HoustonPress Review and Photos!

Heart performed Zeppelin's THE OCEAN to a sold out crowd in Houston last night :D Here is the HoustonPress review!


In trying to come up with a witty juxtaposition to open our review of Thursday night's Heart show, Aftermath was initially going to throw out a comparison to Jefferson Airplane/Starship, another band that peaked decades ago, enjoyed a brief resurgence in the '80s, then faded more or less into obscurity.

It wasn't until we started digging back into Heart's material that we remembered just how much of their catalogue provided a framework for AOR and classic-rock radio. Sure, everyone remembers "Barracuda" and "Magic Man" - or should, anyway - but the Wilson sisters flat-out owned the Dazed and Confused era: "Crazy On You," "Kick It Out," "Heartless," "Straight On," "Dreamboat Annie"... and that was before 1980. Clearly the comparison to be made isn't to Starship, but to Journey.

Hear us out.

​Now, we realize Heart hasn't inspired not one but two video games, and Journey's Escape will always be one of the quintessential '80s albums, but there are parallels, from earlier success as a hard rock band to reinvention in as '80s power balladeers. Sure, Journey was much more successful overall, but at least Heart never tried to replace Ann Wilson with some chick they found on YouTube.

Heart opened for Journey a few years back as well, which draws our lame exercise to a close and brings us to last night's show, a packed affair for a band that drew an uncharacteristically (for Houston) enthusiastic crowd and helped Aftermath revisit our youth in more ways than one.

We aren't sure where we'd been reading about the sisters losing steam recently - probably Pitchfork, those fuckers - but there was talk floating around about how Ann's voice wasn't what it once was, or that Nancy had lost a step. And this would be perfectly understandable (Ann is 60, Nancy 56), if it weren't demonstrably false.

From the first chords of the band's opening song, "Cook With Fire" from 1978's Dog and Butterfly, they were on top of it. Ann absolutely wailed, killing on standards like "Barracuda" and "Crazy On You" - as well as the encore covers, Led Zeppelin's "The Ocean" and The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" - while Nancy was an assured, electric presence. Gone were the corsets and unfortunate high-kicks of the "What About Love" era (third song), replaced by a pair of sisters who seemed genuinely grateful to still be together and playing music after 35 years.

​They stuck mostly with the hits, sprinkling in a few cuts from their latest release Red Velvet Car, but never straying far from bread-and-butter songs like "Straight On," "Magic Man" and stuff from their 1980s resurgence ("Alone," "These Dreams").

Ann and Nancy are the only original members left, but their backing players this time around were plenty solid, especially guitarist Craig Bartock, who took most of the soloing duties, and Debbie Shair, looking like a live representation of a Pokemon character behind the keyboards.

Aftermath has rarely seen the House of Blues this full, and... what a crowd. Rocks Off last saw Heart in '88 or '89 when we took a date to the Bad Animals show (not the first time we "compromised" our musical pedigree for the opposite sex), but Thursday night was largely a girls night out affair; "Soccer Moms Gone Wild," in case Joe Francis needs a new venture to pay legal fees.

We actually found ourselves in something of an uncomfortable situation when one lady, who apparently doesn't bend her elbow more than once a year, attempted to dance with us, and we're using a very loose definition of the term. She tried to close the deal by comparing high-school graduation dates:

She: When did you graduate?

Aftermath: 1987.

She: 1983!

Finally, we scored a senior.

Personal Bias: Our ulterior motives at the Bad Animals show aside, we've always liked Heart's music, even the '80s power-ballad stuff.

The Crowd: If we had older siblings, they'd have been there. Mid-40s and up, majority female, probably all hung over this morning.

Overheard In The Crowd: "Captain Morgan and Diet Coke." Repeat.

Random Notebook Dump: "There's a 50-y.o. dude next to me belting out 'These Dreams.' I swear to God he's crying."


SET LIST

​Cook With Fire
Heartless
What About Love
Straight On
Dog and Butterfly
These Dreams
Hey You
Even It Up/Gimme Shelter
Red Velvet Car
In The Cool
Alone
WTF (I think)
Magic Man
Crazy On You
Barracuda

ENCORE

The Ocean (Zep cover)
Love Reign O'er Me (Who cover)


   


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Grammy.com Review: Heart in Universal City 9/18

Saturday night. Los Angeles. What to do?

Luckily this was one weekend evening I had mapped out already, as I had made plans to see Heart at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, Calif., months in advance.

Heart hit the stage just past 9:30 p.m., entering to the tribal beats of "Cook With Fire," the lead track to 1978's classic Dog & Butterfly that cautions men not to dance too close to a deceptive female's flame. "She's going to burn ya/She's gonna make you a fool/But it'll learn ya/Way, way better than school," sang Ann Wilson. (In a rare moment of concert clarity, I thought, "Too bad they didn't teach that in school.")

The '80s made a grand entrance in the presence of "What About Love?" — the lead single from Heart's 1985 quintuple-platinum, self-titled album. Added back to their set this year, the song still resonates as it did a quarter century ago.

Sister Nancy Wilson made her first splash of the evening in laying down some funky riffing on her aqua-blue-swirled Fender Telecaster. Guitarist Craig Bartok joined the fun and off the band catapulted into the pointed "Straight On." The Wilsons' patented crystal-clear harmonies shone through on this hit, also from Dog & Butterfly.

