Joan Jett remains an unapologetic rocker: 'I'm happy with who I am'
Joan Jett remains an unapologetic rocker: 'I'm happy with who I am'
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AMA winners include SZA, Gracie Abrams, Eminem and Billie Eilish
This year's American Music Awards in Las Vegas honored both music legends and service members, who were recognized for Memorial Day.
She's part of a dwindling species, an unapologetic rock chick more focused on the tone of her guitar than the cut of her hair.
Joan Jett's fierceness has been splayed across stages for 50 years, first with the all-girl glam-punk pioneers The Runaways and then through her own 40-plus years of solo stardom with her band, the Blackhearts.
Her ingrained fist pumpers – 'Cherry Bomb,' 'I Hate Myself for Loving You,' 'Bad Reputation' and the cover song that changed her life, 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll' – were sonic wallpaper during MTV's heyday and most still haven't left pool hall jukeboxes.
Jett appreciates her legacy and the fans who express their loyalty and gratitude for her music.
'It's medicine for the soul. I'm just blessed to be a conduit for it,' Jett says.
Jett packed up with the Blackhearts – Dougie Needles on guitar, Hal B. Selzer on bass and Michael McDermott on drums – and hit the road with Billy Idol in April. They'll resume the It's A Nice Day to Tour Again! romp Aug. 14, but first, she and the band will park at Las Vegas' House of Blues June 13-14, 18 and 20-21. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
In a recent conversation, Jett and career-long producer, business partner and keyboardist Kenny Laguna (who offered some humorous interjections during the call) talked about her Vegas show plans, playing the Nirvana reunion and why she feels wiser than ever.
Question: You're heading to the House of Blues for several shows, you're also touring amphitheaters and arenas with Billy Idol and you've recently been part of stadium tours with Def Leppard and Poison. I get the feeling you prefer the smaller places.
Answer: I do. I like the intimacy and when I can really feel the crowd and get a better sense of everything, that immediate feedback whether good or bad. It's exciting to play to a lot of people, but when you lose that connection with the crowd, it's like a black hole out there.
Are you planning anything special for the Vegas shows?
We'll look through all our records and choose what will work best live. I picked out a bunch of songs from every album and we went into rehearsals (before the Billy Idol tour) and ran through a bunch of them. There were a few I'd never done live, like 'Lie to Me,' and that's really worked out well.
Have you ever thought of doing one album front to back?
I'm not really into that. I didn't always love every song on my albums and I want to play what I enjoy. And there might be a few fans who might be happy to not hear the hits, but that's not most people. So I want to do what people want to hear and it's going to be fun.
You were part of the Nirvana reunion at the FireAid show in Los Angeles in January. How did that come about and how did you get assigned 'Territorial Pissings'?Dave (Grohl, Nirvana's drummer) called me and asked if I wanted to perform with them and I thought, oh yeah, we'll do 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' like we did at my (Rock & Roll) Hall of Fame induction (in 2015). But it was more that Dave picked out the songs they wanted to try and he knew I liked that one.
I recently talked to Billy Idol about touring with you and he said you've known each other since a 1978 Germs/Dead Kennedys show at the Whiskey in LA. Do you remember that night?
Is that the show? I couldn't remember, but I do remember when we met. I I used to live across from the Whiskey. The apartment is still there and I've been dying to knock on the door and see who lives there. But everybody used to come to my house before concerts and party. There's a picture of Billy and me in my living room, sitting and talking with some of my friends. I have a drink in my hand.
You have somehow managed to look the same for more than 40 years. Please tell us how you do it.
I never had to work out my whole life. I was just lucky I had an athletic body. But now it's a different story. I see an arm and am like, 'Whose arm is this with the crepe-y skin?' (Laughs). But I try to walk every day and I do some weights. I had a shoulder operation so it's important to keep my muscle strength up and I do a lot of core work. And you know, traveling, walking through airports and venues, that's my exercise. But the traveling, that's the one part of my job that I don't love. It's all wear and tear on your body.
Will you be able to get some rest after Vegas?
I'm taking my brother and sister to Ireland. I've been there to tour but not in many years. I'm Irish, so to see Dublin and County Mayo where my grandparents are from … I'm really looking forward to not working and being able to take it all in and learn about the people.
That worked out well to have a few weeks off before rejoining Billy's tour.
You know, we get all wrapped up with what we're doing and time is limited. No matter how much money you've got, you can't buy time. I've done a lot of growing up. I've learned more from 50 to my age now at 66 than I did the entire first part of my life. You had a vision of the world and that's what it was and maybe you didn't question it enough. But I'm happy with what I've done and who I am.
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