It was just over 45 years ago that a singer from Long Island, New York, named Pat Benatar released her debut album, In the Heat of the Night, launching a career that established her as one of the popular and pioneering female vocalists in rock (she has four Grammy Awards and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction to prove it). With her longtime lead guitarist and husband, Neil Giraldo, by her side throughout her entire recording and touring career, Benatar unquestionably touched generations of musicians during and beyond the 1980s through her songs of rebellion and empowerment that shattered the glass ceiling of male-dominated rock at the time.
For more than four decades, Benatar and Giraldo have remained strong as both musical collaborators and a couple (The two even recently released a children’s picture book, My Grandma and Grandpa Rock!). That was no more evident when the duo performed at Madison Square Garden in New York City this past Thursday, opening for Bryan Adams; Benatar told the nearly packed audience that it was her first time playing the arena in 40 years.
For about an hour, Benatar, Giraldo and their ace band delivered a tight and satisfying set of the hits that brought nostalgia for the many aging Generation X-ers in the audience: among them “All Fired Up, “Invincible,” “We Belong” “Love Is a Battlefield,” “Promises in the Dark,” and “Hell Is for Children.” It was also an opportunity for Benatar and Giraldo to reimagine some of the material in slightly different arrangements, such as on the classic “Shadows of the Night,” as well as unearthing some deep cuts such as “Ties That Bind” (from 1993’s Gravity’s Rainbow album) and 2020’s “Together,” whose lyrics seemed apropos during these current times.
Fittingly, the set concluded on a fiery note with “Heartbreaker,” Benatar’s breakthrough hit from 1979’s In the Heat of the Night LP, which, for this live performance, incorporated Johnny Cash’s iconic “Ring of Fire”; it also showcased Giraldo’s blazing guitar work. Noticeably absent from the set were “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” “Sex as a Weapon” and “I Need a Lover,” but with a vast catalog like hers, it might’ve been impossible to fit everything within an hour.
Benatar was in fine voice during the set, displaying her soaring range and feisty attitude that have endeared her to fans and also matched perfectly with Giraldo’s electrifying riffs. The New York appearance was a sweet homecoming for the singer and hopefully not the last.
All Fired Up
Invincible
Ties That Bind
Promises in the Dark
Shadows of the Night
Together
We Belong
Hell Is for Children
You Better Run
Love Is a Battlefield
Heartbreaker/Ring of Fire