"You're gonna cry; I cried," Thursday night's show opener Juliette Lewis warned me backstage at the Greek Theater before the Pretenders went on. Although I've been a fan of the band since the early '80s (the first album, Pretenders, remains a permanent fixture in my car), I've never seen them play live, so I half expected a classic rock nostalgia trip with a couple hits medleys and a few moments where the greatness shines through and we all kick ourselves for not seeing them back in '85. I definitely had no idea how FOXY Chrissie Hynde still is (an advertisement for veganism if there ever was one) or how beautifully supple her voice is, or how timeless the songs would sound. And I certainly wasn't prepared - warning aside - for the deluge of tears that soaked my cheeks as she sang "Talk of the Town" and "Back on the Chain Gang" in that rich, vulnerable vibrato, the chiming guitars bringing me back to a time when I felt so confused yet hopeful, and Chrissie spoke for all us girls when she put down her foot and declared, "I'm special, SO special...and I'm gonna make you notice."Thank you for everything, Ms. Hynde...here's wishing you a happy and special 58th birthday on Monday.
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