Syracuse may love rock and roll as much as Joan Jett does.

The edgy underground idol played an hour of her classic hits along with a mix of songs from her latest album, ‘Sinner,’ at a free show at the Great New York State Fair last night. Jett and The Blackhearts rocked out on an open stage to a packed audience, an accomplishment with the competition of a Rascal Flatts concert around the corner at the same time.

‘I loved it! I loved the music,’ said Amber Mcann, 21, of Deerfield. ‘She’s so fun and energetic. And she’s hot.’

While the punk starlet did play her hits, including ‘I Love Rock N’ Roll,’ ‘Crimson and Clover,’ ‘I Hate Myself For Loving You’ and an encore of ‘Bad Reputation,’ Jett and her band also went through multiple tracks off ‘Sinner,’ her first American album in five years. Some, like her latest singles, ‘A.C.D.C’ and ‘Change the World,’ fit perfectly into the Blackhearts’ hard-rocking catalogue and were a delight to listen to. But others, like the anti-government anthem ‘Riddles’ — complete with one of the more idiotic George W. Bush quotes — did not sit well with the red state mentality the Fair seems to have.

Despite the large open space, the flashing lights beckoning Fairgoers to artery-clogging fried food and the multitude of mullets, the show was surprisingly still very Joan Jett. Last night, the Fair could have been just another underground punk rock show. This initially created awkward silence from some of the patrons who weren’t ready for the Jett explosion and experience. However, when the sun finally went down and the crowed thinned out to the diehard fans, everyone was singing and dancing.

‘I was worried. You all sounded a little shy on that last song there,’ Jett said, after she finally got people to sing along with her. ‘Add a little volume and we’ve got some rock and roll!’

Throughout the show, Jett managed to entertain the audience with her fast and angry form of rock. Dressed in a tight black leather outfit, much more conservative than the attire she is usually known for wearing while performing, Jett sang out her set with a smile on her face. And while being backed by her band — a motley crew of leather clad, tattooed, mohawked rockers — Jett really knew how to target an audience of all ages.’It was good. I like the song, ‘I Love Rock N’ Roll,” said Isabella Manna, 6, of Baldwinsville, who danced on her seat to every song. ‘I like the way she sang, she’s a good singer.’

Debbie Manna, 35, said, ‘(My daughter) has been listening to Joan Jett since she was little. When she was 2-and-a-half years old she fell in love with ‘Rock N’ Roll,’ so we figured we would take her to see who sang it.’

Jett managed to match any expectations of a Blackhearts show a fan could have. The music was loud, the energy was high and the crowd went nuts every time she played something familiar. Those who grew up with Jett could not be disappointed; she continues to sound good after all these years. Clearly dominated by a career’s worth of aging and cigarettes, her voice is much raspier than it once was. But, in a way, it seems to work with her genre of music, adding a rougher edge to the overall sound.

So whether it was aging fans celebrating the music of their youth, or newcomers connecting to Jett’s sound and message, the show clearly deserved to fill all the seats it did.

‘I was really psyched about the song ‘I Hate Myself for Loving You.’ It really brought me back to my 80s youth,’ said Rose Azaria, a television, radio and film graduate student. ‘(Joan Jett) is an icon of the 80s and is still completely rocking.’

Published on August 30, 2006 at 12:00 pm