Sisters Ann & Nancy Wilson Celebrate 50 Years Of Legendary Songs With Visit To North Charleston Coliseum

Jeff Walker,  Entertainment Writer

Led by the dynamic sister duo of Ann and Nancy Wilson, Heart remains one of the most durable rock n' roll bands of all time. While they have taken the occasional hiatus, mostly to pursue solo projects, Heart has pretty much been rockin' for over 50 years.

Sunday (June 22nd) night the band rolled into the North Charleston Coliseum, providing diehard fans an 'Intimate Evening with Heart'. Roughly 4000 plus concert goers enjoyed easily a solid 10 Heart classics mixed with Led Zeppelin and David Bowie tributes over nearly two hours. 

It may have been billed as an intimate evening, but nonetheless it was definitely a hard rockin' night. Including Nancy, Heart has five (count 'em), five guitarists on stage, and the quintet know to wield their axes. And despite just having turned 75, Ann's voice is still fluid, carrying equal measures of soul and raspiness.

No fancy light show, lasers, backdrops, or big screen videos. Just seven skilled artists rocking the night away, providing the audience mostly made up of baby boomers to a soundtrack to their lives. Ann and Nancy led the charge, engaging the crowd between numbers, thanking loyal listeners for following them since they were a 'baby band' back in the early 1970's.

Jump starting with 'Bébé le Strange' from the 1980 album of the same name, Ann and Nancy, and the boys delivered at locomotive speed, following with four recognizable numbers including 'Never', 'Little Queen', 'These Dreams', and 'Straight On' which allowed for a nice segue into a funky rock rendition of Bowie's 'Let's Dance'. Baby boomers were rockin' and reelin', and swaying to the music.

Nearing the midway point 'Crazy on You' continued the non-stop hit parade, followed by band members exiting the stage except for Nancy. Often listed among the best female rock n' roll guitarists, Nancy offered up a poignant story of how she turned legendary axe-man Eddie Van Halen on to acoustic guitars. Her recollection was both priceless and whimsical, as well as a nice intro to '4 Edward', a dedication song she penned for the late guitar god. 

Covering 17 songs total, Heart filled the remaining hour with 'Magic Man', 'Alone', and 'What About Love' proving they commanded both the 1970's and 80's decades. More than a testament to their own rock radio staples, were their salutes to Zeppelin, sending out 'The Rain Song' and 'The Ocean', with Ann declaring the former was pure rock n' roll poetry at its finest. She's not wrong.

An epic guitar solo that allowed all five time to bask in the spotlight, was an appropriate pre-cursor to the band's most treasured song, leaving fans with and extended version of 'Barracuda'. Everyone was on their feet singing in unison with several joining in on air guitar. Pursuant to their name, the evening was a love fest between the band and their faithful followers.

Lovingly known to the world as Heart, the band and certainly the sisters are American rock n' roll icons, with their songs having reached legendary status. The very reason Ann and Nancy along with the original lineup were inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame back in 2013. Judging by the crowd's reaction 'Heart Nation' still exists, with several of the fans I talked to coming from two and three hours away to see one of their favorite all-time bands.

'An Evening With Heart' shows continue on in their schedule, with the ladies and their five piece band crisscrossing America with no scheduled opening acts. To see if they are coming to your neck of the woods visit https://www.heart-music.com/