Heart Live @ The Gibson Amphitheatre Universal City, CA September 18, 2010
Whenever I see a concert my favorite thing to do is try and pick the opening song. The closer is easy... just pick the band's biggest hit. But the opener? That's trickier. And last night at The Gibson Amphitheatre, Heart did not make this game any easier as they hit the ground running with "Cook With Fire" a song from their their 1978 album "Dog & Butterfly." A song I was not familiar with! But that didn't matter because this song ROCKED and set the stage for what would be one of the best Heart shows I have ever seen. (I have seen them about a dozen times since 1985 so trust me I know what I'm talking about.)
The thing you need to know about Ann and Nancy Wilson is when you see them live they never disappoint. They don't disappoint the casual fan because they play all the songs you know (Barracuda, Magic Man, Straight On). They don't disappoint the diehard fan because they plan some obscure album cuts (see Cook With Fire) plus some new songs (Red Velvet Car, WTF, Hey You) and they also like to mix it up a bit by throwing in some cover tunes like Led Zeppelin's "What Is and What Should Never Be" and The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me."
And what about the big-haired 80's? Well, last night those songs were on display too as the Wilson sisters showcased that era with 3 of their biggest hits, "What About Love," "Alone," and "These Dreams." When you hear these songs in a stripped down acoustic setting you realize just how good they still are.
But it's not just the songs, it's the performance. Ann's voice is just as great as it's ever been and I dare Jimmy Page to rock an acoustic guitar harder than Nancy. As for the band, drummer Ben Smith, bassist Ric Markmann, keyboardist Debbie Shair and guitarist Craig Bartock are the best backing band the Wilson's have ever toured with bar none!
Now, in 2010, whenever I see a classic rock band live I usually walk away thinking, "Well, I never have to see them again." But that is not the case with Heart! I'm not done with them by a long shot and as long as they keep performing with the energy and musicianship that was on display last night then I will keep coming back.
In an alternate Jerry Maguire universe I would have to say: "Heart, you had me at "Cook with fire."
Drumroll please... 10 out of 10 drumsticks!
1 comment:
I think Heart is one of the more under-appreciated bands of that era. Their hits were solid and still rawk and their lesser known stuff is great too. God bless Seattle's finest.
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