I distinctly remember seeing this one album cover growing up with these two super hot chicks on it that my mother used to listen to constantly. It might have been the first time I had ever heard hard rock music before.
The record was called Dreamboat Annie and those two beautiful ladies were the incredibly talented sister duo of Ann and Nancy Wilson. This record came out when I was two, so I’m guessing that I didn’t fully comprehend the greatness of this rock ‘n’ roll masterpiece until I was at least six, but this was one of those records than never left my parents’ turntable.
Songs like “Magic Man” and “Crazy on You” have been stuck in my head for close to three decades now, and I really never get tired of hearing those songs. Heart has sold more than 35 million albums worldwide and they continue to carry their signature hard rock sound along with their incredibly diverse folky ventures. Last week a stellar version of Heart made their triumphant return to San Francisco. Fueled of course by the core of the band, Ann and Nancy, it was worth the wait.
I haven’t seen Heart in several years. I remember seeing them play a small private event for iTunes about five or six years ago and they sounded fantastic. This time around they sounded equally as good, if not better. Ann and Nancy both look incredible by the way. Both are the type of artists who do this not because they have to, but because they want to. The chemistry is still very much there and Nancy’s chops are only second to Ann’s fucking stellar voice.
Of course the band played their “Hair Metal”-era hits including “These Dreams” and “What about Love,” but the real magic happened when they started into “Alone.” Each of these songs stands on their own as an instant classic and the band plays each of them just slightly modernized—all while maintaining the integrity of the originals.
But “Alone” was the showstopper of the night. I think the entire crowd got chills up and down when Ann belted out the pre-chorus, “Until now, I’ve always got by on my own…” as if her life depended on it. There was a moment when I thought that even the best singers on the planet today such as Adele and maybe Pink, could never hold a candle to the great Ann Wilson—there’s just no comparison.
The rest of the setlist that evening was a mix of old and new alongside some amazing covers which included what Ann called Heart’s secret weapon—Nancy on lead vocals, mesmerizing with the Elton John classic “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.” Closing out the night with a trio of Zeppelin classics totally brought the house down and kept the crowd on their feet stomping and clapping along until the very end.
Epic show, epic songs, and two sisters who I hope will continue to play together for as long as they possibly can.
Check out hi-res photos in the gallery here.
