Wanda Jackson's still one hard-headed woman

Just one night after appearing at Long Beach’s Ink ’n’ Iron Festival, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Wanda Jackson played for a smaller, but no less enthusiastic, sold-out crowd at the Casbah. For many, seeing the Queen of Rockabilly in such a small venue was less of a concert, and more of a religious experience.

And that was before she dedicated a song to Jesus.

“I Saw the Light” was among the highlights of an hour-long set that showed that Jackson can still snarl, yodel, and flat-out sing with as much presence as ever. From “Mean Mean Man” (which she introduced as “the first rock & roll song I ever wrote”) to a cover of Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good,” Jackson delivered on her promise to take fans on a 60-year musical journey.

Men were the theme of the evening, and right at the top of Jackson’s list was the husband who escorted her to and from the stage. But when it came to using the barstool he’d thoughtfully set out for her, she wasn’t about to rest for even a minute. Proving that, half a century after she first sang it on record, Wanda Jackson is still one hard-headed woman.

• Concert: Wanda Jackson
• Date: June 7
• Venue: Casbah
• Seats: stage front