Rock Hall Three For All Tour 08.21.16

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It’s a hot Sunday afternoon in August and as I was driving to AK Chin Pavilion my phone went off with a dust storm warning for the greater Phoenix area.  All I could think of was, not 2 nights in a row, but luckily the only thing that blew in was a fantastic classic rock show featuring 3 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees.  The show was part of the Rock Hall Three For All Tour featuring Heart, Cheap Trick, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts.  The crowd was amazing during the entire show, they were dancing and singing along with each of the bands.

CheapTrick-2016-4798The first act on stage was Cheap Trick, an American rock band that formed in 1973.  The band is made up of Rick Nielsen (lead guitar), Robin Zander (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), and Tom Petersson (bass).  A few years ago, Daxx Nielsen, Rick’s son, joined the band on drums.  Amazingly with all of the concerts I have seen over the last 50 years, this was my first time to see Cheap Trick.  I have been a fan of the band since hearing their multi-platinum album, Cheap Trick at Budokan back in 1979.  They started off the show with Hello There, Hot Love and California Man.  Rick Nielsen is known for using a number of different and unique guitars during the show.  CheapTrick-2016-5704One guitar was the yellow square body with caricatures of the band members. CheapTrick-2016-4813 During the last song, Goodnight, Rick came out with a multi-neck guitar that consisted of 5 different necks which was initially done as a parity of Getty Lee’s triple neck guitar.   Robin Zander, their lead singer, performed in a white Dream Police outfit.  There was a section of the stage that extended out into the crowd and Robin would go out to the end and sing and play to the audience.  It was a great set that ended with 3 of my favorite songs, I Want You to Want Me, Dream Police and Surrender.

JoanJett-2016Next up was Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.  Joan came out on stage in a purple spandex suit, black leather jacket, heavy boots and a low slung guitar personifying her “Godmother of Punk” moniker.  The Blackhearts are made up of Dougie Needles on guitar, Acey Slade on bass and Thommy Price on drums.  They started the show with Bad Reputation and the crowd went wild, dancing and singing along.  Next they did Cherry Bomb which she did originally with The Runaways.  During Light of Day they played scenes from the movie by the same name that she did with Michael J Fox.  Joan told us that Make it Back was about all those people that have to recover from natural disasters like the one that she experienced on Long Island after hurricane Sandy.  She told us that Fake Friends was about people that only show up during the good times but disappear otherwise.  The show ended with hits I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll, Crimson & Clover and I Hate Myself for Loving You.

Over the past few years a number of politicians have used different artist’s songs, some without approval including Heart’s Barracuda.  Personally I can’t wait until some politician uses The Runaways’ Cherry Bomb.  Now that would be a politician I might vote for.

 

Finally, Heart came on stage.

Heart is fronted by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson.  This duo has been producing music and performing for the better part of 4 decades.  I saw Heart back in 1980 and was amazed with the great stage presences these 2 women had and how they could work the crowd.  I had not seen the like since Janis Joplin or Grace Slick.  Ann’s voice still sounds as strong and fantastic as when I saw her back in 1980.  Nancy plays both electric and acoustic guitar and during Barracuda, she still does her power kick.  The other members of the band are: Craig Bartock on guitar, Chris Joyner on keyboards, Dan Rothchild on bass and Ben Smith on drums.  They started the show with Wild Child and then went into their mega hit, Magic Man.  A few songs later, Nancy took over the lead vocals for 2 songs, These Dreams and Two.  They complete their set with 2 of their biggest hits, Crazy on You and Barracuda.  They came back for a 2 song encore.  They covered two great Led Zeppelin songs, Immigration Song and Stairway to Heaven.

Review and photo by Fred Kuhlman
Promoter: Live Nation
Location: AK Chin Pavilion

Cheap Trick

Heart

Photos © Fred Kuhlman 2016

Cheap Trick Setlist:                       (Album)
Hello There                                         (Cheap Trick at Budokan)
Hot Love                                              (Cheap Trick)
California Man                                   (Heaven Tonight)
Oh, Candy                                           (Cheap Trick)
No Direction Home                          (Bang, Zoom, Crazy… Hello)
On Top Of The World                       (Heaven Tonight)
Baby Loves to Rock                           (All Shook Up)
I’m Waiting for the Man                 (Velvet Underground cover)
The Flame                                            (Lap of Luxury)
I Want You to Want Me                  (Cheap Trick at Budokan)
Dream Police                                      (Dream Police)
Surrender                                            (Heaven Tonight)
Goodnight                                           (Cheap Trick)

Joan Jett Setlist:                                       (Album)
Bad Reputation                                           (Bad Reputation)
Cherry Bomb                                                (The Runaways cover)
Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)     (Gary Glitter cover)
TMI                                                                   (Unvarnished)
You Drive Me Wild                                       (The Runaways cover)
Light of Day                                                    (Bruce Springsteen cover)
Make It Back                                                   (Unvarnished)
A Hundred Feet Away                                  (Album)
Fake Friends                                                   (Album)
Any Weather                                                 (Unvarnished)
I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll                                     (The Arrows cover)
Crimson & Clover                                        (Tommy James & the Shondells cover)
I Hate Myself for Loving You                   (Up Your Alley)
Everyday People                                          (Sly & The Family Stone cover)

 

Heart Set List:                   (Album)
Wild Child                            (Romeo’s Daughter cover)
Magic Man                           (Dreamboat Annie)
What About Love               (Toronto cover)
Even It Up                            (Bébé le Strange)
These Dreams                     (Heart)
Two                                         (Ne-Yo cover)
Straight On                          (Dog & Butterfly)
Kick It Out                            (Little Queen)
Beautiful Broken                (Beautiful Broken)
Alone                                      (I-Ten cover)
Crazy on You                        (Dreamboat Annie)
Barracuda                             (Little Queen)
Encore:
Immigrant Song                (Led Zeppelin cover)
Stairway to Heaven          (Led Zeppelin cover)

 

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