Chrissie Hynde is the Talk of the Town as the Pretenders return to the Chicago stage

February 15, 2009, at the Riviera Theatre

By Selena Fragassi
Published: February 18th, 2009 | 11:15am

Upon walking into Chicago’s Riviera Theatre, where the Pretenders returned to the city’s stage for the first time since 2006, homemade scribbled notes greeted visitors on the succession of doors, with block letters that read, “No camera phones,” each piece of copier paper simply signed by “Chrissie.”

At 57 years-old, and in an age when cameras on cell phones can pick up every wrinkle and crow’s foot, could it possibly be that Chrissie Hynde was getting shy about her age? Or could it be that the post-punk pioneer is so keen on perfection that only the best telephoto lens images would do? After an electric nearly two-hour set that smoldered with effortless precision, the magnetic frontwoman proved anything but shy with a crisp voice and tempered delivery that assured, like the finest wine, that age has only made her better.

The night’s set list, complete with a double scoop of encore material, sprinkled new rockabilly-inspired tracks from last year’s Break Up the Concrete (Shangri-La Music) on top of the perfect amount of sweet classics for the blissful cherry on top of this Sunday evening.

The rapidfire pulsation of honky-tonk newbies like “Boots of Chinese Plastic” and “Don’t Cut Your Hair” not only showed that Hynde had command over the band that has become her own vessel to stay afloat over the years, but also highlighted the talent of guitarist newbie James Walbourne, whose solos on “Thumbelina” and “Rosalee” almost took the spotlight away from the fact that original drummer Martin Chambers had rejoined the group.

But the climax of the night came each time the opening chords of old favorites like “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” “Talk of the Town,” and “Tattooed Love Boys” flooded the room to an uproar of excitement that hit an all-time high with “Back on the Chain Gang,” which sadly left a gaping hole in the crowded room as the memories of late members James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon were honored.

From start to finish, Hynde proved herself more than just a time-pressure radio darling and Friends cameo star, but a virtual rock idol who used the stage like it was her altar, banging the tambourine like a rain dance for a downpour of applause.

Dressed in a black tuxedo blazer with coattails, jeans, and buckled boots, her trademark heavy bangs hanging in her face, on no other song did Hynde have more personality than on rock mainstay–cum–drag queen favorite “Brass in Pocket,” to which she lamented, “Let’s just get this one out of the way,” and exploded into her own version of the hokey pokey, while pleading with the crowd to believe her — that she really is “so special” — and give her some of their attention. Her words were no matter as a literal bouquet of roses was thrown upon her and grown men and women screamed out “Chrissie rules!” from the balcony before racing out to the merch table to scarf up any souvenirs they could. For even though Hynde ended the night by saying, “Thank you for making my day,” the honor was all ours.

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For more photos from this show visit Venus Zine’s Flickr page.
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Read Call & Response with Chrissie Hynde in the spring 2009 issue of Venus Zine, on newsstands March 1
Chrissie Hynde in Venus Zine's list of Greatest Female Guitarists of all Time