Rock & Roll Hall of Fame husband and wife Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo showed up with more than a catalog of hits to Albany’s Palace Theater on May 21. They brought clarity, muscle and the kind of seasoned stage presence that only comes from decades of doing it right. The show was tight, intense and left no room for filler.
Opening the night were The Vindys, a rising rock outfit from Ohio fronted by Jackie Popovec, whose commanding voice and confident swagger immediately grabbed attention.
Their blues-infused rock and sharp musicianship set a high bar and signaled that this wouldn’t be a nostalgia-only affair.
Benatar and Giraldo took the stage without fanfare, launching straight into “All Fired Up.” From there, the momentum never dipped. Tracks like “Invincible,” “Ties That Bind” and “Go” were delivered with urgency and punch, stripped of any bloat and full of intent.
Giraldo, the architect behind the sound, played with surgical precision. His tone was bold, but never overbearing. He built on the songs with layers adding space, not just volume.
The set dipped briefly into deeper emotional territory with “In These Times,” a reflective breather that gave way to the surprise of the night: Popovec returning to the stage mid set for a hauntingly beautiful duet on “We Belong.”
Her smoky harmonies wove through Benatar’s soaring vocal, pulling fresh emotional depth from the familiar ballad. A rare reinterpretation that worked as it was subtle, but potent.
For longtime fans, the classics landed with full force. “Shadows of the Night,” “You Better Run” and a blistering “Hell Is For Children” hit hard, tight and with no corners cut. Benatar’s voice remains a weapon, powerful and exacting. There’s no coasting here, she still owns these songs.
“Love Is A Battlefield” closed the main set with its signature tension and lift and the encore doubled down. “Disconnected” and “Everybody Lay Down” were reminders that the duo didn’t stop creating after the MTV era.
Then came the final swing. “Heartbreaker” folding seamlessly into Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” and back again. Not a gimmick, but a smart, dynamic arrangement that reframed both songs.
This wasn’t a victory lap or a nostalgia act. Benatar and Giraldo were prepared, present and fully in command of their craft.
While many legacy artists lean on spectacle and cruise control, they leaned into sweat, skill and total commitment. The Palace shook and everyone there knew they’d seen the real thing.
Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo – Palace Theatre, Albany, NY – Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Setlist: All Fired Up (Rattling Sabres cover), Invincible, Ties That Bind, Promises In The Dark, Go, In These Times, We Belong (Lowen & Navarro cover) with Jackie Popovec of The Vindys, Rivers of Love, Shadows Of The Night (Helen Schneider cover), Hell Is For Children, You Better Run (Rascals cover), Love Is A Battlefield
Encore: Disconnected, Everybody Lay Down, Heartbreaker ➡️ Ring Of Fire ➡️ Heartbreaker
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