Heart at The Showbox: as amazing as ever

Legendary Seattle rock band Heart performs before a sold-out audience at The Showbox in Seattle, Wa.
Photo by Alex Crick

Ann and Nancy Wilson are definitely national treasures. Their band, Heart, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just last year. But there is a mutual lovefest between Heart and Seattle, their hometown. The Wilson sisters owned Bad Animals Studio in Seattle in the ’90s , where local artists such as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Nirvana recorded. They also do charity work for the environment, as in their recent benefit show at the EMP, Kiss The Sky, which funded research and advocacy for orca whales. So seeing The Showbox Market so full that the fans were practically being shimmed in was no surprise. What’s great to see is that Heart is still going strong after all these years.

Does Nancy pogo and rock all over the stage in a way that makes you want to arrange a cage match between her and Angus Young? Check. Does Ann’s voice send gooseflesh rolling in waves over your arms and cause you to forget to breathe? Check. Does the sheer mountain of hits they perform create a virtual tower of sonic heaven and a nostalgic sledgehammer to the brain? Check. From the opener of “Barracuda” to the three-song encore consisting entirely of Led Zeppelin covers and ending with “Misty Mountain Hop,” Heart enthralled their audience. “Heartless,” “Magic Man,” “Alone,” “Straight On,” and “Crazy On You?” Check. Is Heart on our must-see list the next time they’re in their hometown? You betcha. Check.