RECAP: Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo @ Palace Theatre, 5/21/2025

Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo seem … Invincible! 

Words by Michael Bruce.

Photo By: Stephanie J. Bartik

For me, the year was 1983. At 12 years old, and no job in the summer, I practiced drums most of the day. When I wasn’t doing that, I was listening to music or looking for things to watch that involved music.  One of the things that I stumbled across was an “HBO in Concert” special: Pat Benatar – Live In New Haven.  I had the 45 single of “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.” So, as a music lover and a fan of some of her songs, I was immediately drawn in. Also at that time, as an aspiring drummer, I was marveling at her drummer, Myron Grombacher. He was such an entertaining driving force in the band.  I used to get my sticks out and bang on anything that I could hit.  I wanted to mimic what he was doing and play along with the songs. Pat Benatar was a great performer, and I was drawn to her charisma and powerful voice. The funny part is, it is now May 21, 2025, and nothing has changed!

Pat Benatar and her great band, which included her husband Neil Giraldo, performed last night at the Palace Theater in Albany, New York. Little did I know when I was watching that HBO special that Neil was her husband and co-writer of many of her big hits. The two of them are a talented force, and in recent years, the shows have been billed with both of their names. Neil is someone who’s very popular in the guitar world. One of the reasons nothing has changed is that Pat Benatar’s voice still knocks you on your rear! I honestly could not believe that at 72 years old, this woman is singing like she’s 25! That power, grit, and energy are still all intact. I’ll say it again, I just can’t believe it.  Even the tenor in her voice hasn’t changed. The only things I can attribute this to are that one, she is a freak of nature, and two, she has lived a pretty clean lifestyle. There is no way that you can sound exactly like Pat Benatar at 72 years old unless you had some clean living. Bravo, Bravo, and more Bravo!

Pat and the killer band behind her ran through her catalog of album tracks and super hits. While listening to some of the songs she played, you couldn’t help but get the chills.  Hearing that voice singing those great songs puts you in a wonderful time capsule of feeling like you were in the great ’80s. The ’80s, of course, is the decade that will never die because the personalities behind the songs are the most powerful of all time.

I need to mention that there were middle-aged people filling a good chunk of the Palace Theater seats. However, it was very noticeable that there was a decent number of people at many different younger ages there, including teens! I noticed a lot of daughters with their moms, which I thought was fantastic. One of the greatest observations of the night was women, young and old, responding to Pat Benatar. It made me smile ear to ear to watch them dance in their seats, and throw their fists in the air for such anthems as “Hell is for Children,” “Love is a Battlefield,” and “Heartbreaker.” It was clear to me why Pat Benatar was in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was more than just the great voice and the great songs that she will always be remembered for. Last night was proof that she was a pioneer and leader for women in music! She was the one who grabbed a generation of females and said, “Hey, I know that there’s a lot of great rock bands full of guys, but guess what… women can f****** rock too! Who’s with me??”  It really moved me, to say the least.

Great songs such as “All Fired Up,” “Invincible,” “Promises in the Dark,” “We Belong” (which was co-sung with lead singer Jackie Popovec of the great opening band called The Vindys ), “Shadows Of The Night,” “You Better Run,” and “Love Is a Battlefield.”  They even played a new song called “Come Together,” which the audience enjoyed very much.  The song also featured the guitar hero, Neil, showing his piano chops.

The closer of the night?  “Heartbreaker,” which they tied in with a rocking rendition of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” After Pat and the band crushed “Heartbreaker,” the crowd was going wild, and then … that was it.  Wait, no “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”??  One of the biggest songs of all time?  Nope.  I had to do some digging to find out, as people walked away a little confused.  Here’s what I found, per a Google internet search: “Pat Benatar is no longer performing ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’ in protest of gun violence. She expressed that the song’s lyrics, while initially meant to be a tongue-in-cheek statement about strength and resiliency, now feel inappropriate in light of the ongoing issue of mass shootings. She has stated that this decision is her “small contribution to protesting”.

Well, if Pat reads this, here’s a message to you, Pat.  I completely understand your concern, and thank you for being an awesome person to go with your incredible voice.  However, I grew up with that song.  I lived with it for decades.  I’ve never known a single person to relate violence to that song, OR act out violence because of it.  I’m serious when I say, not one person.  It’s just exactly what you made it, Pat.  A fun, tongue-in-cheek play on words about being sassy and sticking up for yourself, and nothing more.  It’s really a party anthem, to be honest.  So, put that song back on the list so your fans of all ages can hear and feel you sing it.

To Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, I say THANK YOU.  Thank you for writing songs that will live on, possibly forever.  Songs that are too good to ignore and make you feel awesome when you hear them.  It was a really fun night for all in attendance at the Palace Theater.  She might not have sung the song, but the ’80s female icon and her fantastic band hit us all with their best shot!