It only took approximately three minutes before Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde removed a trademark item of clothing at the band's New York City Central Park SummerStage show on Monday night. Her white pinstriped vest wasn't long for the NYC summer heat and was tossed aside following the band's opening number, 'Break Up the Concrete.'

"It's girls' night," Hynde said from the stage. And it was. The Pretenders were the third of a touring trio to take the stage, as Juliette Lewis and Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) performed earlier, probably to their chagrin, in the scorching sun.

"Central Park, we've got a message of love," Hynde roared before segueing into the song, well, 'Message of Love.' Hynde was joined by original Pretenders drummer Martin Chambers at the kit, with he and Hynde remaining as the sole original members since the group formed just over 30 years ago. It was a sentiment that wasn't lost on the evening. "Here's one for Peter Farndon and James Honeyman-Scott," she said of her late bandmates before a take on 'Kid.' "Without them we wouldn't be here."

All of this isn't to say the entire show was a reflection of where the Pretenders have been.

Hynde and Co. -- Chambers, along with newbies James Walbourne (guitar), Eric Haywood (pedal steel) and Nick Wilkinson (bass) -- showcased much of the new songs from the Pretenders' latest album, 'Break Up the Concrete,' to a mixed yet receptive crowd of loyal devotees, punks, hippies and hipsters. One song in particular, 'Rosalee,' got a warm reception thanks to a coy intro by Hynde. "This next song's about a girl," she said as fans cheered. "Don't get too excited. I can't remember if I snogged her or not." How 'bout them apples, Katy Perry?

Still, it was the hits that really roused the crowd, including 'Don't Get Me Wrong,' 'Brass in Pocket,' 'I'll Stand by You' and, of course, 'Back on the Chain Gang.'

"I'd rather shoot myself than sing 'Back on the Chain Gang,'" Hynde told Spinner at the band's Sessions taping. In the end, she did sing the song. You see, Hynde's always been a straight shooter. But she doesn't need a gun.