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 Cheap Trick |
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Review and photos by Frances Sealy It's funny how a lot of people assumed that since these rockers are climbing the age ladder that the crowd would be a demure group of chair dancers. Nothing could be further from the truth. This was an all age crowd that endured triple digit heat for over three and a half hours while standing the bulk of the time!This was a three set show. Each set could have easily been at three different venues in town. All of the sets were complete and satisfying. The bands were in top form, ready to rock and relive the history that made them inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. These bands still remain relevant today releasing new music and giving some of the best live performances in the business. Heart's new album, Beautiful Broken, provided two songs in their set. Nancy Wilson gave a stunning performance of the song "Two." The Ne-Yo penned track was one of the ballads during the set. Her acoustic guitar has never sounded better. The title track, "Beautiful Broken," was the second song from the album. That song along with "Barracuda," "Kick It Out," "Even It Up," and "Magic Man" were hard rockers! Ann Wilson's amazing vocals were present throughout the show! She hit all the right notes at the right time and managed to have a great time doing it. Her voiced soared with their encore of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" and "Stairway To Heaven!" Heart has managed to make these songs 'their own.' It's safe to say that Led Zeppelin will never perform these songs live again. Bravo to Heart for bringing these songs alive again. The rest of the band was in top form. Ben Smith on drums defied all description of keeping band on beat and in time. He has been playing with Heart for over 20 years. Craig Bartock was the other guitarist in the band whose shredding skills kept Nancy Wilson on the top of her game! Dan Rothchild was awesome on bass and Chris Joyner's keyboards were a stand out! Joan Jett and the Blackhearts' set had a little bit of everything that has kept fans captivated through the years. Songs in the set originated from her Runaways days to her present album release, Unvarnished. The songs seemed to fit together seamlessly, regardless of their timeline. Joan still has all the swagger and stamina that her fans relish! There was a lot of singing along with hits like "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," "Crimson and Clover," and "I Hate Myself For Loving You." The encore of Sly and the Family Stone's "Everyday People" seemed to be written for her! Cheap Trick was the first set of the day and they were crowd pleasers from the start. This band has always been a raucous act for many years. Lead singer Robin Zander took the stage wearing a white leather jacket. It was still daylight when the band started playing. It did not take long before he peeled the jacket off. (Joan also came out wearing a black leather jacket.) Someone forgot to them they were in Phoenix, Arizona. Zander brought all of his charisma and showmanship to the show. Rick Nielsen brought all of his outlandish guitars including his five-necked guitar. He also brought his rants and his movements across the stage. Daxx Nielsen was on drums and Tom Petersson was on bass and vocals. Their hits were played from "I Want You To Want Me," "Dream Police," and "Surrender." This tour is a winner, a blast, and a bargain! It continues through September. |
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 Heart |
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Heart |
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 Joan Jett |
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