Saturday night August 17th, 20,000 packed into the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, Florida for a celebration of female-fronted rock and roll. The three acts each brought its own distinctive style, wowing the crowd in different ways.
Relative newcomer Elle King delivered a twangy set of hook-laden southern rock. King and her backing band played a mostly upbeat set of songs from both of her albums, beginning with a hard-charging rendition of “Baby Outlaw.” King picked up energy as the set went on, alternating between playing banjo and guitar. Set highlights included a cover of the Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks classic “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” and the earwig hit single “Ex’s and Oh’s.” King’s voice alternated between soulful vulnerability and raw power on the beat-driven rock songs. The band closed the set with the anthemic “Little Bit of Lovin,” a song that gradually progressed from soft and slow to full-on rock, setting the stage for the next act.
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts followed that set with its unique punk-influenced swagger. The rock legend played songs spanning her 44-year career, including songs with the Runaways as well as the Blackhearts. From the shout-along punk anthem “Cherry Bomb” to the snarling “Bad Reputation,” the Blackhearts owned the stage with ferocity. Throughout the performance, Jett and keyboardist/percussionist Kenny Laguna shared stories about the band’s history. Laguna introduced “Fake Friends” with a story about how he created Blackheart Records out of necessity, printing their own records because no label was interested in a punk band fronted by a woman. Though the first half of the set was solid, Jett and company saved the biggest crowd-pleasers for the end. Arousing sing-along performance of “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” was immediately followed by “Crimson and Clover” and “I Hate Myself for Loving You” to end the regular set. Retaking the stage for the encore, the band tore through the frenetic, palm-muted “Real Wild Child” and then ended with a cover of Sly and the Family Stone’s “Everyday People.”
Rock legends Heart then delivered a virtuoso performance highlighting both the band’s hard rock style and its soft balladry. The band began with hard rockers “Rockin’ Heaven Down” and “Magic Man,” Nancy Wilson laying down heavy blues-rock riffs flanked by two other guitarists. They then slowed things down for “Love Alive,” with Nancy Wilson switching to acoustic guitar while singer Ann Wilson added flute flourishes. Ann Wilson’s voice is still strong 46 years into her career, unleashing a powerful husky bellow.
The softer moments showed Heart’s keen ear for melody and beautiful vocal harmonies, especially on “What About Love” and the Nancy Wilson-fronted “These Dreams,” whereas the harder moments showed a band that owns some of the best hard rock riffs in music history. “Little Queen,” with its infectious funk-rock walk, and the regular set-ending “Crazy On You,” with its iconic dueling acoustic and electric guitar, were highlights.
For the encore, the band started with a slow-burning cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” followed by a slow, soulful rendition of the power ballad “Alone,” Ann Wilson’s booming voice filling the amphitheater. To end the show, Heart went with perhaps its best song, the chugging thrasher “Barracuda.” The closer showed Heart at its best, with Nancy Wilson and the rest of the band plowing through heavy rock riffs while Ann Wilson shouted equally impressive vocals. In its prime, Heart was one of the most impressive bands in rock and roll, and even after 46 years, the band is still very close to that level.