Nancy, an overlooked lead singer in her own right (par for the course when your sister is Ann Wilson), took the mic for two songs. First up was Heart's first-ever No. 1 single, "These Dreams." Saddled with her trusty mandolin, Nancy introduced the song as the "spare a little candle version" in describing the intimacy of the rendition to come. Indeed, the song features a more stripped-down, mature treatment nowadays, while still maintaining a meditative quality.

Segueing into the brand-new "Hey You" — a romantic poem set to song perfect for any longstanding couple weathering the proverbial storm of love — Nancy displayed her musicality in playing autoharp.

The evening's sonic experiment came via a garage band-worthy mash-up of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" with "Even It Up" from 1980's Bebe Le Strange album. I like to think Mick and Keith would have approved.

The understated title track for Heart's new album, Red Velvet Car, followed. Ann described the song as "a soul rescue vehicle. It's about that friend you call in the middle of the night when you're stuck." An anthem of friendship and loyalty, the performance was hypnotic, and augmented by red lighting.

The monumental ballad "Alone" played out like a solemn prayer. Ann's vocals were complemented sparingly by Nancy on acoustic guitar and the pig-tailed Debbie Shair playing a harpsichord-type keyboard patch. Usually a high point at any Heart concert, tonight's rendition was particularly mesmerizing as Ann evoked the character of the song's protagonist like an Oscar-winning actress.

Picking the pace back up, the band ripped into "WTF," another new song from Red Velvet Car. With a driving groove — convincingly led by drummer Ben Smith and bassist Kristian Attard — and a sea of acoustic guitar strumming by Nancy, lyrically the song centers around a theme of self-examination with Ann warning: "The hardest thing you'll ever learn is what bridge to cross and what bridge to burn."

With her cascading strawberry-blonde hair, the timelessly beautiful Nancy Wilson moved across the stage with a combination of agility, grace and fervor for the entire evening. Her tour de force was her acoustic guitar solo preceding "Crazy On You," which featured an extended treatment with an excerpt of the main riff of "Hijinx" (a Heart diehard-only catch), a little bit of blues and a few bars of Led Zeppelin's "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You."

"Crazy On You," along with "Magic Man" before and "Barracuda" following, received arguably the best reactions from the L.A. crowd. A well-placed trio of veritable rock classics.

What does a band like Heart do for an encore? They read a few pages from the classic rock songbook. On "What Is And Never Should Be" from Led Zeppelin II, Ann matched Robert Plant's every nuance while Bartok played the song's memorable slide guitar solo, doing his best to evoke Jimmy Page.

The evening came to an end via the Who's dense "Love Reign O'er Me," an uplifting finale. As the last echoes reverberated, the band exited the stage to thundering applause.

With a band such as Heart having a vast catalog of music, there are always going to be songs you wish were played. (As a matter of fact, no songs were played from my favorite Heart album, 1990's Brigade.) But I found the 90-minute set well balanced and paced perfectly. As for the songs from Red Velvet Car, they fit together comfortably amid the band's classics.

True to the band's duality, the concert was ripe with dynamics. It was hot and cold; aggressive yet subtle; loud and quiet; powerful and delicate; and introspective yet communal. But most of all, it was full of heart.

Set List
"Cook With Fire"
"Heartless"
"What About Love"
"Straight On"
"Dog & Butterfly"
"These Dreams"
"Hey You"
"Gimme Shelter"/"Even It Up"
"Red Velvet Car"
"In the Cool"
"Alone"
"WTF"
"Magic Man"
"Crazy On You"
"Barracuda"
"What Is and What Should Never Be"
"Love Reign O'er Me"


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LA Weekly: Heart at the Gibson Amphitheater

On Wikipedia, the band Heart pops up in search results before the blood-pumping organ does. From the ecstatic beer and arm swaying rapture rattling the Gibson Amphitheater Saturday night, it's possible that over the last 35 years, Ann and Nancy Wilson have become more popular than the most precious human muscle. At least for people in their 40s and FM radio junkies.

Though Heart continues its legacy in the hands of 13 year old boys playing Guitar Hero, this was mom and dad's night out and the kids could stay at home raiding the liquor cabinet. This was a night for power ballads, for high kicks, for rape and murder (in a Rolling Stones cover), and a chance to get to know Meatloaf's daughter Pearl, who opened the show.

When Ann Wilson emerged from darkness carrying a flute, three-quarters of the room forgot how to breathe. She said, "Nothing left to do but open each other up and let our soul sing out. Ok? Ok!" and led us through Heart's discography without missing a hit. There was a time in Heart's career when cameras were all on Nancy, but at this show Ann was center-stage and in focus the whole time, with Nancy preferring to loom in the shadows, hopping and high-kicking. The only time Nancy seized all attention was in the inimitable intro to "Crazy On You." Many of us played along as if a black plastic guitar materialized before us, counting red, yellow, red, blue, red-yellow, blue, red-yellow, green+whammy...



"Alone," "These Dreams," and "What About Love?" brought back the glorious '80s, when the power ballad found its most enduring form. Heart also offered some new songs, such as "Red Velvet Car," which may sound like a euphemism for genitals but actually refers to the person you call when you're super drunk to pick you up.

