Wanda Jackson

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/wandajacksonjul27.jpg" alt="Wanda Jackson : Live" />At the first sight of tattooed girls in ‘50s inspired dresses and pomaded pompadoured dudes, it was obvious that Central Park's SummerStage<span...
Wanda Jackson : Live
Wanda Jackson

At the first sight of tattooed girls in ‘50s-inspired dresses and pomaded pompadoured dudes, it was obvious that Central Park’s SummerStage (QRO venue review) was throwing a Rockabilly show on Wednesday, July 27th.  Conveniently scheduled a few days after the Bell House’s (QRO venue review) Psychobilly Luau, it was certain to attract the fans of the genre, as well as the usual SummerStage crowd.

young crowd

The evening’s opener was the Indian-inspired Battle of the Boroughs 2011 Winner Charanams, who received a warm welcome, despite being a little outside of the evening’s theme.  Next, Imelda May rocked the stage, cute as a 1950s button in her Batman dress.  This Irish-native/Midwesterner-at-heart sang a few originals and a couple covers that invigorated the crowd.
Imelda May

After Heath Haynes and the High Dollar Band finished warming up the crowd, Haynes introduced Wanda Jackson.  The original queen of Rockabilly kicked off her Imelda Mayperformance with a rocking version of "Riot in Cell Block Number 9", which set the tone for the night.  Between her first recorded tune "I Gotta Know", her first No.  1 hit (in Japan) "Fujiama Mama", and "Let’s Have a Party", Ms. Jackson treated the audience to three different stories about dating Elvis (and a certain ring from the King that is being willed to her first grandchild).  She also commented on Amy Winehouse’s death whom, despite never meeting in person, she respected profoundly and gave tribute to the recently departed artist by singing the night’s best tune, "You Know I’m No Good". 

Wanda Jackson

Wanda Jackson concluded the evening by calling Imelda May back on stage and singing "Shake Baby Shake" with her.  The entire evening in the park atmosphere sent the audience back to older and simpler times that only few people in the crowd remembered.  For the rest of us, it was just like a postcard from the past.

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Concert Reviews
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