December 2023 News

By BUDDY IAHN




JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS will help celebrate 109 years of the Paramount Theatre and 89 years of the State Theare at the annual Paramount Gala.

The party starts with an all-vinyl set from DJ Billie Buck and DJ Sue. That will be followed by a live auction and concert by JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS. The night continues outside where Congress Avenue will be shut down so guests can dine, dance, and party over two blocks of Austin’s main street with music stylings by Skyrocket

WHEN
MAY 11, 2024 | 6:00 pm
WHERE
The Paramount Theatre
713 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701, USA

By BUDDY IAHN




At 16, a young JOAN JETT made a huge cultural impact during her time with The RUNAWAYS. The Mountain will take place in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, Night Ranger, Foghat, Aldo Nova, Slaughter, Quiet Riot, Lynch Mob, Great White, and Vixen are set to headline the 2024 Mountain Music Festival in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The event, formerly known as Monsters on the Mountain, takes place August 23-25 at The Gatlinburg Convention Center in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Top of the Mountain VIP 2-Day passes and Kickoff tickets are sold out. General admission 2-day passes are still available for $299 plus taxes and fees via themountainusa.com.

Attendees will witness performances from over 20 rock acts, plus an array of interactive events and activities. All ticket holders will not only receive access to the performances but also photo experiences with select bands, access to the Rock N' Roll Vendor Market, Rock N' Roll Art Gallery, andan Outdoor Patio Experience.

By Ben Forrest




At 16, a young JOAN JETT made a huge cultural impact during her time with The RUNAWAYS. One of the first all-female bands to make an impact on the blossoming punk rock scene, The RUNAWAYS gained notoriety supporting groups like Talking Heads, Cheap Trick and even Tom Petty.

Fiercely individual, Jett reportedly earned her spot in the band's line-up by playing the ukulele along to an album by glam rockers Sweet. "There were no young girls at all playing guitar or any sort of instruments," Jett has since said about the music scene at the time. The RUNAWAYS quickly found favour with the CBGB scene, forming bonds with groups like the Ramones and Dead Boys, as well as the punk bands like Sex Pistols and The Damned across the Atlantic.

Although the success of The RUNAWAYS was predominantly limited to 'Cherry Bomb', their cultural impact and legacy are much greater. Jett, who modelled herself on rock icon Suzi Quatro, paved the way for the future of women in alternative rock and punk music. While it is true that female punk bands like The Slits soon followed, it must be noted that The RUNAWAYS, from which Jett was the clear star, were pioneers for women in rock.

Disbanding The RUNAWAYS in 1979, Jett later found mainstream success with her version of 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll', which spent seven weeks at the top of the Billboard singles chart in the US, reaching number four in the UK. The musician and producer remains active over 40 years later, releasing the EP Mindsets earlier this year with her group, The BLACKHEARTS.

For a musician with such notable cultural impact, it makes sense that Jett has repeatedly been asked about her influences. Usually, though, most questions focus on the musical legacy that led to her rock and roll career. The singer often discusses how artists like David Bowie and, of course, Suzi Quatro influenced her early on, saying she was drawn to "people that took chances. Because I felt the things I wanted to do were not what people would expect girls to do".

In terms of literary influences, however, it is a very different story. "I haven't read a fiction book in years," she told The Times earlier this year, "I used to when I was a kid, but once I got into a rock 'n' roll band, I really didn't have time for that". Despite her busy schedule, Jett reassures that she does find time for books occasionally, "I do read a lot of nonfiction," she continued, "As a child, I wanted to be an astronaut and an archaeologist - I wanted to know where we're going and where we came from - and I'm still searching for the meaning of life".

The one book that stands out to the singer comes in the form of Consciousness Speaks by the late disciple of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, Ramesh Balsekar. "He talks about themes of spirit and mind that feel universally true," Jett shared, "It's not so much that he came up with them, but he was the one that put them down". Spirituality clearly occupies a large part of Jett's consciousness. Perhaps her ongoing search for the meaning of life is the driving force behind her long and illustrious career.