Joan Jett Live!

Have you ever had a chance to re-live part of your childhood? Or at least re-visit your teenage years? Well I got a chance not too long ago. On a humid July 23rd, 2010 I went to Ridgefest, which is a summer festival put on in Chicago Ridge. Joan Jett was playing at the fest on the main stage there. Am I talking about the Joan Jett who first became known to most through her cover of ‘I Love Rock and Roll’? You betcha I am.

Let me back up for a moment. I did, do and probably always will love Joan Jett. I take some flak about it from my friends but I don’t care. Part of what makes me like I am was the same kind of message she has always sent, be different, be wild, be a rebel. During the 80’s while I was in high school I was quite the rebel, going against most things that were status quo. Was that to say I was a rebel just to be a rebel? No. I didn’t do the things I did or say the things I said just to be different. I was different. Were there others who shared the same views as me on subjects? Sure, but I wasn’t part of the crowd who were different because they wanted you to notice them. I was different and just wanted to do the things that I enjoyed even if the mainstream did not like them. I didn’t do things in a disrespectful manner; I did them because they made me happy. Don’t forget I’ve said before that I’m a self proclaimed geek, so roll that into the mix too.

But not only did the 80’s mean that to me, they also meant things about growing up. First real girlfriend, becoming a man, first real job and many other ‘firsts’. When you’re that age the entire world is still out there for the taking. You can still be what you want to be. As you get older, options decrease and you sometimes end up doing what you have to instead of what you want to. When you’re a teenager everything is still in front of you and you feel invincible like you will live forever. It is perhaps one of the best times of your life. The music of Joan Jett was not just an influence for me but it was also what I sometimes took solace in. Out there, someone who was a star had similar thoughts and feelings as this kid trying to find his place in the world.

Now jump ahead for me about 30 years. The young, wild, rebellious teen that lived life to the fullest and was going to live forever no longer exists. Or does he? We can easily forget and loose part of ourselves as we grow older. I am no exception to that rule. Sure there are times when I still rebel and ‘go against the grain’ but more so then not I do what I need to do, not what I want. Going to this show was a chance to revisit that kid. You know what? He’s still there!

Prior to the concert it rained very heavily and for awhile I was afraid that they might call the show off. If you’ve ever been in the Chicagoland area when a major storm rolls through you know how awful it can get. I was dreading that I might not get to see, as I call her, ‘my rock goddess’. I never had a chance to see her when I was a teenager so I was really looking forward to this. Fortunately the storms rolled out, the sky cleared up completely and the show would go on. Dave and Judith (my friends) agreed to go to the show with me and I was very happy about that. Going alone would have felt strange and having others to share an experience with is much more enjoyable than not. We stood in a crowd of about 200 people waiting for Joan to take the stage.

Then they announced her name and the cheering started. Dressed in a black tank top, black jeans and signature black Converse sneakers Joan came out, snatched up her guitar, gave a greeting to the crowd and started off the evening with a bang. I’ll be honest, I was giddy. I had a silly ass grin from ear to ear. I was seeing Joan Jett live! It took me 30 years but I finally got there! From the first few notes that jumped from her guitar there was electricity in the air for me. The hairs on my arms stood on end and a shiver, a good one, ran down my back. It was by the second note that I knew she was playing for her first song ‘Bad Reputation’, my song, my anthem. I watched along with a slew of people that continued to grow as the show went on. I had my trusty camera with me and snapped photo after photo of the legendary rock star. The lights flashed and fluttered, the music screamed and the crowd roared. I was instantly transported back in time to that same teenager I had once been.

Man, Joan can still rock! Her and the Blackhearts played a long set. In all total they must have played somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 songs. I know it was no less that 20 and probably much more than that. Most of her songs are in the 3 and 4 minute range so you do get to hear a lot. That’s ok because I was eating them all up. I knew all the songs, probably more than most people because the extent of my record collection contains her later stuff from off of her ‘Sinner’ album and she played a few from that. One thing that strikes you, or at least it did me, is that she is actually very tiny. Because of her persona and her animated life style she seems much larger. When she slows down for her ballads or just speaking you can see how little she is. But then when she grabs up her guitar again and starts letting loose with a, should we say, less than a slow song, she takes on another form altogether. She does become that bigger that life rock star. Moving, controlling, mesmerizing the crowd. Well at least for this long time fan.

Joan kept the crowd going for the entire time. You can see there is an experience there of being a show-woman for many years. They played for about an hour and a half belting out one song after another. For those of us who were familiar with all of her work each song hit home to a moment in time. However when the lights came up bright for her ‘I Love Rock and Roll’, as they say, the crowd went wild. Everyone was clapping, jumping, cheering, giving raised horns and singing to the song that probably made her most famous. I’ve said before nobody, including me, wants to hear me sing, yet I was singing at the top of my lungs. I was caught up in the moment! The band only went off once before the end of the show and came back on for their ‘curtain call’ and did about another 4-6 songs. Sorry, I lost count, as I said I was caught up in the moment. :) By the end of the show the crowd had swelled to about 1000 people.

But alas all good things…..scratch that…….all GREAT things must come to an end. So too did the concert. But what a time it was and what a time I had. For that one and a half hours I was transported back in time and all was good in my world. I was free, wild and full of life. I had seen ‘my rock goddess’ and all was right in the universe. It will be a day I will carry with me to the end of my days. I love rock and roll and I love Joan Jett. It was truly one of the best days of my life!

I’ve added a album of photos (I took a LOT) from the show here.

I want to add one more thing. Early on in the concert some folks started tossing beer at each other due to the crowd, heat and an altercation. I too almost got caught up in the altercation but Judith, Dave’s wife, kept me under wraps. It’s a good thing too because about 5 minutes later the people got thrown out by the police and missed the entire show. If it wasn’t for her I would have missed a chance I have been waiting three quarters of my life to see. Thank you Judith!

Now excuse me while I go tarnish my reputation a little more and if you don't like it, well ‘I don’t give a damn about my bad reputation.'