Heart Returns to Evansville, Stirring an Odd '82 Concert Memory

Maybe it's because I was an 80s teen/young adult that I believe the 1980s were the peak time for rock concerts, period. It could be that everyone thinks that way about their youth. In terms of the big Evansville venues--Roberts Stadium and then the Ford Center--COUNTRY concerts have seemingly ruled over the last couple of decades.

But no statistics matter when a Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame band like Heart announces their return to the city. Still packing a wallop after 50 years on the road, Ann and Nancy Wilson will bring their crew, their phenomenal talents, and their iconic songbook to the Ford Center for An Evening with Heart Tuesday, June 10th at 7 PM. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 7th at 10 AM via Ticketmaster.

Heart and Autograph -- Evansville 1986

Back in '86, the Hall of Famers and special guest Autograph--remember them?--played Roberts Stadium on February 8th of that year. I honestly don't remember that concert, and that's odd considering it coincided with their huge comeback and this number one song:

I'm sure they blew the doors off, but Ann Wilson has made some interesting comments about that 80s comeback. I can't find the video, but in that interview she said that she and Nancy weren't as jazzed about that mid-to-late 80s explosion as one might think. Referencing their two biggest hits--"These Dreams" and "Alone" (both chart toppers)--she said that because they didn't write them, it didn't mean as much. I know songwriters and I get that.

Heart and John Cougar -- Evansville 1982

Heart and special guest John Cougar (now John Mellencamp) came to Roberts Stadium, yielding excitement in high schools and colleges across the tri-state. I didn't go to that concert, but a number of folks from my high school did. MOST of them told me they left after John Cougar. WHAT?!?

At the time, Cougar's American Fool was the hottest album on the planet, and his little ditty "Jack & Diane" was the number one song in the country. Go to the 28:13 mark of this interview, and you'll see and hear why Ann Wilson might not be as shocked as I was about the aforementioned comments I heard back then:

I love it when musicians call albums "records." Anyway, while she is absolutely right about Cougar's popularity at the time, Heart was already a legendary rock band with some already-iconic hits. I suppose it was a real "what have you done for me lately" attitude. I don't know.

Anyway...water under the bridge.

Heart circa 2025 will have no shortage of excited fans ready to watch them rock it out.