The highlight of the night belonged to the 1970s, in a back-to-back "Magic Man, "Crazy On You," and "Barracuda" triple slam as well as a badass Led Zeppelin cover during the encore. There was a moment during "Crazy On You" during one those amazingly high notes when Ann reached down and scratched her wrist. She held the attention of thousands transfixed by her voice (which is sounding tip-top), and could still just scratch her wrist like she was waiting in line at the supermarket. It reminds us that humans are capable of wondrous things and still remain human.


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Heart at the Ryman: Review and Pictures!

The sold out crowd rose to their feet as the legendary sister rock duo Heart took to the stage at the Ryman Auditorium. They continued to stand, dance, and jump around as the band played through their hits and introduced songs off their new album. The evening started off with Nancy Wilson revving up the crowd with a slamming guitar solo, while lead singer Ann Wilson entered from the back of the stage playing a flute. The crowd went crazy as the night began, especially when they launched into "What About Love."

Ann Wilson took time to engage the crowd throughout the night. She joked that Nancy and she had been doing music in Heart for a very long time, starting "way back in the 20th century." They then went on to play the title track from their 1978 album, Dog and Butterfly, as psychedelic images flashed on the screen behind them. They would go on to play through a majority of their hits, including "Crazy On You", "Magic Man", and "Alone".

Heart told the audience how blessed they felt to play in Nashville in front of so many incredible musicians. Ann Wilson then went on to say that the band had invited one of these musicians to join them tonight. As surprise guest Alison Krauss joined the sisters at the front, the rest of the band faded to the back. The crowd was awestruck as the trio joined together for a heartfelt song.

Heart spent a lot of the evening introducing their fans to the songs off their most recent studio effort, Red Velvet Car. Singer Ann Wilson explained that a red velvet car is what shows up when you are stuck and have no other options but to dial that last number in your phone. Other new songs included "WTF" and "Hey You".

Even after so many years, Heart has been able to hold onto their classic look and powerful, vocal driven sound. Ann Wilson can still hit the soaring high notes and Nancy Wilson's guitar licks are stronger than ever.

    

 

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A&N Online Exclusive Review: Heart at the Ryman 8/17/2010

I encourage anyone who comes to this site, if you've seen a recent show, please submit a review! As a fan, I really enjoy reviews that go into a lot of detail. I love seeing the emotions in the words. I feel like some of the reviews I read from the "pros" are a little dry sometimes. When my friends and I read about the shows we always love hearing about the little in between moments, Ann and Nancy's banter, there's so many sweet, wonderful moments in a show that I don't want to miss out on. And we always love hearing about the outfits :D Anyone who is interested in submitting, I really encourage you to pour your heart out, bring us to the place Ann and Nancy took you. :)


Our second review! :D This one comes from my friend Kendel who attended the Ryman show! Enjoy :)


Heart at the historic Ryman Auditorium August 17, 2010

I have been a fan of Heart since before my age hit double digits. I remember playing jacks on the floor in my mom’s beauty shop in the ‘70s and hearing on the radio, “Crazy on You”. As a kid, my older cousins would let me sit on their laps and steer the car through our neighborhood, singing as loud as we could to whatever cool song was playing on the radio. It was with then that I learned to love all of what is now considered classic rock. But I especially loved Heart. My very first Heart album was the self –titled “Heart”. I knew every song and swore someday I would see these women perform. That was 1985.

That day came on August 17, 2010 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. I was ecstatic and could hardly wait to witness, in my mind, the best female rock n’ rollers in the business. Ann Wilson has a set of pipes on her like none other, and Nancy Wilson is right there with Eddie Van Halen and Jimmy Page. This show was guaranteed to rock!

The first opening act was a peaceful voice, Erick Baker. He only played a guitar and had an accompanying violin, but his vocals were awesome. I would love to hear him again.

My first reaction to the next act was, “Oh my God, it’s Hanson.” I was very wrong and apologize for placing the Tyler Bryant Band in that category. The lead singer is going to be a rock start. Mark my words….the boy is rock star material. They are a hometown band and obviously had many fans in the Ryman. I became their next.

We were pumped full of AC/DC while the stage was being prepped for Heart. It was during that time that I witnessed a crowd bursting at the seams with energy. A man several rows in front of me was playing air drums and had the whole auditorium rooting for him. The dude across the aisle was playing air guitar so “Slash-like” that his wife was distancing herself. The “wave” was surging through the crowd. It was simply electric.

Finally, the moment!! Heart came on stage! It was all so surreal. Ann was decked out in her black and singing with the same intensity she has been in the three plus decades earlier. Nancy was tearing up the guitar lead and looking very hot! They wowed the crowd with their new songs and at one point, one of country music’s finest, Alison Krauss, was brought on stage to sing with the ladies. The harmony between the three of them was magnificent.

The concert could have gone on forever. It was one fabulous song after another. I especially loved hearing Heart classics such as” Barracuda”, “Crazy on You”, “Magic Man”, and “What About Love”. Unfortunately, they didn’t sing my all-time favorite Heart song, “Will You Be There (In the Morning)”. There are many reasons I love that song, but probably the biggest reason is that Nancy sings lead vocals. It’s not often you get to hear her voice stand out from the incredible voice of Ann.

