On an unassuming Wednesday night in May, the Dallas Observer music team had to divide and conquer. In Irving, Wilco performed before a sold-out crowd at the Toyota Music Factory. In Dallas, Paul Simon took the stage at Winspear Opera House for the first of a two-night run. And in Fort Worth, an ‘80s rock revival was in order, with Billy Idol and Joan Jett at the helm.
People watching rarely gets better than the scene inside Dickies Arena, where thousands of middle-aged people dressed and danced through a reliving of their glory days.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts took the stage first, cramming a 15-song setlist into just over an hour of stage time. The set included songs from her time with The Runaways, covers of The Replacements and Sly and the Family Stone, and the classics, closing with “I Hate Myself For Loving You” and “Bad Reputation.”…