Joan Jett really knows how to work a crowd, and she did just that last night at Irving Plaza with her band the Blackhearts. Singing a bunch of songs from her latest album Sinner, as well as her hits, she really got everyone dancing and singing along, as well as clapping and raising their hands to the music. The great thing about a Joan Jett song is if you don’t know it, by the second verse you can totally sing along. They are deceptively simple but she says a lot in between the lines. Her classics such as “I love Rock and Roll”, “Crimson and Clover” and “Bad Reputation” were a joy to witness. She just puts out such a positive vibe and is in such great shape and looks gorgeous. Women in the crowd were yelling, “I love you!” and “I want to marry you!” And of course Joan and her band bring a lot of rock n’ roll swagger and posturing along with jumping 3 feet above the stage.

After the show, thanks very much to Q’s dad Bas, we got backstage passes. I was completely awestruck, but strangely not nervous at all meeting her. I told her that she has such a great energy and spirit and that really came through tonight. She was very humble and said it was easy with a great crowd like us.

Joan Jett is just amazing. The fact that she struggled so hard in the beginning to get signed, finally starting her own Blackheart Records label, is just a testament to her commitment to expressing herself creatively. It really gives me hope for my own creative endeavors. I feel a renewed sense of optimism and inspiration from meeting such a passionate woman who has always lived her life with total authenticity.