Since the early 1970’s the music that is now known as classic rock has been dominated by males. It’s not for any sexist reason, more so it is the way rock music has always been identified with names like Lennon and McCartney, Jagger and Richards, Plant and Page, Townshend and Daltrey, and Tyler and Perry. But in the first half of the ‘70’s, two names joined that elusive club – Wilson and Wilson. No, it wasn’t the Beach Boys, it was a new hard rock group called Heart lead by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group went on to sell over 35 million albums and reshape the way women are looked at in rock and roll. Five decades later (aside from a few hiatuses) the band is once again on the road, including a recent stop at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, New York on August 30.
As part of this tour, legendary musician/producer Todd Rundgren served as opening act and for the show in Bethel, Rundgren delivered both familiar numbers and deep cuts from his solo career and from his days in the bands Utopia and Nazz. At 77 years old, Rundgren could easily just stand, or sit, at a microphone and go through the motions, but instead he is as energetic as ever on stage and was running around playing guitar and engaging the crowd with songs like “Secret Society,” “Open My Eyes,” and “Lost Horizon.”
Even his voice hasn’t shown signs of aging. Rundgren delivered deep, powerful vocals when needed but was also to tone things down on the slower, radio friendly hits like “I Saw the Light” which segued into “Can We Still Be Friends,” and his early smash record with Nazz, “Hello It’s Me.” While most every other classic rocker makes sure to play their hits at each show, Rundgren is the exact opposite. Sure, it was pleasant to hear the two most recently mentioned songs, most people know him through the novelty hit “Bang the Drum,” which, in true Rundgren fashion, was nowhere to be found.
Coming on right at 9pm, Heart wasted little time in going back to the 1980’s with the opening two numbers of :”Bebe Le Strange,” and the pop-heavy “Never.” Flanked by five musicians, the Wilson sisters took center stage with Ann – having recently undergone cancer removal surgery and a broken elbow – sitting or leaning against a chair. In earlier stops on the tour, Wilson was in a wheelchair while singing. Some people could question why the shows still happened, but Wilson is known for her voice (regarded as one of the best female voices in rock and roll) and as long as she still has that, why should the shows not happen?
That said, there was a point in the show where Ann Wilson took a break, and her immensely talented sister Nancy took over lead vocals on their 80’s chart topper “These Dreams.” Nancy has almost always been overshadowed by Ann’s voice, but “These Dreams” serves as the perfect example of Nancy also being a fully capable singer. Immediately afterwards, Nancy strapped up her acoustic guitar and did one of the most well-known riffs of the 70’s when she performed the frenetic opening of “Crazy on You.” Although Ann’s voice is still nearly as strong as ever, her health problems and age have taken a slight toll on her voice, and the chorus of “Crazy on You” would be one of only a small amount of times that it was noticeable.
In 2012, Led Zeppelin was given Kennedy Center Honors and Ann and Nancy Wilson brought the house down with a tremendous version of the Zeppelin classic “Stairway to Heaven.” The performance was so good – and with Zeppelin being a big influence on Heart – the logical decision was to have the band play some Zep in concert. Instead of breaking out Stairway, the band chose some of the softer material like a tranquil “Going to California,” and a tender “The Rain Song.” Also in the mix was a quick but fun “4 Edward,” a song Nancy wrote after giving late guitar god Eddie Van Halen one of her acoustic guitars when Van Halen said he didn’t really have acoustic guitars and fell in love with the one she gifted him.
The rest of the set was filled with hits like “Magic Man,” Zeppelin’s “The Ocean,” and their late 70’s hit “Straight On” which segued into David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.” Another segue occurred when they broke out an acoustic version of their 80’s power ballad “Alone.” As they have been doing for years, the band backed Ann Wilson on the first verse and chorus before kicking into the songs guitar solo. Instead of going back into “Alone,” the songs solo transitioned into the solo from another Heart power ballad, “What About Love” which also saw one verse delivered. It’s a weird experience for those in attendance as Wilson’s singing on “Alone” may be some of the best of her career, but expecting her to be able to hit the high screams and overall demand the song takes could be the reason the band has chosen to not perform the entire song anymore.
From the video channel of the Markpee.
What Heart concert would be complete without the tale of Heart’s old record label starting a rumor that the sisters were in a romantic relationship with each other, “Barracuda.” The song itself is fascinating as most musicians, especially guitarists, dive into the songs music without really knowing the back story. It may be one of the most impactful events to happen to the Wilson sisters, but in true rock and roll style they turned the experience into one of classic rock radios longstanding staples. The song brought the night, and this leg of Heart’s tour, to an end, and saw the nearly 9,000 people in attendance leave the venue feeling satisfied with the double dose of classic rock they received. It was a night full of songs that helped reintroduce Heart into the mainstream, and most importantly a night that saw Ann and Nancy Wilson deliver rock and roll that would make the men feel like they have a lot of catching up to do.
Heart setlist:
- Bebe Le Strange
- Never
- Love Alive
- Little Queen
- These Dreams
- Crazy on You
- Dog & Butterfly
- Going to California
- 4 Edward
- Magic Man
- You’re the Voice
- The Rain Song
- Straight On / Let’s Dance
- Alone / What About Love
- The Ocean
- Barracuda
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