When I was working on a Post preview of the Celebrate Fairfax! event – a weekend county fair sans livestock – I was offered the opportunity to chat briefly with one of the featured performers, the wonderful Joan Jett. I try not to be jaded, but I don’t often get positively nervous/excited when I’m prepping to talk to musicians these days. But this was Joan Freakin’ Jett!
Glad to report that the woman is a pleasant, giving personality who chatted freely about a variety of subjects, including the reprehensible fact that she’s not yet been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She seems to harbor no grudge, finds it just another example of the way women are often overlooked in the world, and explained that her appearance at this past year’s R&RHoF ceremonies was not a sign of a bridge being built between her and the Powers That Be, but simply her honoring the request of a friend, the late Mike Smith of the Dave Clark Five, who passed away shortly before the event.
At the end of the brief conversation (she had squeezed me into a busy day filming an episode of “Law and Order”), Jett asked me if I intended to come to the show and invited me to meet her backstage.
Lots of musicians extend such invitations in the enforced friendliness of an interview, but I had an email confirmation of the meeting from her super-efficient PR people within minutes of hanging up the phone.
And I was nervous/excited again, driving to the Fairfax Government Center to make the date a week later. First I met Kenny Laguna, Jett’s longtime manager, musical collaborator and protector of sorts, the guy who handles all the petty details so that she’s free to rock. Another writer (who appeared to know Jett and Laguna personally) and I were the only two people allowed in her trailer before a crush of Meet-and-Greeters, and the other guy did most of the talking. But I was able to shake the iconic female rocker’s hand, get a few autographs on some photos I’d taken at her Warped Tour appearance a few years back and got permission to shoot the concert.
Not only permission, but a full access pass that put me on the side of the stage or in the pit for the whole damn show.
Jett’s a tireless performer, with energy to burn, anthemic tunes that are perfect for a summer outdoor show, and a smile that’s made all the more special for its rare, spontaneous wattage.
When the main set ended, Jett came to the side of the stage and nearly collapsed. She seemed to deflate into a rag doll heap, leaning against the stairs as if she were too exhausted to play. And yet, after being enclosed in a circle of affection and support by Laguna and her fellow Blackhearts, she roused herself for a full-on encore. A rock legend. A class act.
Side note: that night marked the debut of Jett’s new signature Gibson guitar, designed to her own specifications by the instrument giant. Laguna called me a few days later to say that the company was excited to hear that a photographer was on hand, and askd that I send pics of Jett playing her new axe. Haven’t heard back from anyone on the Jett or Gibson side (I assume I would if they were using any of the photos) but if you see a Gibson ad that looks like any of the photos here, let me know!
While we’re at it, let’s add to the O/CD Tally with the album that Laguna was nice enough to give me at the show.
1. JOAN JETT and the BLACKHEARTS – Sinner (Blackheart Records)
and I’ll tag on a bunch of albums that came to me in conjunction with other past Post previews, along with the links to the original articles, for archive sake.
2. JON DEE GRAHAM – Swept Away (Freedom)
The CD soundtrack for the documentary film about one of Austin’s local heroes.
3. JON DEE GRAHAM – Swept Away DVD
show with the Squirrel Nut Zippers
4. TAB BENOIT and LOUISIANA’S LEROUX – Last Train to Nashville (Telarc)
show at the State Theatre
5. PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND – Made in New Orleans (Preservation Hall)
OMG! The nice folks at Shore Fire sent me the deluxe edition of this CD/DVD set, the one that comes in the Every-One-Truly-Unique packaging, with a Polaroid photo taken by PHJB director Ben Jaffe and collectors’ items like original press releases, photos, even receipts from band expenses, like the bill from a BBQ dinner! Way cool.
show at the Wolf Trap Barns
6. MACEO PARKER – Roots & Grooves (Heads Up Recording)
show at the State Theatre
7. and 8. MATT KEATING – Quixotic (Kealon Records)
show at St. Elmo’s Coffee Shop
I got two copies of this one – a generic cardboard advance before I interviewed Keating, and the commercial release, with a truly stunning photo on the cover – a windfarm under a gorgeous blue shy (unretouched, he swore to me).
9. EAST VILLAGE OPERA COMPANY – EPK/DVD (Brick Wall Mgmt.)
10. EAST VILLAGE OPERA COMPANY – La Donna e Mobile (Brick Wall Mgmt.)
Music video single
11. EAST VILLAGE OPERA COMPANY – Habanera Redux (Carmen) at Irving Plaza (Brick Wall Mgmt.)
12. EAST VILLAGE OPERA COMPANY – S/T(Decca)
show at Reston Center Stage
13. RICARDO LEMVO – Shall We Salsa (Trilogy Records)
An emusic download that I made for myself.
show at the Rosslyn Spectrum
14. SAW DOCTORS – That Takes the Biscuit (Shamtown)
show at the Birchmere
And here’s a pic from that wild Irish romp of a night.
Year-to-Date O/CD Tally: 116
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