{"id":14173,"date":"2025-05-06T19:37:46","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T19:37:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/?p=14173"},"modified":"2025-05-06T19:37:46","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T19:37:46","slug":"billy-idol-joan-jett-woodlands-pavilion-the-woodlands-tx-may-3-2025-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2025\/05\/06\/billy-idol-joan-jett-woodlands-pavilion-the-woodlands-tx-may-3-2025-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Billy Idol \/ Joan Jett – Woodlands Pavilion – The Woodlands, TX. – May 3, 2025 – Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Dave Clements<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Oh, it\u2019s a nice day to start again…Well, it’s a nice day for a white wedding day.<\/p>\n

That is how Saturday night\u2019s show ended in The Woodlands, Texas at the lovely outdoor venue, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.<\/p>\n

If Billy Idol and his opener Joan Jett has been scheduled to kick off the opening of the pavilion season either Thursday or Friday night we would have had a \u2018train wreck\u2019 weather wise. It would have been a soaking rain, cool temperatures, thunder and significant lighting. I can\u2019t even imagine how it would have worked out\u2026. more like a yellow rain coat day versus a white wedding day.<\/p>\n

But it wasn\u2019t either Thursday or Friday night, and the weather Saturday night was spectacular. And the music was pretty great as well.<\/p>\n

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Joan Jett & the Blackhearts kicked the night off on time, sun still out and we were off to the races (get it? Kentucky Derby Day).<\/p>\n

Joan and her bandmates kicked the night off with Rebel Girl, then Change the World and Do You Want To Touch Me.<\/p>\n

Joan was seemingly in a good mood and for sure in good form.<\/p>\n

She made it a point to tell the story behind Fake Friends\u2026. sharing that all her so-called friends came after she started having hit songs and not a day before. It seems that in the music business \u2018fake friends\u2019 are abundant and it\u2019s not a case of talent but way more the song. I\u2019m glad she played it!<\/p>\n

Soon after she indicated that she always enjoyed playing Androgynous, a cover by The Replacements. BTW, try saying androgynous three times fast!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>And speaking of her playing cover songs, Everyday People by Sly & the Family Sone was a huge fan favorite this night. There was hardly a person in attendance, and there were many thousands at the pavilion that wasn\u2019t singing at the top of their lungs. Bet Joan wishes it was her song!<\/p>\n

I Love Rock and Roll was huge for Jett and no different this night. Love hearing her sing it, when you can actually hear her sing it. Not much of that Saturday night.<\/p>\n

Joan finished her set Crimson & Clover by Tommy James, I Hate Myself for Loving You, Bad Reputation & Rock & Roll Is Here To Stay.<\/p>\n

I really enjoyed her performance and because I wasn\u2019t allowed to photograph it I got to listen to all sixteen songs.<\/p>\n

Before moving on to Billy let me mention that I don\u2019t understand how ten thousand or more people were allowed to photograph her and I was not (with my professional gear). I can make her look better with my equipment than fans with cell phone cameras. Respectfully, I don\u2019t get it and the photos you see in the HMR Photo Gallery (of Joan) are cell phone photos!<\/p>\n

Moving on to Billy Idol, the night\u2019s headliner. I had never experienced Idol live but certainly knew of him and his music. I was impressed by his performance even though I didn\u2019t know much about his music. He is a very high energy guy, as you will see in my photos, and I liked many of his songs. His \u2018on-stage\u2019 support was all very talented and his guitar play, Steve Stevens, otherworldly. Good grief can the guy play guitar! Between Eyes Without A Face and<\/p>\n

Mony Mony, Stevens did an incredible acoustic guitar solo that was one of the best I had ever seen. At one point he started playing Zeppelin including Stairway To Heaven. A few notes in he stopped and used one hand to slap the other for playing it. It was a really fun moment watching him perform and the hand slap with a smile.<\/p>\n

Idol played all the songs you would hope that he would, and I was really impressed that he went and journeyed to each member of the band and visited with them while still performing. You will see some of that in my photos. Again, I found it impressive and fun for me and I bet fun for the folks in the band.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Billy\u2019s encore started with Dancing With Myself, Hot in the City, People I Love (not to be confused with Paul Thorn\u2019s song I Don\u2019t Like Half the Folks I Love) and as you would expect, the night was closed with White Wedding.<\/p>\n

Before departing the stage, he share with the audience \u2018I\u2019m Billy F\u2026ing Idol!\u2019<\/p>\n

If I would have been on stage bidding him a farewell that evening I would have altered the words to \u2018That Was Billy F\u2026ing Idol who should be in the Hall of Fame Class 2025 rather that a hip hop group called OutKast, who I have never even heard of & if I had heard of them it wouldn\u2019t have mattered!\u2019<\/p>\n

In closing thank goodness it was a white wedding night, weather wise! And please do your part in keeping live music alive! Go to a show & hurry!<\/p>\n

dwc<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Dave Clements Oh, it\u2019s a nice day to start again…Well, it’s a nice day for a white wedding day. That is how Saturday night\u2019s show ended in The Woodlands, Texas at the lovely outdoor venue, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. If Billy Idol and his opener Joan Jett has been scheduled to kick… <\/p>\n

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