The electricity pulsating through the crowd was just as powerful after the last song as it was right before Heart came on stage. I had never experienced a show like it before. I told a friend of mine that the concert was better than the best concert I had seen before. That concert was Cher, in the 90s. I stand by those words. I will take every opportunity I have in the future to see Heart again. I can’t hardly wait until their new album comes out, spawning new Heart hits.

Kendel L. Boone

Revolution Magazine: Heart - More Substance Than Style This Go Around

KILLER review of the Raleigh show!

Church came early for me this week with the combination of a run-in with an old friend and the act of spontaneity. It was a muggy Saturday and my afternoon was free. I had read online that the legendary band Heart was playing a very small, intimate amphitheatre in Raleigh, NC. Although we had no tickets, we decided to take our chance by driving down and seeing who may extra tickets for sale in the parking lot.

Sure enough, standing right by the entrance gate was a woman holding up tickets that she needed to unload. We purchased them for the very low price of only $10 each and entered. I should have known right then that it was going to be a very special evening. The opening act was a new male vocalist by the name of Erick Baker who took the stage all alone and very vulnerable with only his acoustic guitar and the mic. His voice, very similar in vein to David Grey (reference provided from a friend) was amazing and he definitely poured his heart into each song. At one point, I remember hearing him and thinking that the song sounded very familiar. He was doing an slowed down, acoustic version of the Beastie Boys “You Gotta Fight For Your Right To Party”, which he managed to pull off and make it work. Just a quick side note, please look into this artist for he is a very talented guy on the verge of a major break.

The sky started to fade to night and the air started to cool and the setting was great for an outdoor concert. Heart hit the stage about 9:00 and it did not take long to see that these ladies are truly the real deal. In a age of “here today, gone today” flavors of the week in the music industry, it’s always rewarding to see an act like Heart. The Wilson sisters, Ann and Nancy for those not in the know, have been rocking out for over thirty years and still do not get the respect that they truly deserve.

Ann kept the banter between songs very short, acknowledging that there was a lot of history to cover and for the crowd to have a goodtime and enjoy the evening. The arrangements on some of the hits that they have been playing for years were toyed with just a little bit to give the songs a fresh interpretation. Their big hit from the eighties “These Dreams” showcased Nancy on mandolin which was a great artistic move on her part. It really added to the structure of the song and made it, in my opinion, even better than the original version.

The band is actually touring this summer to support their new CD, “Red Velvet Car” and they played three tracks from it that night including the texting friendly appropriate song called “WTF”, which was actually a good little rocking tune. The band continued to mix up the classic hits from the seventies and the hits from their big, yet brief heyday in the eighties. Ann’s version of “Alone” was stripped down to an almost keyboard only performance that really showed why her voice is one that the most underappreciated voices in the history of music. How many times can you say that you have gone to a concert and that the singer’s vocals sounded even better live than on the CD itself? Ann’s voice live has that pure, raw emotion feel to it that gets stripped away during production in a studio.

All the seventies classics seem to have been spotlighted including the rocking “Barracuda” , “Straight On” and “Magic Man”. A very cool little “mash-up” was their classic “Even It Up” mixed with the Rolling Stones “Gimme Shelter” which sounded amazing. A personal highlight for me was my favorite of their classic seventies hits “Dog & Butterfly” on which Ann can do no wrong. Such a beautiful song on which Ann’s connection with the lyrical content is an element lacking in so many singers today.

Heart fans know that the band is notorious live for doing some amazing covers of classic songs from bands that they are fans of. A prime example being the solid cover of Zeppelin’s “Rock n Roll”. Well, the girls may have just topped themselves with the encore played this particular night. The two song encore started with a wicked cover of Zeppelin’s “What Is and What Should Never Be”.

What was about to happen next is one of those events that you feel honored to have experienced. At that point, we were taken to church by the Wilson sisters as they graced the crowd with a cover of the Who classic “Love Reign O’er Me”. Now, I am a Who fan and had even talked on Facebook with a fellow writer about the exact same song earlier in the day. To add to the irony of it all is the fact that I was even wearing a Who shirt that evening! What proceeded to happen over the next six minutes was nothing short of spiritual. The power of Ann’s voice delivering the poetic words of Pete Townsend’s masterpiece from Quadrophenia. That, combined with the superb musicianship supplied by the band, created one of the strongest musical moments that I think I have ever witnessed live.

Overall, the show was nothing short of a stellar display of pure talent. Artists like Ann and Nancy Wilson are rare in today’s music scene. True, back in the eighties, they did get caught up in that “packaged” artist machine that pushed style over substance, but it didn’t take them long to come to their senses and get back to what it was all about…the music. Did they play all the hits that night in Raleigh? No, quite a few of their big ones were left out, but just about everyone there walked away with a feeling of satisfaction and definitely getting their moneys worth. In today’s recession, that just doesn’t happen too many times.


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Huntsville Review!

HUNTSVILLE, AL. - For about the first hour or so of its 90-minute concert Thursday night, Heart played, well, with a lot of heart.

Ann and Nancy Wilson, together for over 35 years after great success in the 1970s and '80s, brought along with them four other musicians Thursday night and entertained a small but enthusiastic older crowd of about 3,000 fans at the Von Braun Center Arena.

Edwin McCain gave a better than your average opener performance, playing for about 40 minutes and including such hits as "I'll Be" and "I Could Not Ask for More." He even talked about grabbing lunch at Tim's Cajun Kitchen.

