Is there anything more exciting than a girl with an axe singing her heart out into the mic? Last Sunday night, I saw the Pretenders at the Riviera. Chrissie Hynde is the only remaining original member of the band -- half of them died of drug related issues years ago -- but truth be told she's the only member that's needed. The Pretenders were always her husky voice, her lyrics, and her stage presence. Even at 57 -- rock and roll keeps pushing that line of when is someone too old to rock and roll -- Hynde hasn't lost a bit of what made her so exciting when she came on the scene in the late 70s/early 80s.
Her voice has not lost a bit of its range and nuance. There are few singers in any genre that can hit a minor key with as much control as Hynde. The plaintive notes of that minor key coupled with her contralto voice make all her songs -- even the hard pounding rockers -- sound melancholy and hungry for something not quite known. Shortly into the band's 90 minute set, she said to the crowd, "I won't bore you with the new songs. I'll just bore you with the old ones." The crowd erupted in appreciation. The Pretenders new album is strong -- particularly the first release "Boots of Chinese Plastic" -- but Hynde knew that the crowds who gather for her are anxious to hear the soundtrack of their youth. She isn't so stuck on herself to deny them this pleasure. At this point in her career, it isn't so much about touring to promote album sales -- though, of course, that's always a concern -- but more about feeding the relationship that she's had with fans for two and a half decades. She understands that performance is about the people in the room.
I have to admit that I get nervous going to rock shows of my favorites from days gone by. Sometimes, you wish that you hadn't given in to the urge. Those hard living years come back to roost for many of the aging rockers, and it's not pretty. They can't sing the same, their voices shot from years of screaming and recreational substances. They can't command the same presence. Tight jeans don't make an aging girl's heart race when they're eclipsed by a bulging belly. (Don't get me wrong, father time has come to visit my house too, but I'm not jumping around on a stage in front of hundreds of people). The crowd is more concerned about getting home to babysitters than downing a few shots of tequila and rocking out.
The crowd for The Pretenders was definitely more populated with architects wearing cool glasses escorting their new trophy wives and surburban housewives out for a "wild night" with the car pool gang than the aging and exotic underground crowds that I've seen come out for performers like Patti Smith, but it didn't matter. My attention was focused on the lady on the stage. The set was bare. The light set up simple. The Riviera hasn't changed a bit in the last twenty years only now the peeling paint and smell of stale beer hit me as poignant versus kitschy as it did the first time I attended a concert there oh so many years ago. Hynde doesn't try to romp around the stage -- thank god -- like she doesn't realize she's not still 25. But, she doesn't need to. She commands every eye in the room just but standing at the mic, belting out her songs in that irreplacable voice and hammering away at her axe.
I don't care how old she or I get -- whenever Chrissie Hynde comes to town, I'm there. If you're smart, you will be too.
3 comments:
I have heard of the pretenders, but unfortunately I am not familiar with their music. However, I am now really interested in seeing and hearing what you saw that night. I also believe a performance depends on who is in the room and audience, and if the lead singer can affect others the same way she did years ago, it seems like a worthwhile show.
Solid review, I've seen some stuff from the pretenders years ago. I actually didn't know they were still around.
The only thing that would turn me off to go see them is the description of the crowd. Oh boy have I seen those....
you are correct though: there is nothing better than a Grrrl that Rocks!
WOW!.. I had no idea that you were such a fan of the good ol' "Classic" rockers. It's excellent that some one else can appreciate music from "Days of Yore". I had believed that no one remembered the significant "Spirit and Soul" of "classic Rock" music. I still remember the inspiration and the unadulterated thrill I would have, every time I listened to those songs and the groups that I loved growing up. Thank You for being another person who can appreciate music from the "Good Ol' Days".
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