Legendary rocker Pat Benatar and her husband/bandmate/co-writer Neil Giraldo have been touring together for decades. If last Friday’s performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall is any indication, they aren’t stopping anytime soon.
With long white hair and a flowing black pantsuit, Benatar took the stage with the confidence of a woman who has been there, done that, and still loves doing it. Opening with the hit “We Live for Love,” she immediately proved that her voice remains as powerful and clear as it was when she burst onto the scene more than 45 years ago. Frankly, it was thrilling to hear just how great she still sounds, making the night not only a nostalgic trip back to a singular time in music, but something genuinely inspiring as well.
She was joined, of course, by husband Neil Giraldo, the famously handsome guitarist who fed the fantasies of many a big-haired girl (and closeted boy) in the ’80s. Sharing stories between songs and dazzling the crowd with his muscular, blues-inflected hard-rock guitar work, Giraldo was every bit as commanding a presence onstage as Benatar herself.
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Backed by bassist Mick Mahan and drummer Caesar Griffin, Pat and Neil took us through 17 songs, from classics like “All Fired Up” and “We Belong” to a few newer tunes and some under-the-radar deep cuts, including “Strawberry Wine” and “Disconnected.”
Of course, no Pat and Neil show would be complete without “Love Is a Battlefield,” the song that had the Gen Xers in the crowd on their feet and singing along. But the encore truly stunned.
What began as their boffo hit “Heartbreaker” suddenly veered into a jaw-dropping rendition of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” before the two songs eventually melded together for a blistering finale. It was unexpected, weirdly perfect, and absolutely exhilarating. The kind of live mash-up you immediately wish they’d record and release as a single.
For fans, the show easily could have gone another two hours. Pat and Neil could have pulled plenty of other hits and personal favorites from their enormous catalog. But something about seeing them in a venue as intimate as Walt Disney Concert Hall made this particular night feel special. A connection between the performers and the audience can sometimes get lost in the larger venues they’ve played in recent years. For a couple of hours, it almost felt as if Pat and Neil were playing for us.
And then there’s Pat and Neil themselves. Married since 1982, they still seem completely at home beside one another, exchanging glances, stories and smiles while making music together more than four decades later. There’s something pretty wonderful about watching two people who have shared a life and a stage for that long still appear to be having such a damn good time doing it.
It was a night of old-school rock, powerhouse vocals, insane guitar shredding, and a whole lot of love — both coming from the stage and pouring right back toward it. At 72 and 70, respectively, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo show absolutely no signs of slowing down.
And after a night like this, why the hell should they?
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are currently on tour, with dates scheduled through October 10.