Heart then took the stage, opening with a lesser known song from 1978's "Dog & Butterfly" album, "Cook With Fire," and kicked it up a little with "What About Love" and "Straight On for You." The gals may not be as young as they used to be - "We aren't as old as dirt, but we've been around a while," Nancy said - but they haven't lost a beat on the stage. Ann's voice is still as amazingly strong and powerful as it's always been and Nancy jumps around flailing her guitar like some 19-year-old.

Heart continued with "Dog & Butterfly," "These Dreams," the group's first No. 1 hit, "Alone," the second No. 1, and "Even It Up." The group then started in with the sometimes dreaded "stuff from our new album." In fairness to Heart, the gals haven't had a new studio album since 2004, so they played selections from "Red Velvet Car," due out Aug. 31, including "Hey You," "Red Velvet Car" and "WTF."

The songs seemed more mellow, more country/folk, similar to the sound the gals put out as the Lovemongers, their side band in the '90s when they took a break from Heart. They were okay, but probably not what most of the crowd came to hear.

However, this story - and concert - have a happy ending.

That's because the last 30 or minutes of the show were pure, hard drivin' Heart rock, bringing the crowd to its feet. First came "Magic Man," then Nancy did an extended guitar intro before the band ripped into "Crazy On You." After that came "Barracuda."

The band exited the stage for a few minutes, then came back and flexed its rock muscles during the encore. You'd never know Ann is 60 and Nancy 56, especially as they performed Led Zeppelin's classic "What Is and What Should Never Be" and The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" with all the fury that Robert Plant/Jimmy Page and Roger Daltry/Pete Townsend put into it way back when.

It was the kind of ending all rock fans love, one that leaves you buzzing as you're walking out the door.


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Heart and Erick Baker Rock the nTelos Pavilion

Friday, August 13, Heart and opening act Erick Baker rocked the Portsmouth nTelos Pavilion stage.

Erick Baker kicked off the night with songs from his new album, Holding the Pieces in Place, and some of his older music including “Comfort You”, “Room to Fall”, “Stay Awhile”, “Crazy”, and “Next to Me”.

He also sang a song which he called “Nothing at All” and an acoustic cover of the Beastie Boys “Fight for Your Right to Party” which he slowed down to emphasize the words and sentiment. Baker performed with an amazing enthusiasm, intensity, and passion which you could read in his facial expressions and gestures as he sang and played guitar.

During his performance, he explained to the audience that his music is inspired by life and love. “Room to Fall” was inspired by his wife’s pregnancy and his desire to be a good parent to his daughter, Annabel. While “Stay Awhile” was inspired by his love for his wife.

Baker has a unique sound. Although his vocals and musical style are in some ways similar to that of mainstream artists Edwin McCain, Daughtry, John Mayer, and Train, Baker’s lyrics are deep, personal, and genuine like the thoughtful and vulnerable lyrics of the best coffee house poetry.

Heart performed some of their best known music and songs from their new album, Red Velvet Car which will be released August 31. The set list included “Cook With Fire”, “Heartless”, “What About Love”, “Straight On”, “Dog and Butterfly”, “These Dreams”, “Hey You”, “Even It Up”, “Red Velvet Car”, “In the Cool”, “Alone”, “WTF”, “Magic Man”, “Crazy on You”, and “Barracuda”. During their encore performance, Heart also performed a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and What Should Never Be” and The Who’s “Love, Reign O’er Me”.

Unlike other popular performers from the 70’s and 80’s who have recently performed in Hampton Roads, Heart still has IT. Listening to Heart Friday night was every bit as wonderful as listening to Heart for the first time in the 80’s. Their music was delivered with an amazing energy and showmanship that no CD or sound system could ever deliver.

Ann still has the vocal strength, accuracy, and range to give you goose bumps while Nancy’s vocals, energy, and rock star moves on the guitar remind viewers of what a rock concert should be.

Their music was accompanied by moving and stationary lighting, black lights, fog, and themed background images to go along with the band's name and the songs they were performing. The stage was well lit with moving and stationary spots of blue, red, yellow, green, purple, and orange. Background images included everything from hearts and circles on fire, sunbursts, red velvet cars, montages of geometric and organic shapes, and kaleidoscopic images.

Heart also incorporated video clips into their performance to illustrate “These Dreams” and “Red Velvet Car”. "These Dreams” was illustrated with clips of rapid movement through nighttime clouds, a misty forest, images of fall, and waves lapping into the shore which helped audience members envision the “dream”. “Red Velvet Car”, described by the sisters as a true love song, was illustrated with cartoon images of the sisters in dire straits being rescued by the “Red Velvet Car”.

Heart’s use of video clips, images, and lighting effects enhanced an already outstanding performance. The Wilson sisters continue to be not only talented musicians, but also talented performers. This was by far nTelos Pavilion’s best performance of the summer.

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Heart Serves Up Some Classic Rock With an Extra Live Kick

True to the words of one Huey Lewis, the heart of the rock 'n' roll is still beating. But what about the Heart of rock 'n' roll?

That was the question tonight when the band, which had its first hit 34 years ago and has been off and on the last 15 years, made a long-awaited Pittsburgh appearance at the packed Trib Amphitheatre, led, of course, by the Wilson sisters Ann and Nancy.

