Heart • Squeeze • March 8, 2025 • Maverik Center
Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe
Photographed by Criss Cain courtesy of Grandstand Media
When I received the announcement that Heart’s Royal Flush Tour would need to be postponed due to lead singer, Ann Wilson’s cancer diagnosis, I wondered if I’d ever get to see Heart in concert again. More important than the band, the music, and the tour, I hoped that Wilson would fully recover. Cancer is such a scary thing, and well, you just never know. I was delighted to hear see the rescheduled dates and see that Heart would be returning to Utah in 2025.
In September of 2024, Ann posted on social media that she was doing “…absolutely fine.” She empathized with those who have had to go through the mental torture of “waiting around for test results.” Wilson then shared that she was “…finished with chemo & I’m officially ready to get ready for the tour in 2025.” She concluded her message with, “There’s much to celebrate.” And on Mar 8, 2025 at the Maverik Center, we did celebrate!
Squeeze
I was initially surprised to see Squeeze on the bill as the support band. I guess I just never thought of them and Heart as being part of the same musical pallet. That being said, the lineup of Heart and Squeeze worked quite well. I’ve had the opportunity to cover Squeeze a couple of times when they’ve played Utah and was thrilled at the opportunity to chat with frontman, Glenn Tilbrook over the pandemic when we were all sitting around still trying to figure out how to do what we do. He was great to talk with and had a great attitude about everything.
Fans of Squeeze showed up on time to catch the band. The Maverik Center was already about full for their performance. Energy was high as Squeeze played their great hits, such as “Pulling Mussels (From A Shell)” and “Tempted.” I especially enjoyed “Goodbye Girl” and “Take Me, I’m Yours.” Each member of the band is extremely talented. They were each given a chance to shine during the band introductions. Original member Chris Dilford was noticeably absent from the show. My understanding is that he’s currently on a solo tour and pops back into the Squeeze tour from time to time. Disappointed to have missed him, but I thought Tilbrook handled the crowd interaction exceptionally well. I’m hopeful that Squeeze will return to Utah soon in a headlining role. They’re a great live band.
Heart
As the crew switched out Squeeze’s gear for Heart’s, a large white curtain was raised at the front of the stage. When the lights went out a video played on the curtain. Heart took us through a timeline of their existence from the early 70s to today. It was crazy to see all of the things that have transpired since they’ve been a band. It was interesting to see the audience react to the visuals that passed by. We heard unanimous cheers for things like Star Wars, Pac-Man, and Led Zepplin. And some mixed reception for things like Elon Musk, Colin Kaepernick, and Taylor Swift.
As the final frame showed the words, “And as for 2025…” music began to play and the curtain dropped to show the band with Nacy Wilson standing center stage strumming her guitar. As she played, her sister, Ann, was wheeled (yes, wheeled) to her microphone. I initially wondered if due to her cancer treatment, she needed to perform from a wheelchair due to fatigue.
But as the band played their opening song, “Bebe Le Strange”, I did some quick googling and discussing with an old buddy, KBER’s own Corky Onair. Host of The Salt Lake Soundcheck. My extensive investigative research discovered that Ann Wilson had a fall that resulted in a dislocated elbow and a bunch of aches and pains. So it made sense that it was in her best interest to remain seated for the show. I must admit, seeing the lead singer of your favorite band on stage sitting in a wheelchair is not the best way to escape into nostalgia and feel a bit young again for a couple hours.
Do you remember when Axl Rose of Guns N Roses and Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana sustained broken legs? They took to the stage in a massive throne, that included lighting and other effects. I would have liked to have seen something like that for Ann. Maybe not even something as extravagant, but just not a wheelchair. However, while the wheelchair might not have been the best aesthetic for a concert stage, I don’t think it hindered the excitement of the crowd much. People were on their feet, elated to see this band again. As I mentioned, we had a scare that we might not ever get to again.
One thing that was for sure unaffected by cancer or a fall was Ann’s voice. The moment she hit some of those classic Ann Wilson notes, the crowd went crazy. Their applause was an indicator that they were happy to hear that she still had that amazing voice. I thought she sounded incredible during “Never” and was especially powerful for “Straight On For You”. A song they mashed up with David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”.
Ann definitely still had her pipes and Nancy could still play that guitar. Nancy Wilson had her moments to shine throughout the show. The audience cheered as she performed Heart’s #1 hit song, “These Dreams”. The song Nancy takes lead vocals on. She got the crowd rockin’ when she played the familiar lead in to possibly my favorite Heart song, “Crazy On You”. Right as the rest of the band comes in Nancy always does this big kick. I was stoked to see that she still does it.
Nancy’s greatest moment of the night was when she dedicated an instrumental she performed by herself called “4 Edward”. Dedicated to the late, Eddie Van Halen. Nancy shared that in the 80s, Heart opened for Van Halen and Eddie told her that he liked how she played acoustic guitar. She told us that she gave Eddie Van Halen one of her acoustics and the next day he told her he was playing it all night. He called her the next morning and played her an instrumental he wrote. She told us that she thought she’d return the favor and wanted to play this song for him. It was a display of her immense talent on the acoustic guitar and a very poignant moment for us Rock fans.
Speaking of Rock music tributes, during their acoustic set, Heart played a cover of “Going To California” by Led Zeppelin. Ann Wilson singing Led Zeppelin is one of my favorite things. If you haven’t heard Heart perform “Stairway To Heaven” when Zeppelin was being honored at the Kennedy Center, I implore you to check it out. Outside of hearing some of my favorite Heart songs like “Alone”, and “Magic Man”, this was for sure my favorite moment of the night.
Heart concluded the night just the way you’d expect. “Baracuda”. If you’re a fan of Rock, then you know just how awesome this song is. From the guitar riff to Ann’s sailing vocals, this is a complete Rock N Roll anthem. If this was my last time getting to see Heart, I am content. Heart still sounds great. They still draw a huge crowd. I’m glad I got to see this show. Their music has spanned the entirety of my life. Few voices have this effect on me. Ann hits notes in a way unlike anyone else. I loved hearing her and seeing Nancy play and the fellas that back them up. I hope they continue to do what they love.