Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell Still Roars at Paramount Theatre

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Story by Molly McGrath, Photos by Michael McGrath

It is rare that I am enthused by male musicians taking their shirts off during performances, and even rarer when those men are almost 63 years old. But when Billy Idol took his shirt off in the first song of his performance at the Paramount Theatre on Wednesday night, I screamed like one of the girls in the Beatles documentaries who shrieks until her lungs pop and a stream of urine goes running down her leg.

From the thirteenth row at the Paramount Theatre, 2018 Billy Idol looks like the same sacreligious goth boy that fronted  punk band Generation X in 1982. Equally pouty and charismatic, Idol brought tremendous energy to the stage. Accompanied by his notorious guitar player, Steve Stevens, the duo captivated the entire crowd with a strategic blend of Idol’s newer work, and all of his classic new-wave hits.

Billy Idol and his band merged punk rock with a high level of showmanship, making the concert enjoyable for everyone attending; however, the show was most enjoyable for the toddler in the front row who, dressed as Idol, received lots of attention from the band as well as a signed drumstick. Never in my life have I been more envious of a three year old.

Idol ended the show with his smash hit “White Wedding.” The entire audience, young and old, sang along. Billy Idol is an incredibly passionate performer, and his show created a sense of infectious euphoria all throughout the Paramount Theatre.