REVIEW: Blondie w/ The Damned | 8.24.22 @ Grand Ole Opry House [PHOTOS]

Blondie
w/ The Damned
Grand Ole Opry House; Nashville, TN
August 24, 2022

Review by Philip Obenschain Photos by Amiee Stubbs, courtesy of the artist.

One of the most iconic and celebrated musical acts in history- and one fairly hard to classify, as their contributions to punk, new wave, and disco are all monumental- the one and only Blondie are nearing 50 years since they first formed, and fast became an instrumental figure in, New York City’s eclectic 1970s punk scene. In all their years, however, the band have seldom made their way to Nashville, last appearing in Music City nearly a decade ago, at The Ryman. Still going strong after all this time (albeit, with a break from the early ’80s to late ’90s), the rockers made their long-awaited return to town this week, to headline the Grand Ole Opry House, along with fellow iconic punks The Damned. We were fortunate enough to get to witness this historic local happening, and we have plenty of thoughts (and photos, courtesy of the artist) below!

As I walked into the Opry House- a really stellar and acoustically fantastic venue which I wish would host more shows like this- I loved seeing so many generations of Blondie fans, from children to elderly, all equally enthusiastic about the evening ahead (as a 30-something millennial, I may have been in the younger half of the age range for this one; an increasing rarity nowadays). The room was already looking full by the time The Damned took the stage. Legends in their own right, I was really thrilled to see them open, as long-time punk fan with a few monumental acts like this still on my bucket list. Even more exciting was the fact that this tour featured several original members who hadn’t played with the group in decades. Kicking right into “Wait for the Blackout,” the English punks delivered a lean, energetic set of fan-favorites, wisely sticking to their best-known work from the mid-’70s to mid-’80s. It’s hard to believe that these guys are all in their 60s, as they not only still sound phenomenal, but they looked great too, still all gothed out in black and dripping in elder punk statesman cool. By the time they ripped through stellar renditions of classics like “Born to Kill,” “Alone Again Or,” and a stacked closing run of “Love Song,” “Neat Neat Neat,” and “New Rose,” I was captivated, and almost forgot another iconic band was still to follow. I can’t believe it took me this long to see The Damned, and I hope to have another chance soon; they’re the real deal!

It wasn’t long until Blondie took the stage, met by with rapturous applause. Another band I’ve been dying to see for many, many years, and never had the opportunity, Blondie are one of the greatest groups still active who I’d never seen live, and I was beyond elated to finally have the chance. Fittingly, they kicked off the show with 1976 debut single “X Offender,” a reminder of just how long they’ve been at this, and the only song from their eponymous debut to appear on the set. Singer Debbie Harry (who, along with drummer Clem Burke, is the only founding member still touring, after guitarist Chris Stein was forced to sit out for health reasons) is every bit the magnetic, inherently cool figure she’s been for five decades, and looking chic in her pastel outfit, platform Nikes, and signature blonde hair, it was immediately clear why she’s one of the most influential rock singers in history. Harry is now 77 (all of the band were in their 30s already when they first made it big), but you’d never know it; her voice still sounds fantastic, her banter and humor and passion for social causes is as bright as ever, and her energy and stage presence is admirable.

Their setup was pretty straightforward (and from the balcony, I had a bird’s eye view of the whole stage), but, interestingly, the band were backed by a dynamic LED screen, occasionally changing to swaths of color or video clips, but often displaying comic book-esque caricatures of band members in ways that tied in with each song. The setlist was absolutely stacked, and almost entirely made up of material from their hugely influential first five albums (I’ll admit, I haven’t listened to much of the group’s later material since their ’90s comeback, but the few songs they did incorporate from that era sounded very cool). The live band- featuring original Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock and talented guitarist Andee Blacksugar, both new for this tour- were excellent, faithfully recreating the group’s tones of emotional weight and edge. From the propulsive energy of “Hanging on the Telephone” to the reggae spirit of “The Tide Is High” to avant garde punk propulsion of “Detroit 442” to the ballad-y singalongs of “Shayla” to the early hip hop elements of “Rapture” (now a viral tune for Gen Z, thanks to TikTok and TV show The Boys), Blondie’s live show is such an impressive, genre-bending showcase of their immeasurable talent and influence on the coolest music scenes of their era.

Debbie was in noticeably high sprints, thanking the crowd, encouraging audience participation, and being candid about her prior fear that they may never get to tour again during the pandemic (naming this the Against the Odds tour was certainly appropriate). And by the time she closed out the main set with disco and new wave mega hit “Heart of Glass” (an extended version, which also gave space to introduce the talented band), I felt transported to New York at the end of the ’70s, where bands like Blondie, at dingy, legendary clubs like CBGB’s, and in opposition to.a very lame and stagnant mainstream rock and pop scene, forever changed the course of music, paving the way for so many of my favorite artists’ of the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s very existence. For their encore, the rockers fittingly began with a wonderful rendition “Ring of Fire” (which, sure, you could say is a little on the nose for the Opry, but Blondie have been covering it since the ’80s), before, of course, concluding with two of their most significant hits: “Call Me” (electing the most dancing and enthusiastic singalongs of the entire night) and “One Way or Another,” ending the show on a wave of high-energy and punk spirt; forever the essence and most essential ingredient in Blondie’s eclectic musicality.

It’s hard to convey just how meaningful it is to get to witness such an important piece of musical history like this, and after all these years, I’m so thrilled and thankful that Blondie are still around, still playing shows, and still sound as vibrant and fresh and important as they did in 1977. I have no idea when or if the band might ever make it back to Nashville, but I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect show- especially for my first time seeing them- sonically, personally, and in what feels like an especially necessary and cathartic time and place, as this one.

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Setlist:

X Offender
Hanging on the Telephone
Sunday Girl
Picture This
Fade Away and Radiate
The Tide Is High
Detroit 442
Atomic
(I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear
Shayla
Union City Blue
Long Time
Rapture
Maria
Dreaming
Heart of Glass

Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash cover)
Call Me
One Way or Another