Heart at the Vibrant Arena at the MARK -- August 24.
Sunday, August 24, 7 p.m.
Vibrant Arena at the MARK, 1201 River Drive, Moline IL
Their considerable professional accomplishments including four Grammy nominations, a quintuple-platinum-selling album, and induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, and the rockers of Heart bring their long-awaited national tour to Moline's Vibrant Arena at the MARK on August 24. Their Hall of Fame page describing the Wilson sisters as "pioneers ... inspir[ing] women to pick up an electric guitar or start a band,” and their tour stop in Moline also boasts an opening set with rock legend Todd Rundgren. Who, like the Heart musicians, was previously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Heart originated in Seattle, Washington, in 1973, and evolved from previous projects led by the founding members Roger Fisher (guitar) and Steve Fossen (bass guitar), among them The Army (1967–1969), Hocus Pocus (1969–1970), and White Heart (1970–1973). By 1975, original members Fisher, Fossen, and Ann Wilson (lead vocals and flute), along with her sister Nancy Wilson (rhythm guitar, vocals), Michael Derosier (drums), and Howard Leese (guitar, keyboards and backing vocals) formed the lineup for Heart's initial mid- to late-1970s success, these six core members included in the band's 2013 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Wilson sisters are the only original members of Heart who continue to tour with the band.
Beginning with their 1975 album debut Dreamboat Annie, Heart rose to fame with music influenced by hard rock and heavy metal, as well as folk music. The band underwent a major lineup change between the late 1970s and the early 1980s, as by 1982, Fisher, Fossen, and Derosier had all left and were replaced by Mark Andes (bass) and Denny Carmassi (drums). Though the band's popularity fell off during the initial years with the new lineup, they staged a comeback in the mid-1980s, buoyed by major radio hits that continued into the 1990s. Heart originally disbanded in 1998, though they have regrouped and resumed touring and recording multiple times since then, with the Wilson sisters being the only consistent members. Heart's Top 40 Billboard singles in the United States include "Magic Man" (1975), "Crazy on You" (1976), "Barracuda" (1977), "What About Love" (1985), "Never" (1985), and "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" (1990), while "These Dreams" (1986) and "Alone" (1987) reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Among the group's laurels, Heart has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, and has sold in excess of 50 million records worldwide, including approximately 22.5 million albums in the United States. They have placed top-10 albums on the Billboard 200 in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2010s, and the group was ranked number 57 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and number 49 on Ultimate Classic Rock's Top 100 Classic Rock Artists. In his book Heart: In the Studio, Jake Brown described the band as beginning "a revolution for women in music ... breaking genre barriers and garnering critical acclaim."
Heart brings their national tour to Moline alongside special musical guest Todd Rundgren. A native of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, the 77-year-old Rundgren began his professional career in the mid-1960s, forming the psychedelic band Nazz in 1967. After two years, he left Nazz to pursue a solo career and immediately scored his first U.S. top-40 hit with 1970's "We Gotta Get You a Woman." His best-known songs include "Hello It's Me" and "I Saw the Light" from 1972's Something/Anything?, the 1978 "Can We Still Be Friends," and the 1983 single "Bang the Drum All Day", which is featured in many sports arenas, commercials, and movie trailers. Rundgren's "Couldn't I Just Tell You" from 1972, meanwhile, influential to many artists in the power pop genre, while his 1973 album A Wizard, a True Star remains an influence on many generations of musicians. In 1984, the artist received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Music Video for "Videosyncracy," and in 2021, Rundgren was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Admission to the 7 p.m. concert on August 24 is $49.50-129.50, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 and visiting VibrantArena.com.
