Joan Jett in Marin: 'Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)'
Joan Jett and Cherie Curie - The Runaways
Sundance
Joan Jett was back in the Bay Area at the Marin County Fair on July 2 with her group "The Blackhearts. The queen of rock took fans, old and new, to spiritual dimensions with some of her greatest hits. The rocker was a nominee to be inducted in the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with “Guns ‘N Roses” and “Beastie Boys”. She’s also back on the list for 2013.
Sundance
©Moira Sullivan 2012
Jett's accomplishments are phenomenal. She started her own record company, "Blackheart Records" in the 80’s. The company and Joan Jettwas paid tribute in the summer film "Rock of Ages".
Jett also produced the feature The Runaways (2010) starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning.
The rocker says that she likes performing for all age crowds and clubs and prefers to be among the people instead of huge arenas. Marin is a perfect spot and she will be at the California State Fair in Sacramento later this month.
The Joan Jett sound is mesmerizing. Her raspy, deep, soulful voice set to electric guitars, keyboard and drums took the crowd over the edge deep into the soul and intoxicated Marin for over an hour. Jett is timeless and clearly appeals to veterans as well as newbie’s as young as five years old seen ‘‘rock ‘n” and “roll ‘n”. She says the songs she writes are true to her feelings.
The concert began with two hits Jett wrote - “Bad Reputation” followed by “Cherry Bomb". Joan, a woman of few words, presented her band from New York City. After that “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) lead Jett devotees in a ritual that kept going until the FOUR extra songs at the end. Ms Jett performed alongside her excellent band with outstanding backups, both vocal and musical –including keyboardist Kenny Laguna.
“Hey, Don’t you guys wanna sing? “, asked Joan midway through the concert. “Yeah”, the crowd shouted and joined in a public reverence to the tiny woman that is one of the greatest rockers of them all. Joan mentioned her origins with a “little band she started in LA called ‘The Runaways’”. Modest, gum chewing, sociable, coy, powerful – “Activity Grrl” – Revolution! The woman who put the riot grrl movement on the road. This is Joan Jett.
Other songs included “I Love Playing with Fire, “Love as Pain”, “Backlash”, and “I Hate Myself for Loving You” - torch songs set to rock that are potent and highly inflammable. “Reality Mentality” is one of Jett’s political overtures that she introduced in Marin as "a critique of society". Another ballad for sexual freedom performed was "Androgynous".
For encores there was "ACDC" and of course “I Love Rock 'n Roll” Needless to say Joan Jett got her audience to love it even more.
It was a Monday, but everyone showed up, and Tuesday turned out to be a good day for everyone who was there. Up front and personal in the fair pavilion were Joan’s staunchest supporters, women and girls with a dream who have followed her through the years and have transmitted her music to recent converts.
It was a Monday, but everyone showed up, and Tuesday turned out to be a good day for everyone who was there. Up front and personal in the fair pavilion were Joan’s staunchest supporters, women and girls with a dream who have followed her through the years and have transmitted her music to recent converts.
Jett wore black, her favorite stage color - a sleeveless patterned body suit. She sported tattoos, a modern shag and well-trained arms. During the set she played two guitars – white and black.
We think of you every night and day; we hate ourselves for loving you Joan Jett. Welcome back to Northern California for the California State Fair in Sacramento on July 27.
