Feminist power on display at Merriweather as Joan Jett and Alanis Morissette perform | MUSIC REVIEW
Jul. 3—Female empowerment was on full display last weekend in Columbia, as legendary rocker and former Marylander Joan Jett joined Gen X superstar Alanis Morissette for two nights of sold-out shows at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Morissette, a seven-time Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter, burst onto the stage Sunday as a full moon rose behind her. Singing, "What it all comes down to, is that everyone's gonna be fine, fine, fine," from her hit "One Hand in My Pocket" on the album "Jagged Little Pill," Morissette strutted across the stage, long hair flying, with a huge smile on her face.
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Alanis Morissette performs during a sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Saturday, June 29. The singer performed a second show there on Sunday, June 30. (Ari Strauss/Courtesy Live Nation DC)
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Alanis Morissette performs during a sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Saturday, June 29. The singer performed a second show there on Sunday, June 30. (Ari Strauss/Courtesy Live Nation DC)
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Alanis Morissette performs during a sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Saturday, June 29. The singer performed a second show there on Sunday, June 30. (Ari Strauss/Courtesy Live Nation DC)
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Alanis Morissette performs during a sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Saturday, June 29. The singer performed a second show there on Sunday, June 30. (Ari Strauss/Courtesy Live Nation DC)
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Alanis Morissette performs during a sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Saturday, June 29. The singer performed a second show there on Sunday, June 30. (Ari Strauss/Courtesy Live Nation DC)
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Alanis Morissette performs during a sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Saturday, June 29. The singer performed a second show there on Sunday, June 30. (Ari Strauss/Courtesy Live Nation DC)
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Alanis Morissette performs during a sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Saturday, June 29. The singer performed a second show there on Sunday, June 30. (Ari Strauss/Courtesy Live Nation DC)
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Alanis Morissette performs during a sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Saturday, June 29. The singer performed a second show there on Sunday, June 30. (Ari Strauss/Courtesy Live Nation DC)
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Alanis Morissette performs during a sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Saturday, June 29. The singer performed a second show there on Sunday, June 30. (Ari Strauss/Courtesy Live Nation DC)
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Alanis Morissette performs during a sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Saturday, June 29. The singer performed a second show there on Sunday, June 30. (Ari Strauss/Courtesy Live Nation DC)
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Alanis Morissette performs during a sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Saturday, June 29. The singer performed a second show there on Sunday, June 30. (Ari Strauss/Courtesy Live Nation DC)
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Alanis Morissette performs during a sold-out show at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on Saturday, June 29. The singer performed a second show there on Sunday, June 30. (Ari Strauss/Courtesy Live Nation DC)
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Before Morissette took the stage, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts got the crowd on its feet, singing along to their hits "I Love Rock 'N Roll," "Crimson and Clover" (her 1981 cover) and "Bad Reputation."
Jett started the show with a raucous rendition of her 1976 hit "Cherry Bomb," an anthem released by The Runaways about the taunting power of a young girl. Jett was a guitarist, main songwriter and, eventually, lead singer of the pioneering group in the late '70s before forming the Blackhearts, and re-recording the hit in 1984.
Jett, 65, was born in Pennsylvania, but told the Merriweather audience that she considers Maryland her home, after spending about six years living with her family in the area now known as North Bethesda. An ardent Orioles fan, she threw the first pitch at their game against the Rangers on June 28 at Camden Yards and led the crowd in an "Oh" chant during her set.
"I was here from like 8 to 13, very formative years," she said before her family moved to California, where she helped form The Runaways.
Jett doesn't only play her decades-old hits. She and the Blackhearts are recording, having released "Mindsets" last June. She played several well-received songs from the album, including its first single, "If You're Blue," telling the crowd, "I made mistakes I can't erase I don't deny, I made my own rules they don't teach in schools, And that's what I live by, come on, call me, call me, call me if you're blue. Because I'll still be here for you."
Hitting the stage at about 9:15 p.m., and playing for about 90 minutes, Morissette exuded energy as she projected her powerful voice through the pavilion.
As she sang "Right Through You," statistics about the plight of girls and women flashed on the screen behind her, announcing that "Every 10 minutes, an adolescent girl dies as a result of violence," and "18 countries allow men to prohibit their wives from working," ending with the question, "Why are we afraid of the divine feminine?"
In 2022, Morissette released "The Storm Before the Calm," an album of guided meditations, and before each show she offers a special VIP Experience, allowing those who pay $1,250 to take part in a meditation practice with her along with other more traditional backstage VIP experiences.
While Morissette's celebrated feminist rage was on full display during a loud, powerful rendition of "You Oughta Know," her softer side came through as she and her band played an acoustic set toward the front of the stage, on "Mary Jane," and "Missing the Miracle."
She closed out the show with two songs, "Uninvited," spinning in circles over and over as lights flashed around her, finally collapsing to the floor, then "Thank U," during which images of the night's audience flashed onscreen, smiling faces, peace signs and love emanating from the crowd back to Morissette.
The Triple Moon Tour includes 31 North American shows that began June 9 in Arizona and wraps up Aug. 10 in California.
Originally Published:July 3, 2024 at 11:43 a.m.