Wanda’s way
Oklahoma’s own Wanda Jackson performed at the Tower Theatre on Feb. 17. Nathan Poppe shares his recap and photos from the concert.
Wanda Jackson was staring right at me. She lowered her microphone, placed her hands at her hips and tilted her head into a picture-perfect pose. Leave it to Jackson to do all this voguing in the middle of a live performance.
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I snapped that cheeky moment at Jackson’s Tower Theatre concert on Feb. 17 early during her hourlong set. Jackson, 80, isn’t shakin’ exactly like she used to because the rock ‘n’ roll pioneer prefers to sit during concerts, but there wasn’t a shortage of entertainment. Make no mistake, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s dedicated to her audience and her craft. Her cameraready, fringed outfit still catches the stage light just right, and the longtime Oklahoma City resident can deliver her wit — or even a yodel — at the drop of a hat.
Here’s a few more observations from her full-band, hometown concert at the Tower Theatre.
• Wanda still draws a crowd
Saturday’s seated show was close to selling out, which was impressive considering how many concerts were going on that evening and how recently Jackson had performed in Oklahoma. Of the roughly 600 concertgoers that night, it’s worth noting how diverse the age range was. Rockabilly fanatics resembling 1950s character actors mingled with everyone from senior adults to gradeschoolers. Jackson retains a wide appeal.
• She’s got a sense of humor
Besides making a dramatic pose for my camera, Jackson peppered the show with anecdotes and stories from her storied career which stretches back more than six decades. “Let me take you back to 1959,” she said during the show. “When y’all weren’t even a twinkle in your daddy’s eye.” The “Fujiyma Mama” is a consummate performer and seems to enjoy putting on a show as much as the crowd appears to enjoy it. She also displayed a more tender side, especially when she dedicated a song to her late husband, Wendell Dale Goodman. I want to say it was “Right or Wrong.” He had managed Wanda’s career for more than 50 years, and she said she missed being “cheek to cheek” with him.
• That nasty voice holds up
The “sweet lady with the nasty voice” moniker isn’t hyperbole. Jackson’s never had an immaculate voice, but rather it’s an exemplary one. Her growl hasn’t lost an ounce of grit, and she owns that. I hear modern artists like Margo Price and Elle King dip into a similar affectation. It’s about as essential to rock ‘n’ roll as the guitar string.
• There was a “Riot...
... in Cell Block No. 9” and it was among one of the several covers Jackson tossed into her mixture of original songs on Saturday. She also included Hank Williams’ “I Saw the Light,” Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good” and Elvis Presley’s “Let’s Have a Party” and “Heartbreak Hotel.”