six-track collection was released on BLACKHEART RECORDS, JOAN JETT's longtime independent record label.

It includes six brand new songs such as the upbeat and spitfire lead single and opener "If You're Blue," which has a retro vibe to it, and it immediately breaks into "Whiskey Goes Good," where they slow down the tempo.

"Shooting Into Space" is upbeat and unapologetic, while "Rear View Mirror" is pensive and infectious.

"Mindsets" marks the first new music release for the band since their first-ever acoustic album, "Changeup," back in March of 2022.

After the midtempo "Before the Dawn," it closes with the high-adrenaline "(Make the Music Go) Boom," where they leave their dedicated fans and listeners wanting more.

With this digital EP, the acclaimed rock band showcases its landmark crunchy, distortion-forward guitar, hooky choruses, and Jett's husky and snarling vocals.

The EP has a lot of variety on it, where every song has its own identity. It was produced by JOAN JETT, KENNY LAGUNA and Thom Panunzio, and executive produced by Carianne Brinkman.

On June 10, JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS will be performing with Bryan Adams at Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City.

"Mindsets" is available on digital service providers by clicking here. It garners two thumbs up.

By Matt Cord




I love rock n' roll, I am sure all of our loyal listeners here at WMGK love rock n' roll, and one rockstar who is in town tonight sure as hell loves rock n' roll - and she might very well be the one who made that phrase known worldwide!

The one, the only, JOAN JETT is set to take the stage tonight at the Wells Fargo Center along with Bryan Adams, and none other than our very own John DeBella will be the MC on stage for the show.

Funnily enough, the very first person John introduced on stage was JOAN JETT all the way back in the late '70s when he worked at WLiR in Long Island, New York.




Later on, WLiR became WDRE where I used to work when I first started my radio career.

The show where JDB did the first introduction of his career took place at the legendary club in Roslyn, New York, called My Father's Place.

It is quite an amazing place to catch a show if you are ever up that way.

By Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY | Photo by Fran Ruchalski




BALTIMORE - A cheeky video opened Bryan Adams' show that proclaimed him the savior of rock 'n' roll. Out of the darkness, the man himself appeared in a shard of red light to rumble through "Kick Ass," a rowdy rocker true to its title.

The song is from Adams' 2022 album, "So Happy It Hurts," and confirmed that 40-plus years into his career, the Canadian hitmaker, while maybe not the savior of rock 'n' roll, deserves much applause for keeping its pulse racing.

On Tuesday, Adams landed at Baltimore's CFG Bank Arena for the launch of the So Happy It Hurts tour, which will hit U.S. arenas through August with JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS serving as exceptional openers.

Adams, 63, and his taut four-piece band, including longtime guitarist Keith Scott and drummer Mickey Curry, began their world voyage in January 2022 with a spate of dates in Asia and Europe. The muscularity that comes with consistent performing was evident in a 100-minute, 23-song set stocked with well-worn chestnuts and a few nods to newer fare.

Bryan Adams reminded fans about 'the great Tina Turner'
Clad in a casual uniform of dark pants and sneakers, Adams roamed the open stage while playing guitar, frequently hopping down to a platform that sported microphone stands at each end to hit every segment of the arena.

Whether rolling through the joyfully swinging "Can't Stop This Thing We Started" or leading the crowd that filled the lower bowl and floor of the venue through fist-pumper "Somebody," Adams proved that songs he tailored for arenas decades ago still resound with a melodic punch.

While guitar crunchers "It's Only Love" - recorded, he reminded, with "the great Tina Turner" - and "The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me is You" rattled appropriately, Adams is also regarded as a bit of a ballad king, and he didn't disappoint those enamored with his softer contributions.

By Carys Anderson




The post JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS Unveil New EP Mindsets: Stream appeared first on Consequence.

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS are back with a new EP called Mindsets. Listen to the project via Jett's longtime label BLACKHEART RECORDS.

Written by Jett and BLACKHEARTS guitarist DOUGIE NEEDLES and produced by Jett and her longtime collaborators KENNY LAGUNA and Thom Panunzio, Mindsets tracks the kinds of positive mental attitudes the BLACKHEARTS utilized to get through an increasingly chaotic world.

"The last several years have been tough ones on the whole world," Jett said in a statement. "These songs reflect the various 'mindsets' needed to make it through the day, the week, the year, or the next minute. It's a way to feel more connected to that big, beautiful, scary world out there, and in your head. The BLACKHEARTS and I had an incredible experience writing, rehearsing, and recording these songs. DOUGIE NEEDLES, our guitar player, created great songs from which we built out the EP."

Check out the artwork and tracklist for Mindsets below. The EP follows JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS' 2022 album Changeup, their first-ever acoustic release.

Next week, the band will head out on the road with Bryan Adams for the North American "So Happy It Hurts Tour." Tickets are on sale now.

Mindsets Tracklist:
01. If You're Blue
02. Whiskey Goes Good
03. Shooting Into Space
04. Rearview Mirror
05. Before the Dawn
06. (Make the Music Go) Boom

By John Timmons, Louisville Public Media




WFPK's listen hear! Song of the Day spotlights a song we like weekdays at 11:10.

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS have released a new single, "If You're Blue," from their upcoming EP, Mindsets, available this Friday, June 2nd.

The EP is the follow-up Jett's 2022 album with the BLACKHEARTS, Changeup, a 25-song collection of acoustic versions of her best-known songs.

Jett has stated that she's "proud of my bad reputation if that's what it is - making people uncomfortable because you're not used to seeing women do this or that... When I speak to women and girls pursuing their dreams...there's that hard glass ceiling. It's still there. But we have good PR, so we feel like we've come farther than we really have."