Not to take anything away from the super cool Nancy, but the key to Heart's success is Ann's ability to wail, as so many of the songs were designed for her siren voice. It passed its first test on the opening "Cook With Fire," with the 60-year-old Ann, elegant in a lacy black dress, revealing the power and then the range, on the soaring chorus.

At her side was the strawberry-haired Nancy grinding on guitar and sometimes sharing the lead vocal, like on "Straight On," which included a playful nod to "Take Me to the River." Likewise, "Even It Up" started like it was "Gimme Shelter" and then delivered on that tease with Ann mixing in one chorus of the Stones' rocker.

Of course there was no getting around the '80s, represented by the slower songs like the swelling ballad "Alone," "These Dreams" and "Never," spiked by Nancy's harmonica solo.

Heart, yet another band touring prior to the release of an album no one's heard, offered a few songs from "Red Velvet Car," including the title track (a symphonic ballad), the metallic "WTF" and Nancy's jangly folk-rock song ''Hey You," with a "nah-nah-nah" chorus.

That left the big three and, seriously, how many bands have a trio of Guitar Hero hits to close with as killer as "Magic Man," "Crazy on You" and "Barracuda"? Believe it or not, they rocked just like we remembered them, with the extra live kick.

The icing on Heart's classic rock cake was more heavy riffage by way of Zeppelin's "What Is and What Should Never Be" and The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me".


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Classic Rockers Heart Return to Their Roots with New Album Red Velvet Car

For Heart's Ann Wilson, 60, and Nancy Wilson, 56, a lot has changed since 1977. Back then, Heart had just moved back to the U.S. after several years in Canada, and was comfortably positioned at the upper levels of '70s radio charts, producing classic hard-rock hits like "Crazy On You" and "Barracuda."

After fizzling in the early '80s, in 1985, the band achieved the dream of most slightly outdated bands -- a comeback. The Wilson sisters had bigger hair and a flashier look, and threw a few then-trendy power ballads into their usual guitar-fueled '70s rock 'n' roll; their appropriately named album, Splendid Resurrection, summed up the year for them.

Now, after a six-year hiatus, Heart is back (again) with a national tour and a new album called Red Velvet Car. The album, due out Aug. 31, still sounds decidedly '70s -- in addition to acoustic-based songs, others are fast-paced and dramatically guitar-heavy, just like the band used to be. But despite the throwback sound, hints of modernity creep in, with one song somewhat awkwardly titled "WTF."

Although 2010 probably won't be another 1985 for Heart, the band has kept its career alive for over three decades, and fans heading to Station Square on Fri., Aug. 6, shouldn't expect to see two old grandmas clinging to the past. They'll see two veterans of the music business, who, perhaps surprisingly after so many years, have still got it.


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Aggressive, Delicate and Enduring

Not much love for the new material, but what does the New York Times know? Red Velvet Car is a vision, we know this. I prefer to ignore the last paragraph of this otherwise glowing review.


There is no shame in the singing of Ann Wilson of Heart. Feet planted squarely, hand on microphone, she anticipates the bigness of notes to come, then still sings them in such an overwhelming fashion that they appear to knock her off her center. Many times at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Tuesday night she took a pause, howled a few lines in a manner that would have impressed even Meat Loaf, then took another pause, needing to refocus.

It happened toward the end of “Alone”, one of Heart’s biggest hits. The arrangement was quieter and more measured than the original, which only spotlighted Ms. Wilson’s histrionics more aggressively: a class in vocal theatrics.

“Alone”, a No. 1 Billboard hit in 1987, has had a potent and varied afterlife. It has undone many an “American Idol” contestant — except for Carrie Underwood, who is indestructible — and it anchored a scene between Matthew Morrison and Kristin Chenoweth during the first season of “Glee.”

“It seems like it’s everywhere,” Ms. Wilson said of the song after she recovered; it was a nod to the stealth influence of Heart — Ms. Wilson and her sister Nancy and, for a time, their big hair, have been the core members — which time has shed of some of its bombastic hard-rock baggage. Its fundamental DNA of soaring melodies and juxtaposition of aggressive and delicate has been visible in all manner of artists in the past decade: Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, even Sugarland.

During this convincing show, as ever, Heart was unafraid of scale. Arena rock residue was everywhere. There was slick and ostentatious guitar work by Craig Bartock. Nancy Wilson, playing various guitars and a mandolin, jumped around the stage, kicking her feet high. Even the keyboardist, Debbie Shair, had a pair of drums to bang on during the show’s opening sequence.

The group’s 1970s and ’80s hits sounded only slightly worse for wear. Ann was ferocious on “Barracuda” and defiant on a version of “Never” that skewed toward Southern rock. Nancy sang lead on a mystical rendition of “These Dreams”, with Ann joining her at the chorus, but not undercutting her. During the encore they turned Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and What Should Never Be” into a bluesy show tune, replete with jarring, jagged licks by Nancy.

After singing a chaotic “Dog & Butterfly”, from 1978, Ann recalled: “We played it for the guys who were in the band at that point, and they were, ‘Oh, man, chick song!’ ”

Whatever that means.

Heart was never that simple. In a few places here Ann broke out the flute, a reminder of the mild folk undercurrent that always enlivened this band and its surprisingly tender harmonies, though it skipped some softer hits like “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You”; this show had no room for sentimentality.

