Heart
The “Rock Hall Three For All” tour packed the Shoreline Amphitheatre on a balmy Wednesday night for what proved to be one of the can’t-miss rock tours of the summer. Featuring headliners Heart along with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Cheap Trick, the tour name gave nod to each band’s recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Cheap Trick in 2015, Joan Jett in 2015, and Heart in 2013). Collectively and individually, these three bands have sold millions of albums, played thousands of shows, and left an indelible mark on music.
First up was Cheap Trick, taking the stage for their hour-long set as the sun set behind the amphitheater lawn. A respectable number of people wisely beat the weeknight traffic to make it out early and pack the amphitheater for a band that never disappoints live. As the band kicked things off with their standard opener, “Hello There,” lead guitarist Rick Nielsen did double duty as hype man, encouraging the audience and peppering the crowd, the crew, cameramen, and anyone else who came into his view with expertly aimed guitar pics, sometimes by the fistful.
Cheap Trick
Not to be outdone, Tom Petersson impressed on the 12 string bass and vocals on a cover of The Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting for the Man.” And then there was Robin Zander who soared on his vocals mixed with the showmanship that comes with over 40 years of experience.
Shared production and a fast-moving stage crew meant minimal downtime and maximum rock and roll. A remarkable fifteen minute set change got Joan Jett on stage quickly for another hour-long set that had every seat filled and every person on their feet as she opened with “Bad Reputation.” Full of swagger, the Queen of Rock n’ Roll and Godmother of Punk pulled from her early days in the Runaways all the way through to 2013’s Unvarnished leaving time to sprinkle a few covers in with the Blackhearts classics.
Heart
Last up, headliners Heart took the stage at 9:30 pm to absolutely wow the crowd. Between Ann’s vocals and Nancy’s chugging guitar, classics like “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You” and “Barracuda” sounded timeless. The fact that Nancy was able to take the lead on vocals for a pair of balads (“These Dreams,” “Two”) added to depth of the performance.
But the set was not all about the classics; Heart has a new album out that was not to be ignored. Sadly for the Bay Area crowd who were familiar with the tune “Beautiful Broken,” local metal hero James Hetfield from Metallica (who lent vocals on the album version of the song) did not make an appearance. Given that it was a week night, the slow but steady trickle of people leaving the show during Heart’s set was not a huge surprise, but those who stuck it out were treated with an encore of a pair of epic Led Zep covers to end the night.
In spite of … or maybe because of … their longevity, these three bands keeping putting out and playing some of the best rock and roll out there. It would be easy to classify them as nostalgia acts but that wouldn’t be further from the truth. They’re all cranking out new music and, unimaginably, getting better with time.
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HEART
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CHEAP TRICK SETLIST
Hello There
Oh, Candy
Stiff Competition
Taxman, Mr. Thief
You’re All Talk
Need Your Love
The ‘In’ Crowd (Dobie Gray cover)
I’m Waiting for the Man (The Velvet Underground cover) (Tom Petersson on lead vocals)
The Flame
I Want You to Want Me
Dream Police
Surrender
Goodnight
JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS SETLIST
Bad Reputation
Cherry Bomb (The Runaways cover)
Do You Wanna Touch Me?
TMI
You Drive Me Wild (The Runaways cover)
Light of Day (Bruce Springsteen cover)
Fragile
Love Is Pain
Fake Friends
Any Weather
I Love Rock & Roll
Crimson & Clover (Tommy James & the Shondells cover)
I Hate Myself for Loving You
ENCORE
Everyday People (Sly & The Family Stone cover)
HEART SETLIST
Wild Child (Romeo’s Daughter cover)
Magic Man
What About Love (Toronto cover)
Even It Up
These Dreams
Two (Ne‐Yo cover)
Straight On
Kick It Out
Beautiful Broken
Alone (I-Ten cover)
Crazy on You
Barracuda
ENCORE
Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin cover)
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin cover)
