Heart at Denver’s Paramount Theatre: these chicks still rock

Tour 2010
Tour 2010

Examiner.com: When a band that was packing arenas in the 1980s comes to do a show in 2010 in one of the more modest-sized venues in town, it can be either exciting or heartbreaking. Is this going to be one of those time-warp shows where a past-its-prime rock band plays all their old hits for the same people who came to their shows 30 years ago, with everyone trying in vain to return to the glory days?

But when Heart, the consummate big-hair, rock-chick duo of the 80’s, played Thursday night at Denver’s Paramount Theatre, it was definitely not one of those shows.

After a half-hour opening set from Denver local indie singer/songwriter Laura Brehm, Heart took the stage with a full band and high energy, to the delight of the fans. Along with a full array of crowd favorites, they also played a fair number of songs from an upcoming all-new record, Red Velvet Car, set to be released August 31. The songs they introduced were surprisingly current, a blend of acoustic roots and straight-up rock, and while the ladies acted their age on some of them, at other times they gave the young whipper-snappers a run for their money.

Throughout the show, the Wilson sisters reminded fans why they’d been popular in the first place. Nancy’s flawless guitar work and Ann’s still-stellar vocals–backed by a world-class band–made for a well-designed show that completely fit the size of the venue. High points of the show included a stripped-down version of “Alone” and rocking crowd faves “Crazy on You” and “Barracuda.” Possibly the most powerful moment of the show came during the encore, when the band closed the show with a moving cover of The Who’s “Reign O’er Me.”

Yes, Heart played a lot of old hits, and yes, it was apparent that everyone is a few years older. But far from being a has-been rock-chick duo–it was also crystal clear that these chicks can still rock.

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