Chase Center
San Francisco, CA
A week or so later, I see an announcement for a concert at Chase Center on the same day -- Bryan Adams with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts opening. I shot a text off to Ana Marie -- wanna do a double header? She was in, so off I went to grab a couple of tickets and we planned to spend a day and night in San Francisco.
Fast forward to last week when I mentioned my weekend plans to my manager and a co-worker. My manager asked if I was going to see Taylor Swift at Levi's Stadium. When I told him no, but Bryan Adams and Joan Jett, he let out a laugh at the difference.
So, yes, the big concert in the Bay Area last weekend was Taylor Swift's two sold out shows at Levi's Stadium. I couldn't help but think that the reason Taylor Swift can sell out multiple nights at football stadiums in 2023 is because Joan Jett kicked down a bunch of doors and banged a few heads around in the 1970s and 80s to blaze the way for others who came behind her.
I remember when I fist saw and heard Joan Jett back in the early '80s. I was 12 or 13 and she absolutely fascinated me and completely scared me at the same time. She exuded a raw toughness that was just impossible to miss. To me, she was someone you did not want to cross because she'd quickly show you who was in charge. Her music had the same intensity. I was a shy awkward kid and the idea of having that much inherent power was amazing.
So heading into the show Sunday night I was really looking forward to seeing Joan Jett and the Blackhearts even though I knew I'd really only know the early '80s hits out of her set. She's such a trail blazer and that she's still at it at 64 is fantastic.
Ana Marie and I met up Sunday morning at the hotel I booked and dropped off our things in our room that was surprisingly ready for us at 11:00 am. We crossed the street to Oracle Park and got right in picking up our Elmo bobble heads before settling in for a tight game between my beloved Giants and the Boston Red Sox. We enjoyed the in-game Sesame Street promos as much as the game and the Giants emerged victorious after 11 innings.
We grabbed some swag and drinks and hung out in the lounge area behind our seats for a bit before heading down to our seats. I really like Chase and the way they have the concessions in a lounge area for the sections that run parallel to the floor in the lower bowl. Feels very comfy. Once we got to our seats, I noticed the entire upper level was empty, so I figured they didn't even try to sell those seats. That made sense to me since the last time I saw Bryan Adams was at the Shoreline Amphitheater and they didn't sell the lawn seats -- just the seated sections -- and I was mildly surprised he was playing at Chase which is our fancy new arena for the Warriors that has only been open since late 2019.
Joan Jett hit the stage about 7:40 and kicked into her set. It was as intense and ferocious as I had expected. As I had also expected, I didn't recognize the song, but appreciated the energy. The second song in was "Cherry Bomb" from her time in the Runaways. I have a passing familiarity with the Runaways catalog, but can't say I know it well so it took a minute to recognize. The first set continued with songs I was less familiar with, but I definitely enjoyed a new tune called "(Make the Music Go) Boom" which really summed up a lot of the attitude I associate with Joan Jett. Another highlight was a cover of "Everyday People" which was quite different from the Sly Stone classic.
Joan wrapped up about 8:45 and the road crew came out to get the stage ready for Bryan Adams. While we waited for the show to start, a drone controlled inflatable car
came drifting out and around the arena promoting Bryan Adams' new
album. It was an amusing distraction.
Bryan and his band hit the stage about 9:15 and I was almost immediately thrown back to my teens and early twenties. So many of his songs were part of the soundtrack of my life at that time. Not the main themes, but part of the constant background music to life as those years went by. With the exception of a couple of new songs and one album cut I'd quite forgotten about it was a blast to the past.
With so many hits and so many memories flashing through my brain, it's hard to pick the highlights. When he introduced "It's Only Love" he talked about collaborating with Tina Turner and what it was like as a young musician getting to play with someone of her stature. He naturally dedicated the song to her and I could hear her vocals singing along in my head.
Another highlight was when he went into "Heaven" and the audience took the entire first verse which reminded me so much of the audience participation when Bruce Springsteen performs "Thunder Road." Like the the loud audience singing "Maybe we ain't all that young anymore", the opening line "Oh thinkin' about all our younger years" really rang true and hit just right as so many memories were flying through my brain. What was really impressive was that with half as many people as would be at a Springsteen show in the same arena it was equally as loud. In fact, throughout the show the audience singing along was loud and clear. I haven't heard that in a long time other than at Springsteen shows. It was great!
He closed off the main set with a cover of "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" which again had a loud audience participation. (And promptly got stuck in my head for the rest of the night! Ninety minutes of Bryan Adams, and I go home with Frankie Valli singing in my head!)
Back out for the encore and it was a solo acoustic rendition of both "Straight from the Heart" and "All For Love" (with my brain inserting Sting and Rod Stewart as needed.)
All in all an enjoyable day doing two things I love most -- watching baseball and going to a concert.
Joan Jett set list (courtesy of setlist.fm)
Shooting Into Space
Cherry Bomb
Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)
You Drive Me Wild
(Make the Music Go) Boom
Fake Friends
Everyday People
If You're Blue
Fresh Start
I Love Rock 'n' Roll
Crimson & Clover
I Hate Myself for Loving You
Bad Reputation
Whiskey Goes Good
Bryan Adams set list (courtesy of setlist.fm)
Kick Ass
Can't Stop This Thing We Started
Somebody
Take Me Back
Please Forgive Me
One Night Love Affair
Shine a Light
Heaven
It's Only Love
This Time
You Belong to Me
I've Been Looking for You
The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You
Here I Am
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
Back to You
18 til I Die
Summer of '69
Do I Have to Say the Words?
Cuts Like a Knife
So Happy It Hurts
Run to You
Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Encore:
Straight From the Heart
All for Love
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