(Photo by Nadine Joy)
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ—On a balmy summer evening, Rick Springfield took the stage with a lot of energy for a guy whose 65th birthday was on the horizon.
“I’ve Done Everything For You” was the first song, and he knocked it out of the park. After taking his shirt off, he followed that up with “Our Ship’s Sinking” and “Affair Of The Heart.”
The band was tight and the videos showing off Rick’s illustrious career were fun to watch. It’s funny how many videos he made back in the day. He also talked about the $10 million cost of one of them!
Just before the encore, he went into the crowd, still shirtless, and was up close and personal with a lot of the fans. That’s a nice touch in this day and age.
The show closed out with “Don’t Talk To Strangers,” “Love Somebody,” “Human Touch” and the encore of “Jessie’s Girl,” a song he teased for a lot of the show by playing the chords. He played some covers and had a good guitar solo. He was solid.
Pat Benatar’s show started with a video talking about her career and longstanding marriage with lead guitarist Neil Giraldo. It was a dark, peaceful setup that was ideal for a rock band.
The tour celebrated the 35th anniversary of the singer and band. “Shadows Of The Night” was the opener, and fans really got pumped up for that. They rattled off “All Fired Up,” “Invincible,” “We Live For Love” and “Promises In The Dark,” and the crowd went crazy. Benatar sounded terrific.
At 61, Benatar has changed the arrangement on a few of her songs because she can’t reach those incredible high notes all concert long, but she has her moments that are still very impressive for any singer.
Giraldo performed a great piano intro on “We Belong,” making that memorable. Then Benatar slowed down the show explaining the meaning behind “Hell Is For Children,” and it was very touching how much the two have fought against child abuse.
In “You Better Run” (The Young Rascals cover), Benatar showed off her pipes and her husband’s chops on the guitar. It was as good as it was back in 1980 when it was released off her second album, Crimes Of Passion. “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” was a huge hit off the same album, and many fans were rocking out.
Before the band played “Love Is A Battlefield,” Benatar explained they had too many songs and many would be rotated on this tour. This song had a lot of fire. When it ended, the band quickly went off the stage.
The encore was “Heartbreaker,” which eventually morphed into Johnny Cash’s hit, “Ring Of Fire,” and then Giraldo played riffs of “Heartbreaker” (Zeppelin) and The Godfather theme. Giraldo is Italian and Benatar made fun of his ancestry, so this was clearly his way of getting her back.
The show was an equal split, and while many probably wanted to see a bit more Benatar, they’ll surely take in a second show in hopes of hearing some more of their catalog. It was a show that had a lot of families in the audience, and everybody enjoyed it.
