by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A&E Writer

JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS
SNOQUALMIE CASINO
July 3

I'm not sure how old Joan Jett is, and it isn't relevant. What matters is that she's still got plenty of girl power left. One of the first women to transition successfully from the punk scene to mainstream rock, the Pennsylvania native is embraced by Gay and straight fans equally.

Her set list at Snoqualmie Casino's outdoors summer stage included mostly the familiar. 'Bad Reputation,' 'Cherry Bomb,' and 'Do You Want to Touch Me' were motored through early in the concert, and the crowd seemed to know all the words to them.

Rocker chicks in black clothes and punkish hairdos were prevalent, yet a surprising number of dudes in leather jackets showed up too. Jett herself wore a pair of tight black leather pants, a gray tank top, and sneakers. Her slick hair was parted at the middle and barely grazed her shoulders. She looked sexy, especially for a woman who's been at this for a while.

'I Love Rock 'n' Roll' got everybody chanting the chorus and pumping their fists in the air. Some slight wear and tear is detectable in Jett's voice, but she's retained that deep growl that made her famous in the '80s. A female trailblazer on electric guitar as well, her speedy riffs probably didn't have the crunch outdoors that they would have had in an indoor concert hall. (In 2003, Jett and Joni Mitchell were the only women included in Rolling Stone's top 100 guitarists of all time.)

'Crimson and Clover' got a lot of support from fans offering assistance with backup vocals. Jett was joined by her usual cohorts, the Blackhearts. Over the years, members have come and gone so I'm not quite sure who was on stage with her at Snoqualmie.

Jett sealed the main portion of her concert with the anthemic 'I Hate Myself for Loving You' before delivering a two-song encore that included a great version of the ballad 'Little Liar.'

Inspiring the Hollywood film The Runaways, the name of her initial band, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts were ear candy on a breezy Tuesday night. A veteran now on the casino live-music circuit, who occasionally appears at big festivals, I can't help wondering if she'll return to a city theater or showroom, where the quality of sound and overall performance is sure to be better. What I do know from seeing her in action is that whatever her age [she's 53 -Ed.], Jett is nowhere near ready to extinguish the flame.

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