By Luke Matthews
Rock and Roll sibling royalty were in Des Moines on Monday night at Heart brought their “Love Alive” tour to Wells Fargo Arena. It was good to see the sisters Wilson back together on stage after backstage drama years ago threatened to completely destroy the band. Paired with fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Joan Jett, the evening was filled with classic hits that kept the relatively sparse crowd dancing all night.
Jett was unmistakable in her black, sleeveless top and skin-tight leather pants. Her jet black hair has changed little since we first met her in the late 1970s while a member of The Runaways.
Jett’s set had everything a Joan Jett fan would want. She covered her early Runaways days with the early “Cherry Bomb” and the first song she ever wrote, “You Drive Me Wild.” Songs from her peak as frontwoman for The Blackhearts included the staples, “I Love Rock and Roll,” “Crimson & Clover,” “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” as well as a cover of Sonny Curtis’ “Love Is All Around,” best known as the theme to the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Jett also showcased newer material, including “Fresh Start,” featured in the recent documentary, “Bad Reputation.”
Jett’s Blackhearts are mostly new faces, save for the one other original member, Kenny Laguna who plays keys and shared the microphone when it came to telling the history of Joan and her songs.
Jett’s voice sounds fantastic for as long as she’s been on the road singing. She still has her trademark rasp and still jumps around the stage with the energy of a woman half her age. There was a bit of a disconnect with the crowd as Jett and the Blackhearts were set deep into the stage. A solid 6 feet of space stood between Jett and the edge of the stage. It was rare when Jett would walk out into the veritable “neutral zone” of the stage. Otherwise, she was confined to behind her microphone far back from the crowd. Add in the lack of large screens giving the audience a close-up look at the performers and Jett’s portion of the show had a bit of a disconnected feel.
It was only appropriate that the members of Heart came on stage to the sounds of The Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand By You.” Judging by the recent turmoil in the band, some would have thought that the sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson might never stand next to one another on a stage again. Thankfully, peace reigns in the band and we’re allowed to be treated to two of rock’s most legendary women.
Ann Wilson, nearly 70, can still nail the notes that her catalog requires. In some cases, her voice sounds so similar to what you would expect, you would think she was 40 years younger. Even her dress was young and playful. A black coat atop a pink/purple sequined dress accented by hot pink footwear. Sister Nancy Wilson, 65, also looked the part of a glamorous rock star with her flowing blond hair, multi-colored jacked, and sequined skirt.
The band moved through several decades worth of hits, some theirs, others not. They performed a fantastic cover of Yes’ “Your Move,” a soothing rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer,” followed immediately by a new twist (read: different key) on the Heart 80s classic, “These Dreams.” Ann Wilson even brought out the flute for the opening and close of “Love Alive.”
After Heart performed Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” for the band at the Kennedy Center Honors, you just knew that the incredible performance wouldn’t be contained to just that one viral moment in time. The band happily brought the classic rock monster with them on tour, much to the delight of those in attendance. Even in person and without a teary-eyed Robert Plant on site, it was still an incredible experience to see live.
Heart finished their set with two of their biggest hits: their cover of “Alone” and their signature and Guitar Hero staple, “Barracuda.” As the band took their final bows, you genuinely wonder how many more trips around the country both Heart and Joan Jett had left in them. It was enough to make you look around at a widely empty Wells Fargo Arena and think about how many people passed on seeing true rock royalty in their town and how much they might just be kicking themselves if this was their last opportunity to do so.
JOAN JETT SETLIST
Victim of Circumstance
Cherry Bomb (The Runaways)
Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) (Gary Glitter cover)
Bad Reputation
You Drive Me Wild (The Runaways)
Light of Day (Bruce Springsteen cover)
Fake Friends
Love Is Pain
Long Time
Love Is All Around (Sonny Curtis cover)
Fresh Start
I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll
Crimson & Clover
I Hate Myself for Loving You
Androgynous (The Replacements cover)
Everyday People (Sly & the Family Stone cover)
HEART SETLIST
Rockin’ Heaven Down
Magic Man
Love Alive
Your Move (Yes cover)
I Heard It Through the Grapevine / Straight On
The Boxer (Simon & Garfunkel cover)
These Dreams
Dog & Butterfly
Little Queen
Even It Up
What About Love
Mistral Wind
Crazy on You
Encore:
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin cover)
Alone
Barracuda
