Billy Idol rocks Acrisure Arena with hits during Sept. 12 concert

On Friday night at Acrisure Arena, Billy Idol kicked off his 90-minute set with the song “Still Dancing” from his latest album, “Dream Into It,” released in February. This was an excellent way to start his performance, as the 69-year-old post-punk icon still knows how to rock a crowd.

Idol, who is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his album “Rebel Yell,” quickly got straight to his hits, performing “Cradle of Love” and “Flesh for Fantasy” next. He also played a track from his new album, “77,” which features Avril Lavigne. Although she was not present to sing with him, the song was still energetic and enjoyable, thanks to his talented backing vocalists.

Other highlights included his cover of the Tommy James & the Shondells song “Mony Mony,” “Too Much Fun,” and “Ready Steady Go.” Idol mentioned the “world going to hell” and chose a Rolling Stones cover fitting for the times: The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.”

The live production beautifully captured the nostalgia of “Rebel Yell” and the 1980s. It featured clips from music videos displayed on old television sets, stacked against various animated scenes, such as warehouse interiors flashing the word “Idol” and futuristic cityscapes.

Idol’s longtime guitarist Steve Stevens, a legendary rock guitarist, performed a Spanish-style acoustic guitar solo that featured some snippets of Led Zeppelin songs, including the intro of “Stairway to Heaven,” which he immediately stopped playing and started smacking his own hand as if it was a “No ‘Stairway to Heaven’ allowed” joke.

Another Idol’s live band member included guitarist Billy Morrison, who also performed with Ozzy Osbourne and shared a few words about the legendary vocalist, describing him as “kind, generous, and funny.”

“(Osbourne) said, ‘Have I ever told you how much I love Billy f–king Idol?'” Morrison said, generating a loud applause and Idol laughing in the background.

In the song “Blue Highway,” Stevens incorporated the instrumental theme from the 1986 film “Top Gun,” which he performed on its soundtrack. “Rebel Yell” was the last song played before the encore, which included “Dancing With Myself,” followed by “Hot In The City,” “People I Love,” and “White Wedding.”

Idol remains the charismatic, fist-pumping singer he was 40 years ago, but age has slightly slowed him down. Despite nearly losing his leg in a motorcycle accident in 1990, Idol manages to move around quite well, which is impressive. His vocal power is still consistent, but it has diminished a bit over time. This was noticeable during performances of “Eyes Without a Face” and “Mony Mony,” where the effects of age on his voice were apparent.

The essence of Idol’s music lies in the live experience, which is enhanced by having his longtime guitarist, Stevens, in the band. Many of the older songs still sound great, and the new ones do as well.

This was Joan Jett’s third performance at Acrisure Arena since 2023

Joan Jett, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and co-founder of the all-female rock band The Runaways, performed for the third time at Acrisure Arena on Friday night. She first played at the arena in July 2023 as the opening act for Bryan Adams’ “So Happy It Hurts Tour” and returned last August as the opener for Alanis Morissette’s “The Triple Moon Tour.”

After the introduction of Bikini Kill’s “Rebel Girl,” Jett and her band, the Blackhearts, walked on stage. She wore a black denim vest with sheer sleeves layered over a leather jumpsuit, large black plastic-rimmed sunglasses, and platform leather boots. She and the band wasted no time and went right into “Victim of Circumstance,” and performed a similar set with the same production as last year’s show, but this time it felt different — it was tighter, and she had more rock ‘n’ roll attitude.

She ripped through classics such as “Cherry Bomb,” her cover of Gary Glitter’s “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah),” “Fake Friends,” and even serenaded the crowd with her rendition of The Replacements’ “Androgynous.”

The highlight of Jett’s hour-long set occurred when she took out her cell phone and expressed her concern for everyone in light of several recent events. She wanted to share something meaningful and recited part of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. She quoted the lines, “These dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” The crowd responded with loud applause, especially when she emphasized the phrases “of the people, by the people, for the people.”

Jett’s last five songs included three well-known covers: Sly & the Family Stone’s “Everyday People,” The Arrows’ “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” and Tommy James & the Shondells’ “Crimson & Clover.” She closed the set with “I Hate Myself for Loving You” and “Bad Reputation.”

Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com.