ANDERSON—Steve and Karen Maas arrived to Anderson less than a hour before Joan Jett and the Blackhearts hit the stage.
“We drove six-and-a-half hours to be here,” Steve Maas said as he settled in his front row seat in the Terrace Showroom of Hoosier Park on Friday night.
The couple, who drove from Traverse City, Mich., have seen Jett twelve times, including the two from Friday night, in the past two years.
“I’ve been a Joan fan for 26 years,” Karen Maas said as she sported her “fetish” T-shirt and Jett-like hairdo.
The sold out shows in the first-time concert venue were filled with people wearing black clothing, hoop earrings and black, short styles. The intimate atmosphere energized the entire group, including the people in the top tier of what usually is the Homestretch Clubhouse Restuarant.
“We moved the time of (horse) racing to accomodate for the shows,” Tammy Knox, publicity director, said.
Jett played a 7:30 p.m. and a 10 p.m. show Friday night, with a meet-and-greet in the middle. Twenty people were chosen by the casino to meet Jett and take a picture with the punk-pop singer.
As the band ran on stage and started playing “Bad Reputation”, a 1980 hit for the band, a few audience members were standing. By “I Love Rock and Roll,” the entire room was filled with singing, clapping and dancing from people of all ages.
For Holly Smith, 28, the show was an experience of a lifetime.
“I thought it was awesome,” the Marion resident said.
Friday night was the first time Smith had been to a concert before. She knew the hits Jett’s made over the years, but was not a die-hard fan.
“I’m going to (listen) a lot more now,” she said afterwards.
On June 13, Lee Greenwood played an outdoor concert at Hoosier Park. Knox said an estimated 400 to 500 people were at the show.
“It rained all day,” she said. “There were threats for more rain. His performance was great.”
On July 4, Hoosier Park will feature Davy Jones, of The Monkees, in a free outdoor show, which will be followed by fireworks in celebration of Independence Day.
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Punk rocker Joan Jett sells out Hoosier Park
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