Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo still Invincible!

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo: De Novo Tour

It was a mild Wednesday evening, April 26th, 2023, and time for Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo's highly anticipated stop of their De Novo tour at The Amp in St Augustine, Florida. I was about to photograph and experience two artists who contributed to my personal life's soundtrack. John Waite had hits with "The Baby's" and "Bad English", as well as his solo effort. Songs like "Change", "Missing You", "When I see You Smile", and "Every time I think Of You" were in heavy radio rotation throughout the eighties. A fitting opener for Pat & Neil, John Waite took the stage for an acoustic set (except for the bass player) and played his hits for about forty-five minutes before leaving the nearly sold-out Amphitheater wanting more. Let me tell you, this man does not look nor sound his age (seventy years old). I’m sure most people write this but it bears repeating.

The show was billed as Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, this married couple have been making music for over forty years. Neil played his solos with grace and fluidity, charismatically interacting with fans. He is clearly a supportive and loving Romeo to Pat's Juliet (more on this reference in another future interview).

I expected many more backing tracks and a lot of help from others. I expected lower octaves and more down tuning, I was pleasantly surprised. The band launched into "All Fired Up" and by the second song "Sex As A Weapon", the crowd was engaged and singing along. If you closed your eyes and cleared your mind it took you back to 1982. Looking around at the people in attendance, that was exactly the vibe on this beautiful Wednesday evening.

As the night continued, Benatar and Giraldo dug deeper into their catalog of hits with Pat announcing the date of release prior to starting many of their songs. "We Belong", "Promises In The Dark", "Shadows Of The Night", and “Hell Is For Children”. Song after song, hit after hit with one exception. Perhaps arguably her biggest hit is "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" unfortunately it was not played tonight. I could hear people talking about the absence of this song on the way into the parking lot. The AMP is a wonderful outdoor venue nestled closely to residential neighborhoods therefore, a strict sound curfew is always in place. Perhaps the time limit is the reason for the song’s omission,

Having just read Holly Knight's book "I Am The Warrior" (great read, btw), I looked forward to the songs "Love Is A Battlefield", "Invincible", and "Girl”. I was pleased they were all included in her set and all performed flawlessly. Ending their set with "Love Is A Battlefield" had everyone on their feet and a few heading towards the door thinking the show was over. I honestly would prefer the whole "Encore" thing go away and instead add an extra song but that's just my opinion. Leaving the stage after "Battlefield" the excited crowd kept up the applause until the band returned for a three-song encore of "Helter Skelter", “Everybody Lay Down" and a well-received show closing performance of what Pat noted as the song that started it all, "Heartbreaker".

Overall, the show at The Amp was wonderful and left the audience completely satisfied. It was a great time with great people at a great place! If you get a chance to catch the De Novo show in your town, I strongly recommend it.

Steve Janowicz
Editor & Chief Photographer / GetAMPED Magazine

 

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo Setlist
All Fired Up, Sex As A Weapon, We Live For Love, Anxiety, Girl, We Belong, Promises in the Dark, Strawberry Wine, River of Love, Invincible, Shadows Of The Night, Hell Is for Children, You Better Run, Love Is a Battlefield, Encore:  Helter Skelter, Everybody Lay Down, Heartbreaker

John Waite Setlist
Change, When I See You Smile (Bad English song), Missing You, Bluebird Cafe, Midnight Rendezvous, Whole Lotta Love / Let Me Love You Baby