Rock Your Baby

I’m sure by now everyone’s aware of the unfortunate news regarding Mr. Ronnie James Dio, and I’m sure you’ve all listened to “Holy Diver” or “Rainbow in the Dark” at least once (if not…are you serious? What’s wrong with you?). As sad as his passing is, what really bums me out is the thought that the “Old Guard” in music – the Iggy Pops, the David Bowies, the Siouxsie Siouxs – aren’t getting any younger. It’s only a matter of time before news like this becomes more commonplace. If that thought didn’t make you at least a little sad, then think about what we’ll have left. Who’ll take over? Sure, you’ve got some artists who can work the look and drive everyone Gaga, but musically they just regurgitate the status quo, while on the flipside you’ve got artists who push every musical boundary, but have the presence of an autistic possum playing dead on stage. Now, before we start arguing, the point of this post isn’t to bum anyone out or start a discussion about whether or not any of the previously mentioned artists still maintains any cultural relevance. The point is to stress that we all need to enjoy and appreciate the “Founders” we have left while there’s still time.

I had the pleasure of seeing one of rock’s founding mothers last week when Wanda Jackson graced the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland. For those of you unfamiliar with it, the Beachland is a former Croatian social club turned music venue, and possibly one of the best places in the world to see a rockabilly show. The inside of the Ballroom, with its hardwood floors and dated architecture, feels like it never left the 1950s.

I’m out of touch with Ms. Jackson’s (Wanda if you’re nasty. [Oh come on, you all just thought that same terrible joke. Don’t lie to me.]) popularity level, but I was a little disappointed with the turnout. The show was on a Thursday night so I wasn’t expecting a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, but the room was pretty empty. They had chairs set up in the middle of the ballroom, and while I didn’t count the exact number, there were still plenty available after she took the stage.

For those of you that didn’t attend, now would be an appropriate time to start regretting a good chunk of your existence.

The show got right down to business with the Lustre Kings opening. I’d never heard of these guys but they were fan-tas-tic. Hailing from Albany, New York, they played old-school, rabble-rousing rockabilly in the best way possible: Fast and loud. They even had a standup bass and a table steel, so you know they’re authentic. The Kings plowed through their set and it was all too soon before I was sad to see them go. With the post-Kings glow fading, I was getting antsy. I’ve been a Wanda Jackson fan since I was young but this was my first time seeing her live. I got a Schlitz from the bar (what would you drink at a rockabilly show?) and waited, taking the opportunity to scope the crowd and verifying that I was one of the youngest people there. A few hipster kids and young rockabilly throwbacks had wandered in during the Lustre Kings set, but the number of people our parents’ age still outnumbered us by a large margin. I’d barely dented the Schlitz when, to my delight, the Lustre Kings took the stage again. It turns out they’re not only the opening act, but also Wanda’s backing band, and I can officially say that a more perfect pairing could not be made. Once they had the crowd sufficiently riled up Wanda took the stage, complete with a shirt covered in fringe, big poofy black hair and a sassy attitude.

In case you’ve read this far about a person you know nothing about, let me give you a brief history lesson. Wanda Jackson dated and toured with Elvis from ’55-’57. That’s Elvis Presley. The King. Elvis “Velvet-Painting-Graceland-Pink Cadillac” Presley. I’m not actually a huge Elvis fan; I’m just mentioning that to give you some insight into Wanda’s street cred. He’s the King. She’s the Queen. You can look the rest up on wikipedia.

The other point behind that lesson is to give you some idea bout her age. She turns 73 this year. She’s been singing since she was a teenager, and her voice, while slightly rougher around the edges, has barely changed from when she began her career. This was evident in her set list, which consisted mostly of her classics. An unexpected bonus was that between songs, she would tell stories about her past, giving the show more of “An Evening With Wanda Jackson” vibe than a typical concert. She also sang the two songs from her collaboration with Jack White, “You Know That I’m No Good,” an Amy Winehouse cover, and “Shakin’ All Over,” a Johnny Kid & the Pirates cover. Both of which were a huge hit with the crowd.

It’s also probably worth mentioning that Wanda had a pretty significant gospel career. She became a born again back in the 70s and only released gospel albums for a while before getting back to her roots in the 80s. This really isn’t a big deal as far as I’m concerned. As long as you’re not a dick about it you can believe in whatever you feel like. The problem was that I’d forgotten to warn my friends about it and I could hear their mental tires screeching when Wanda paused to express her love for Jesus before breaking into a gospel tune. The non-religious in the audience didn’t have to wait long though as this side of the show was short lived. She just did the one churchy song before charging full on into her finale and encore.

She’s still touring, so for those of you who haven’t seen Wanda Jackson live I can’t recommend it enough. I didn’t even mention the double entendre, the pink guitar, her suggestive banter, or her dance moves. She’s just as tough, raunchy and talented as she’s always been, but now she has the added Betty White benefit of being a cool old lady who says dirty things.

The previously mentioned collaboration with Jack White is available on iTunes, as are many of her early albums. They’re also pretty cheap on iTunes. If videos are more your thing, here you go:



This isn't the best video, but it'll give you a then-and-now comparison: