By The Way, She Looks Fantastic In Her Boots of Chinese Plastic

Saturday (2/28), Lisa and I joined my brother C, and our buddies Carl and Sharla at the House of Blues in Houston to see Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famers, Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders. Lucky for us that our pals ate at the HOB, because that entitled us to be one of the first in line, and we got front row and almost dead center. (Thanks Carl and Sharla!)

The Pretenders have a new album out called Breaking Up The Concrete, and are at the end of a tour to support it. The new disc has some rockabilly and country influences, quite a break from the punk/new wave Pretenders of the 1980s.

By my count, most of the first 9 songs were from the new album. That says a lot about Hynde's confidence and new direction. Not that she's ever been one to compromise her ideals, mind you.

In case you didn't know, she's had a long association with the animal rights activists, known as PETA. That might help explain her blue plastic-not-leather-boots, and the opening number "Boots of Chinese Plastic."

So, I might as well go ahead and say it, now. Chrissie Hynde, at age 57, is one very hot mama. If those jeans, those boots, and her strutting around the stage weren't enough, then all she had to do was pose right at front of me, stare through those bangs, and flash that smile. Sheesh! How did she put it? Something about arms, and legs, and smile, and side-step. Yeah, she is special. Yeah, Chrissie Hynde smiled at me. She just had to have some of my attention. (Gulp.)

I put my eyes back in my head, and made sure I put my arms around Lisa, at some point in the show. I know on which side my bread is buttered, ok?

Just as I crossed off Springsteen, Fogerty and Petty from the must-see list, I can finally do the same with the Pretenders. The set was heavy with new tunes, as I said, but there were plenty of the oldies we all came to hear. “Brass In Pocket,” “The Wait,” “Tattooed Love Boys,” “Precious,” “Message Of Love,” “Back On The Chain Gang,” "Talk of the Town," and “Don’t Get Me Wrong” were all present and accounted for.

Original drummer Martin Chambers was happily on hand, as Chrissie introduced him as "the greatest drummer," one she has worked with for 30 years. Then she quipped, "You only get 20 for murder." Chambers held it all together, too. Nice work from him, as two youngsters played bass and lead guitar, and another veteran sat at the steel pedal guitar.

I was surprised to hear how Chrissie's voice has held up after three decades. She commands the stage, and showmanship is unquestionably her strong suit. Her sarcastic wit and dry humor are better understood when you realize that she's spent the last 35 years or so living in England. She's back in Ohio (naturally), helping out in her native Akron.

The noticeably absent cuts for this show were "Middle of the Road," and "My City Was Gone." And while I sometimes really dug the steel pedal guitar, I sometimes wished original guitarist James Honeyman-Scott was still around to wail on some songs, the way we remember them. Small complaints, really, for a darned good show.

Check out this live performance of "Boots of Chinese Plastic!"