![]() As this concert was filmed in Seattle, the hometown crowd is suitably adoring, understandably reverent and ready to rock. So when, on the new DVD release Heart: Night At Sky Church, guitarist Nancy Wilson kicks into the first chugging riff of “Barracuda”, I can’t help but think - loudly - “Kick fucking ass!” Part of my elation is linked no doubt to the audience’s explosive response. No matter how many times I’ve heard the song before, whether at a concert, listening to a live album or watching a visual recording, when that first familiar beat, note or riff rings out, I feel an indescribable sense of elation. Other Heart DVDs like Alive In Seattle feature the band on the comeback trail on Night At Sky Church, Heart are more than back - they’re safe, sound and ready to rock on home turf and beyond.I love it when a famous band kicks into a famous song live. The bonus tracks section anchors the lightness (“Back To Avalon”) and heaviness (“Kick It Out”) of Heart, leaving little room for negotiation. The playing is tight, crisp and faithful to the originals, for the most part. Once the guests are whisked off, it’s pretty much a hitfest - “What About Love,” “Alone” “Crazy On You” and an encore of “Magic Man” (preceded by yet another new song, “Sand”). The party comes to a head when Mink and Krauss both bow their violins on another new one, the vibrant, “Safronia’s Mask.” They later revisit the possibilities on “Your Long Journey,” a song Krauss recorded with Robert Plant on the Grammy-winning Raising Sand. Producer Ben Mink comes out to play acoustic guitar and violin on two more new ones, “Hey You” and “Red Velvet Car,” before Alison Krauss joins in and sings “These Dreams.” When the Wilsons and Krauss harmonize, it’s as if the clouds have parted, the sun is shining and you haven’t a care in the world. No doubt, a few heads in the Experience Museum that night might have had a Hendrix vision. Ann’s voice is an eerie siren, echoing through a driving rhythm. ![]() “WTF,” the first new song rolled out, may well outshine the classics for sheer machismo and vigor. Nancy and Bartok seem to strike a nice balance on the guitars, while the rest of the band (keyboardist Debbie Shair, bassist Kristina Attard and drummer Ben Smith) keep an adequate pace and play within the lines. Ann can still hit the notes and skate through the melodies. Rockers like “Barracuda” and “Straight On” tend to bring out the best in Heart. A year later, Night At Sky Church arrives on DVD and Blu-ray Disc, capturing a truly electrifying performance from one of rock’s most enduring bands. Armed with the new songs and spine-tingling arrangements of their library of classics, Heart played to a hometown Seattle crowd on March 5, 2010, and filmed the show in glorious high definition. Tons of touring, reconnecting with a colorful past and six years later, Heart rolled out Red Velvet Car and it was if the girls had never left the building. They regrouped as Heart, brought in new personnel like guitarist/songwriter Craig Bartock, and came back strong with 2004’s Jupiters Darling. ![]() Ann and Nancy Wilson, the sisters who are - let’s face it - Heart, spiraled off track in the 90s, devoting much of their time to side projects like the Lovemongers and soundtracks (mostly Nancy for her then-husband Cameron Crowe), along with a little soul searching and family fun. ![]() A few short years ago, it would have been easy to write off Heart. ![]()
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