LAS VEGAS – If Joan Jett needs to peek at a lyric, she doesn’t rely on a teleprompter. Instead, she glances down at the binder opened to a printed page.
At 66, she’s still rockin’ the shag hair and tough chick sleeveless vest, both in her preferred black, and delivering the signature “ch-ch-ch-ch” of “Cherry Bomb” with a snarl and a smile.
It is notable that Jett remains unchanged after 50 years in a business that was notoriously bitter toward strong women fronting rock bands. That she’s doing it sounding as vocally robust and looking as effortlessly cool as she has for decades is ovation worthy.
On Friday, June 13, Jett and her reliable Blackhearts – Dougie Needles on guitar, Hal B. Selzer on bass and Michael McDermott on drums – played the first of a five-show stint through June 21 at the House of Blues Las Vegas. Jett is also an opener on Billy Idol’s current tour and will resume her slot Aug. 14.
For her Vegas christening, Jett and her band – which also included longtime producer, business partner and confidante Kenny Laguna on keyboards – unpacked a 75-minute chest of hits and deep cuts.
The tracks included the industry side-eye singalong “Fake Friends” and “Coney Island Whitefish,” both from 1983’s “Album.” That record also contained Jett’s faithful rendition of Sly & The Family Stone’s “Everyday People,” a song that espouses her lifelong belief in equality.
“This one’s for you, Sly!” Jett said before diving into the airy guitar chords.
Prior to taking the stage, the Beach Boys’ carefree “Fun, Fun, Fun” filled the venue, an obvious nod to cofounder Brian Wilson, who died two days after Stone on June 11.
Jett knows that casual fans are thrilled to relish in her swaying hit cover of Tommy James and the Shondells’ “Crimson & Clover” and the foot stomper “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah).”
But the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is also a savvy veteran who understands that her dedicated, multi-generational audience will appreciate a throwback to the Bruce Springsteen-penned “Light of Day,” which featured drummer McDermott rolling through a cascade of tom tom beats. Fans will also happily finger snap along with her to The Replacements’ “Androgynous.”
A wallop of a trifecta – “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll,” “I Hate Myself For Loving You” and “Bad Reputation” – showcased Jett’s brawny pop-rock salted with a dash of punk, at least in attitude.
In a recent interview with USA TODAY, Jett shared that she wanted to include some acoustic songs in her Vegas shows and she did. At the end of the concert, she detoured with tunes including “Oh Woe is Me,” a bonus track from her 1981 breakthrough album “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll.”
Jett is a steadfast rocker — a musician and songwriter whose continued success is rooted in being untrendy but unshakably cool. For that alone, she should take many bows.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joan Jett drops robust rock at Las Vegas residency opener
