“Pat Benatar hits you with her best shot.” – Concert Review.

(Waterfront Convention Center, Bettendorf, IA)

By Jason Tanamor

Multi talented Pat Benatar hit the Waterfront Convention Center on September 3, 2009 with her best shot, and then she kept on hitting. The sold out show, some 1,500 people, ranged from twenty something’s to, in some cases, 60 something’s. With hits from her vast body of work, including the aforementioned “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Heartbreaker,” “Love is a Battlefied,” and “We Belong,” the musician belted out the vocals as if she were giving her last show.



Benatar started out the concert with the song, “All Fired Up.” And from there, she never let down. For being in the business for 30 years (she is actually celebrating 30 years in music), the musician’s vocals were dead on from when she first came onto the scene. The graspy sound and occasional rock goddess screams made for an exciting and rocking evening.

Her partner in crime, the uber talented Neil Giraldo, whom Benatar married back in 1982 (Giraldo joined Benatar’s band in 1979), was by the legend’s side the entire night. Giraldo, who Benatar quoted as “husband/producer/guitar player/co-writer/life partner...” is credited with writing some of Benatar’s smash hits, including the popular, “We Live For Love.”

During the 1 ½ hour performance, Benatar showed why she was still a force to be reckoned with. Having been in the business since the 1970’s, the musician dazzled the crowd with her music, and wowed them with her on stage performance, including breaking out the occasional dance moves you would see in her videos. For someone who doesn’t know a lot about Pat Benatar musically, I was pleasantly surprised with how much of the music and how many songs I had actually heard. In fact, of the entire set, there was only one song I hadn’t heard before.



What I loved about the show, in between each song, Benatar and sometimes Giraldo, gave a brief history on the band and the origination and inspiration of each song. They played songs from each era, which reinforces exactly how successful the musician has been, commenting that her video was the second one aired ever on MTV.

Fans could easily compare Pat Benatar’s body of work with Stevie Nicks, Joan Jett, and Annie Lennox. The hits keep coming and coming, a true testament of the talent and dedication Benatar exerts.

Benatar and Giraldo have toured every year since 1995. From the performance and from Benatar/Giraldo’s successful off stage life, it wasn’t a surprise the rocker and her band hit on all marks. The years together touring showed the Waterfront Convention Center that Pat Benatar is not only a living legend, but also a class act performer. If you ever get a chance to see this rocker live, I highly recommend it.



BYLINE:

Jason Tanamor is the Editor of Zoiks! Online. He is also the author of the novels, "Hello Lesbian!" and "Anonymous." Email Jason at jason@zoiksonline.com.