Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Pretenders Deliver to the State!

Last updated on July 18th, 2018 at 04:29 pm

In 1973, Chrissie Hynde moved from Ohio to London and began a career that helped change the musical landscape, which not only shaped a generation but has lasting influences on rock, grunge, American and even the current state of… whatever you want to call it.  I just like calling it great music!  Having been in early versions of The Clash and The Dammed, her post-hippie punk attitude and her powerful voice created The Pretenders, which released their first recording in 1978. Their first single was a Kinks cover of “Don’t Stop Sobbing”.

Chrissie and her countless variations of The Pretenders have engulfed a genre with great rhythms and led by a voice which is clear, powerful and, at times, smokey. Her solo work and her work with The Pretenders are legendary, a reason the band has been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame (2005).

Last year I got to see them open for Stevie Nicks. The highlight of that show was not the headliner, but rather listening to Hynde sing the part of Tom Petty alongside Stevie with “Stop Dragging My Heart Around”.  That right there was history! 

Tonight’s performance at the State Theater was a reminder that today’s rock stars owe their passage in some part to Chrissie. Not just women in rock, but everyone who has dreamed of being a star!  As her ageless voice and her still-punk attitude took over the stage, it was easy to see how comfortable she and the current line-up of The Pretenders are at owning rock and roll. It’s a rare occasion when the moves and the voice still match over the years.

Classics like “ Kid,” “Back On The Chain Gang,” “Middle Of The Road” were great, but to hear the prowess in her voice on “ I will Stand By You” was the reason so many people have stuck true to The Pretenders- and all things Chrissie Hynde. Backed up with the AMAZING guitarist James Walbourne, they continue to fill the place with energy through every chord and note they sing. This performance proved why The Pretenders and Chrissie Hyde are living legends.