Except in its new material, that is. Later this month Heart will release “Red Velvet Car” (Legacy), its 13th studio album and only its second since 1993. The arrangements are often small, and when slipped in between glorious old numbers during this show they felt listless. Ann’s vocals were still aggressive, and on “Hey You” Nancy briskly strummed an autoharp. But overall, these new songs felt tentative, held back by something Heart was never very good at: modesty.


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Wilson Sisters Put “Heart” Into Concert (w/Photos)

The Wilson sisters of Heart rocked out to a sold out audience at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom on August 3, 2010.

Heart performed several of their classic rock hits such as “Barracuda”, “Alone”, “Never”, “These Dreams”, “Magic Man”, and “Crazy On You.” The band also did covers of The Who‘s “Love Reign O’er Me” and Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and What Should Never Be.”

After a six-year hiatus, Heart will return August 31, 2010 with a new album entitled Red Velvet Car featuring “WTF” and “Hey You.”

   
   
   
 


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Heart at Pier Six Pavilion

'70s hard rockers-turned-'80s balladeers-turned classic rock mainstays Ann and Nancy Wilson brought their 2010 tour to Pier Six Pavilion Sunday night, with a well-rounded set list and pleasing performance.

Heart's multi-generational fan base was on hand, including a sizable number of sidewalk freeloaders and boat-dwellers.

Just as sunset hit the Inner Harbor, Heart made their way to the stage for a 100-minute set that featured every song the casual fan wanted to hear as well as a number of lesser-known tracks ...

From the start, it was obvious that Ann Wilson's voice is still in fine form, and Nancy Wilson is still full of rock 'n' roll front woman spunk after 35 years in the business. The group tore through two songs, "Hey You" and "WTF" from their 13th studio album, the forthcoming "Red Velvet Car".

Mid-set, they mixed in a faithful rendition of "These Dreams" and a stripped-down take of '80s megahit "Alone", which Ann noted came in at an octave lower than it was 25 years ago. It was a sultry and full as ever. Change is good.

The group back loaded their set with '70s classics "Magic Man", "Crazy on You", and "Barracuda." Near the end of the show, it seemed like Heart had finished, and a few fans left. They missed out on an encore that featured covers of Led Zeppelin and The Who. Heart has a powerful rendition of "Love Reign O'er Me."

As with most classic rock shows, last night's Heart concert was not without its cliches, including an unnecessary video montage of machine-generated visuals. Fire! Black light! Flaming donuts (I think)! But the cliches did nothing to take away from the power and professionalism of Heart's current incarnation and the ageless vocals of Ann Wilson. The Wilson sisters have still got it.


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Boston Herald: Heart's in the Right Place

Heart’s set at Bank of America Pavilion wrapped up with Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and What Should Never Be” and The Who’s “Love, Reign O’er Me.” What do those two songs have in common?

For one thing, they’re both incredibly tough to sing. And Robert Plant and RogerDaltrey, their original singers, seldom brave those high notes anymore. That’s one reason Heart is a cut above many ’70s-vintage bands: Ann Wilson has lost none of her wall-shaking range.

Another reason is that Heart still has class. Led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson (the sole remaining originals), Heart was never just about pile-driving rock. That was the case Wednesday. The new “Red Velvet Car” (the title track from Heart’s forthcoming CD) was a torch ballad that offered friendship in hard personal times with a warmth rare in arena rock.


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Rock the Park: A Time Warp

Heart had a big place in my heart back in the day too. There was the local connection -- Ann and Nancy Wilson are from Seattle, but the band really got off the ground in Vancouver -- and they were gorgeous, but most importantly they could rock.

And they can still rock. Ann Wilson’s voice is a thing of wonder, high and clear but tinged with just the right amount of smoky rasp. Nancy wields her guitar with a swagger befitting her idol, Jimmy Page.

“Heartless,” from 1978’s Magazine album, was a standout -- the inherent funkiness of the tune really came through on the big stage.

It was interesting to watch the connection the band made with women in the audience. I watched several gals well into grandparenting years elbow their way to the front of the pit to commune with the high priestesses of 70s rock. There, they swayed in nostalgic bliss to the romantic fantasia of the Nancy-voiced “These Dreams.”

But the band took it up to another level altogether with the one-two punch of “Crazy on You” and “Barracuda,” the former of which was a tour-de-force for Ann.

  


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LFPress: Rock the Park Review

A Face In The Crowd – Heart Rock The Park – Giving The People What They Want

The tornado watch was downgraded to a thunderstorm watch, so off to Harris Park it was on Saturday night.

Heart was the first act that I caught. They came out strong with a surprisingly heavy guitar sound and played mostly old hits, a couple of new ones from their new album (Red Velvet Car) and closed with an encore of two covers.

It may have been my spot near the front of the stage, but danged if I could hear anything that the very lovely Nancy Wilson played unless the other guitarist took a break and/or the young woman on keyboards didn’t overwhelm everyone with that sour Kurzweil. Nancy whirled, twirled, hopped, sang, played electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin and even an autoharp. Her stage monitors must have been telling her a complete story while I heard only flashes.

