The trails blazed by women in the male-dominated world of rock music are too numerous to be recounted here (and besides would either constitute preaching to the choir or unfortunately fall on deaf ears), but suffice to say that tonight’s tour-mates have each secured a permanent place in the pantheon of heavy-hitting, barrier-breaking ladies. Both won over dubious audiences and industry creeps alike with the sheer force of their riffs, but as powerful as Joan Jett and the Wilson sisters are on their own, they’re even more explosive when they join forces, as they did here Saturday, Oct. 12, at Fiserv Forum.
After a short, superfluous set from singer Lucie Silvas, whose mix of bluesy rock and accessible adult-contemporary drives straight to the middle of the road and then kicks back with the cruise control on, Jett took the stage with Blackhearts in tow and got things started in earnest. Though there were persistent technical issues with the effects pedals, this seemed to cause more consternation for her than the crowd, who were thrilled to hear “Cherry Bomb,” “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll” and even the theme from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” regardless of how much distortion was applied.
Headliners Heart seemed to be in a reflective mood, interlacing the biggest hits of their 40-year career with a selection of covers focusing on influential personal favorites, including Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer” and Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” Yet, if this tour finds them looking back, between Nancy’s versatile guitar skills and Ann’s strident vocals, they still sound fresh and interested, a far cry from your average nostalgia act. And by the time they closed out the encore with the unstoppable “Barracuda,” no one could’ve doubted the enduring talent that made them the pioneers they are today.
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