If you were a viewer of MTV in the early ‘80s, you undoubtedly were a fan of Pat Benatar. Her videos were in heavy rotation on the channel, and her cover of The Young Rascals song “You Better Run” was the second video ever played on MTV.
She had a street-smart, tough-girl image telling you, the listener, to “Treat Me Right” or to “Hit Me with Your Best Shot.”
Her debut album, “In the Heat of the Night,” was comprised of mostly cover songs, yet I for one did not know they were covers. Benatar and her band, which includes her husband and longtime guitarist Neil Giraldo, were able to take those songs and give them their own pop aesthetic, with a hard-rocking sound. One song from that album that I always loved was her cover of “I Need a Lover,” by a then unknown John “Cougar” Mellencamp.
Benatar and Giraldo soon grew as songwriters on their own, penning hit songs such as “Promises in the Dark,” and the epic power ballad “Shadows of the Night.” Throughout their career, they’ve released two multi-platinum albums, five platinum albums, and 15 top 40 singles, earning themselves four Grammy awards along the way.
Through all her success, Benatar has remained committed to doing it on her terms, confronting difficult issues like child abuse with the song “Hell is For Children,” or the complexity of love and relationships in “Love is a Battlefield.”
Benatar and Giraldo will be playing all their hits when they bring their show to the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa on August 31st. Catch them before they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this November.
Pacific Amphitheatre
Costa Mesa, California
August 31, 2022
Joining them on this tour will be vocal powerhouse Ann Wilson. Wilson was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, along with her sister Nancy, as a member of the band Heart. She’ll be playing some of Heart’s monster FM radio hits like “Barracuda,” “Magic Man,” and “Even It Up.” She may even cover a couple of Led Zeppelin tunes as she’s proved she can do so well.
With Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo, and Ann Wilson, this is definitely a show you won’t want to miss. Get your tickets and check out the OC Fair while you are at it!
