On November 5^th, Heart rolled into the First Council Casino, tucked away on Highway 77 South between Arkansas City, Kansas and Newkirk, Oklahoma. If you were to gaze to the East for thirty seconds you would miss ‘casino row’ altogether and not even realize that there was such great rock n’ roll being served up on this two-lane stretch of lonely highway. Such is the casino cash cow that is the classic rock band’s bread and butter in 2010. Casinos pay well, have good sound systems, draw a good crowd and while they are not Carnegie Hall or Madison Square Garden, they give the musicians a unique opportunity to play 2000 seat venues, get up close and personal with their fans and explore many areas of the country they have only seen out of their tour bus window as they raced towards the metropolis.

The First Council Casino’s concert venue is brand spanking new and Heart were the first band to sell out the auditorium. While the Heart friendly crowd was ready for an evening of 70’s rockers and 80’s power ballads they may not have expected four songs from the band’s recently released Red Velvet Car. The new songs actually went over well as the beer lines and bathrooms did not fill up when the band played them. “Hey You” and the title track, “Red Velvet Car,” were both met with enthusiastic applause while “WTF,” the albums hardest rocker, was welcomed with the same applause as many of the band’s classics.

“These Dreams,” “Alone” and “What About Love’ represented the big hair era of Heart and while they all went over well, this crowd seemed more into the hard rocking Heart tunes of the 1970’s. This was apparent when the band opened with “Cook With Fire” from the classic album Dog & Butterfly. “Heartless,” “Straight On” and “Dog & Butterfly” all made early appearances in the set but it was “Even It Up” that really took the energy of the live crowd to the next level. The song started out as “Gimme Shelter” before kicking into the classic Heart riff. Later, Ann Wilson belted out the classic Rolling Stones lyric “It’s just a shout away” as the band revisited “Shelter” before, once again, switching back to “Even It Up.”

The main set ended with the trifecta of “Magic Man,” “Crazy On You” and “Barracuda.” This triple punch left the crowd standing, cheering—begging—for an encore. Heart did not disappoint as they returned and paid homage to two of their favorite bands, Led Zeppelin and The Who. “The Ocean” was flawlessly performed and Ann sounded more like Robert Plant than Robert does these days. The evening’s last song was the Pete Townsend classic “Love Reign O’er Me” from Quadrophenia. Ann, once again, stole the show. The power in her voice during this song made all in attendance realize that she is the best female hard rock singer ever, bar none. She sounds great on record but live she is a goddess.

Heart, in 2010 is really the Ann and Nancy Wilson show. The rest of the band is just there to replicate the classic parts. Ann, vocally, casts a spell over the crowd with her talents while her sister, Nancy, jumps, jives and grooves through the entire night. Her energy is addictive, her smile warms the heart and, lets face it, she is easy on the eyes --- sorry girls, I know that kinda makes me shallow but it is ‘oh so’ true.

To be honest, I was not nearly as excited to see Heart when I jumped in the car and headed to the casino, as I was to have seen Heart once the show was over. The plain and simple truth is that they got to me. The setlist was perfect, as nearly all the 70’s classics were trotted out and the new stuff from Red Velvet Car proved that Ann and Nancy still have what it takes to make a great rock album. Guitarist Craig Bartock was good but he didn’t nail the opening notes to “Magic Man” and his triplets on “Crazy On You” left a little something to be desired. The rest of the band, however, was tight, with keyboard player Debbie Shair, being the one with the most personality.

At the end of the day, if Heart comes to your town, whether it is an arena, a shed, a theater or a casino, spend the money and take in the show. Ann and Nancy are enjoying cruising around in their shiny Red Velvet Car and they don’t mind cranking up a few classics along the way. Suffice it to say, once you settle into your seat and strap on your seatbelt, you’re in for one hell of a ride.