The veteran rock star began her set with “All Fired Up,” with Giraldo (Spyder) on harmony vocals. Her voice and range were as powerful as ever. They continued with such songs as “We Live For Love” and “Run Between the Raindrops.” The acoustic arrangement of “We Belong” was truly heavenly, and a marvelous collaboration between the husband and wife rock power-couple. “Promises in the Dark” was equally impressive and captivating, especially when she belted out the high note.
“You Better Run” will always be a special tune for the rock songstress, since it was the second music video ever played on MTV, and Giraldo was the first guitarist ever featured on MTV.
They closed their set with her Grammy-winning “Love Is a Battlefield.” Of course, no Pat Benatar concert is complete without her and Giraldo returning to the stage to sing “Heartbreaker,” juxtaposed as a medley with “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash. What made this evening incredible was that Giraldo played all of the rock classics in an acoustic fashion.
The Verdict
Overall, Pat Benatar emerged as the Queen of Rock and Roll on Long Island. Doing this “very intimate” acoustic show with Giraldo at The Paramount allowed the audience to hear her powerhouse voice in its purest form. Hopefully, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will take notice, and finally induct this deserving rock goddess in there. Their concert at The Paramount earned two giant thumbs up.
To learn more about Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo and their touring schedule, check out their official website.
