Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Icons: Pat Benatar and Blondie

The local DJ introducing the show said, "Can you smell that smell in the air tonight? It smells like flowers and sweat. That's the smell of an estrogen heavy hard rock show, man! Breathe deep!"

We breathed deep.

Pat Benatar and Spyder Giraldo started playing together the year The Donnas were born. They haven't stopped since. Stepping once again into the shallow end of the pool (I always like it there. The water's warmer. You can say that's because the little kids pee there, but I won't hear you. LALALALALALALA!) Pat looks amazing. The years have been kind to her. Uber kind. Dude. I'm certain that there is a portrait of her somewhere that is aging normally. That's really the only explanation I can come up with.


She didn't hit all the high notes, but that was ok. Our minds filled in the blanks. She and her band knew what the crowd wanted and they delivered it. I felt like I was in college again.

That's a real, real good thing.


Blondie was up next. Debbie Harry took the stage like she owned it. Girlfriend is 64. I looked it up. Sixty-four and dancing, strutting, posing, and generally just rocking the house.


The stage set and the band took me back to 1982. Ms. Harry herself is timeless.


Their first callback song was a punkified cover of the ridiculously inane 'My Heart Will Go On". They made THAT cool. THAT, my fine friends, is no small feat.

THAT, my fine friends, is Blondie.


And THAT, my fine friends, concludes the week of a thousand bands. Or, you know, eight. To recap:


Joan Jett and the B-52's

The Donnas, Pat Benatar and Blondie

You can hold up your iPhones with their lighter applications as long as you want, but there won't be an encore from me anytime soon.

Unless, you know, an opportunity knocks and I score some tickets.


Will blog for tix.

(The more observant among you might notice that there are only two tix for The Donnas, Pat Benatar and Blondie. We didn't ditch the kids that night, but we did leave them in the cheap seats. My cousin got us two sweet seats, but couldn't manage five. When I visited with the girls after The Donnas' set, I said - "It was so cool! We could see the pink bass strings! We could see the little sparkle thingy on the singer's face!" They responded, "We could tell the singer had a head." Meh, they're young. Their opportunities for sweet seats will come...)

21 comments:

Pam said...

I love that picture with the carboard sign! Very funny! Did it work? Just wondering?

Macey said...

Love the picture with the sign and the netbook!
:)
Blondie is better than I thought if she can make that lame song rock. And Pat? Oh, I have a girl crush on her.
She's like 92 lbs and all lean rock machine!

Mama-Face said...

Am I losing it or what? What is with the date on this post? Tell me...

You are way too cool for us regular folks, which makes me sound old, which I am, so I will have to just stick with what I said. There must be an awesome venue near you; or...what...

Wow wow wow.

Sandy said...

Great f'ing post, man! (just had to do that)

I am so envious that Tom will go to the shows...maybe because you're of the same generation? I went to so many concerts in my teens & 20's I don't know why I can hear. That was back in the day when a ticket cost $4.75. Ok, I'm old.

But I have to say, I don't care for too many girl bands....but Alice....love Alice. I was way past college age the last time I saw Alice.....still looked good!

Claudya Martinez said...

I'm am jealous of every single show you saw.

I have not read "A Portrait of Pat Benatar", but I bet it's good, real good.

Stephanie said...

You have had quite a tour! Awesome post!

Carma Sez said...

I like your rationale for ditching the kids in the cheap seats ;-)

P.S. Pat Benatar is awesome!

AiringMyLaundry said...

Wow, very cool!

Housewife Savant said...

Pat Benatar has always been so dang cute. I'm with Mimi --- girl crush.
Benatar weighs less than my lunch.

Jenni said...

YOU are a rock star...you got to see some terrific shows this summer!

I only saw the New Kids on the Block. LOL!

Vivienne @ the V Spot said...

You know how I feel about Ms. Harry! Love!
I have an award for you.

JennyMac said...

I saw Blondie last year...oh, she can still rock it. And her voice sounds the same as my very first cassette tape I ever had..Parallel Lines. Of which I still know every word.

Love the post Tammy...but the date said September so I refreshed the screen a few times. LOL. Stop messing with us. :)

Gibby said...

Sixty-freaking FOUR? Damn. The Tide is High is one of my all-time fave songs. It's so fun to sing.

I think I once heard that Pat Benatar trained to be an opera singer but switched to rock. How cool is that. (Not that there is anything wrong with opera, I like it, actually. Just sayin')

Rosa said...

Excellent post. "We could see their heads." Awesome, just plain awesome.

Cristin said...

That "I need a miracle" sign makes me all nostalgic for my Deadhead days!!!

I never got miracled...

Anonymous said...

Man, I can't even tell my husband about this. His two great loves (Blondie and Pat) together, on stage....I think it would make him cry.

Sounds like great fun.

Oh, and thanks for noticing my blog changes. I have time on my hands so I am teaching myself how to do these things. Its fun.

Kathy B! said...

I just love that the person commenting didn't say it smells like teen spirit.

Thank God.

dkWells said...

Obviously Debbie forgot her Mantra...Die Young and Stay Pretty! Oh well, it's the right of women and artists to change the tide.

Live Old and Stay Pretty...that's what I tell myself at least!

Sir Hook of Warrick

P.S. How were the B-52's! Love them!

Anonymous said...

I'm so jealous! But wow! I LOVE everyone you saw (ok, that was easy because I love all kinds of music) You rock! I wanna hang with you next summer!

Melissa B. said...

Dude, a totally rad show, oui? We had The Donnas, Blondie and then Pat. I loved Debbie Harry and the band. Ms. Benatar was good, but don't you think she talked a tad much? Overall, though, both killed.

Swine said...

I have a dream... Debbie Harry + Pat Benatar + Me. Yum. Thanks for reminding me of that.