Meanwhile sister Ann was wailing out most of the vocals with the aid of some very enthused female fans who also screamed at the tops of their lungs between songs. Strangely enough, Ann’s vocals came across more clearly and powerfully when the other ladies onstage weren’t singing back-up.

The sound mix problems probably didn’t matter much to most of the audience since what they did hear was loud rock and what they expected/wanted. Now here’s a try at a set list.

Cook With Fire
Heartless
Never
Straight On
These Dreams
Hey You
Kick It Out
Red Velvet Car
Alone
WTF
Magic Man
Crazy On You
Barracuda
What Is And What Should Never Be
Love Reign O'er Me

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RSSible: Chicago Lilith Fair

Heart’s Ann Wilson belted out a number of big hits with a voice as potent as at any point in the band’s career. The opening number, “Barracuda,” immediately brought the crowd to its feet, and Heart held that enthusiasm throughout a set that included guitarist Nancy Wilson’s sky-high kick at the beginning of “Crazy On You.” New material from the upcoming Red Velvet Car (Legacy), especially an energetic rock song titled “WTF,” showed definite promise for Heart’s return to the recording scene.


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Lilith Fair Minneapolis Reviews

Who's who at Lilith Fair

Heart, Seattle/Vancouver.

Ann Wilson, 60; Nancy Wilson, 56.

Latest album: "Red Velvet Car" (due Aug. 31).

Since the '70s, the Wilson sisters have been giving us the dog and butterfly of rock 'n' roll, playing it hard, soft and sexy.

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*please note the following review has a bit of crowd negativity in it. Just thought I'd let everyone know.

The Lilith audience started coming to life after a spirited alt-country hoedown by Court Yard Hounds (The Dixie Chicks minus the short one who famously dissed Bush) that culminated with "Ain't No Son" and some intense fiddling, meaning it was now time for sisterly duo Heart to take the stage. Nancy Wilson's grating guitar riffs wailed out on opening number "Barracuda," a stunning start to what would be a memorable 50 minutes.

Dressed in all black and looking years younger than 54 and 60, the ladies of Heart tore through "Straight On" and "Even It Up" -- the latter featuring an impromptu chorus from the Stones' "Gimme Shelter" -- and then launched into a 3-song mini-set of tracks from their new album, Red Velvet Car (debuting Aug. 31). Miffed, the audience sat. Some even had the nerve to yell "PLAY 'ALONE!' while Ann was introducing the songs and giving us backstory. But fans got their way, not before new tracks "WTF" ("About little talks you have with yourself when you've just screwed up"), and "Hey You." Though the duo's slowed, acoustic performance of "Alone" was not nearly as beastly as many surely expected, it truly showed off Ann's robust howl.

Heart finished with "Crazy On You" and "Magic Man" featuring live electronic effects from a distracting keyboardist whose gothic ensemble and plucky pigtails made her look like she was teleported straight out of Guitar Hero -- the only thing we could have done without. Our only wish unfulfilled: They didn't play "Never" or "Who Will You Run To", a small thing compared to witnessing these sisters show off their legendary rock n' roll prowess, something next pefromer Mary J. Blige said she was inspired by when watching Heart on MTV in the '80s.

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Heart. “Barracuda,” “Straight On,” “Even It Up” segueing into “Gimme Shelter,” “Alone” (this was not an “American Idol” moment), “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You” – Ann Wilson’s voice sounded fabulous. It wasn’t all nostalgia. The three new songs from the forthcoming “Red Velvet Car” album proved that Heart still has a pulse. After hearing Ann again live, I think the Led Zeppelin guys should consider her as a fill-in for Robert Plant. Grade: A-minus.

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Lilith Fair Chicago Reviews

Heart were the veterans, with singer Ann Wilson caterwauling blissfully through classic hits, such as "Barracuda" and "Crazy on You" while her sister/guitarist Nancy scissor-kicked and worked her machine-gun, rhythmic melodies.

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Lilith is all about sisterhood, and in the case of Heart and Court Yard Hounds, that is literally true. Led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, Heart delivered thunderous guitar riffs and soaring vocals with the ’70s classics “Crazy on You,” “Magic Man” and “Barracuda.” The band also played three solid songs from a forthcoming studio album, “Red Velvet Car.”

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Lilith Fair Has Heart

Kansas City Review.

And again, our girls steal the show. ♥


For Hardrock Haven fans, Heart, clearly was the day’s highlight. Ann and Nancy Wilson kicked off their set with “Barracuda.” Ann’s voice hasn’t changed a bit since the sisters’ 1976 debut album Dreamboat Annie. If anything, her voice has improved with time, which was kind of surprising to many in attendance. She received a huge applause for belting it out. Nancy rocked on the guitar and was in perfect vocal and instrumental harmony with Ann. They played the hits “Straight On” and “Even It Up” before performing “WTF,” “Hey You” and “Red Velvet Car” from their new CD titled Red Velvet Car. The set concluded with the well-known songs, “Alone,” Magic Man” and “Crazy On You.” Heart’s encore, a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “What Is And What Should Never Be” left fans wanting more Rock and Roll and a standalone Heart tour. Props go to the Wilson sisters, who continue to rock and record.
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Lilith Fair 2010 isn’t a sell-out tour, but it provides a day in which women in music is celebrated. Ann Wilson said it best: “We don’t stand on gender, alone. But we’re happy we were able to kick open some doors for other female artists.”


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