Blondie & Pat Benatar Bring Rock to Bethlehem

Blondie & Pat Benatar Bring Rock to Bethlehem


By Brian Walmer, Independent Music Critic

(Professional photos from Allentown's Morning Call, Tour poster from Google Images, Stage shot of Blondie & The Donna's by Brian Walmer)



Two of the biggest names in Rock joined forces this summer to create the "Call Me Invincible Tour". Pat Benatar & Blondie along with newbies The Donna's came together for a night of classic songs near the closing of Bethlehem's annual Musikfest.




The Donna's, a 4 piece all girl rock band, opened up the show with a brief set of old songs and new including their big hit "Take It Off" before a crowd of near 5,500 at the outdoor Sands Riverplace.



After a brief set change, Pat Benatar took the stage hard with "All Fired Up" from her '88 album, "Wide Awake In Dreamland". Benatar, looking better than ever at 56 as she proudly annouced, kept the hits coming as her and her band performed "You Better Rum" and "Shadow's of The Night". Early in the set, Benatar introduced her band which includes her husband, Neil "Spyder" Giraldo. The two of them are currently celebrating their 31th year touring together. Before each song, the duo gave fans a mini history of the song's history.




Pat & Neil pulled up two stools and told everyone to take out their cell phones and wave them in the air as they performed an amazing version of 1984's "We Belong". More hits followed including "Invincible", which Benatar said is a great song from a not so great movie ("The Legend of Billie Jean") and "Hell Is For Children", a song which raises awareness about child abuse.






When it came time for "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", Benatar told the audience the only way she'd sing the song is if they sang the line she hates to sing...so partway through the mic was held out as the crowd yelled out "...so before I put another notch in my lipstick case, you better make sure you put me in my place!". Before closing out her set, Benatar's first number one & crowd favorite, "Love Is a Battlefield", became yet another sing a long. Coming back for 2 encore's, Benatar performed "Promises In The Dark" and her first big hit, "Heartbreaker" before saying her good bye's and getting the crowd hyped up for Blondie.


After a brief 20 minute intermission, the band that is Blondie came onto the stage led by front woman Deborah Harry. At 64, she is still every bit the blond bombshell she was in her heyday. She led the crowd through a rousing "Call Me" which led into "Hanging On the Telephone". Harry then performed the first single off her 2007 solo album, "Two Times Blue" then went right back into Blondie mode with the rarely performed "The Hardest Part".




Blondie, although now only consisting of 3 original members, kept the hits coming as the night went on. Whether it was their big comeback single, "Maria", or putting a "I'll Take You There" spin on "The Tide Is High", the band was tighter than ever. Harry performed another track off her "Necessary Evil" album, this one fitting the outdoor theme, "You're Too Hot". The 1980 "Rapture" proved that Ms. Harry could still rap with the best of them extending the song to include the Coolio rap from 1998's "No Exit" before leading into "One Way or Another".


Coming back for 3 encore's the band started up with a rock cover of Celine Dion's "Titantic" theme song, "My Heart Will Go On". Their trademark, "Heart of Glass", had the huge outdoor crowd up and singing along. Closing out the evening, the band performed the Michael Jackson classic, "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and made it sound new again. The band could definitly release it today and have a hit with it. Following thank you's to the audience, the band left the stage leaving everyone talking about how amazing these rocker's have held up over the course of over 30 years.

Cyndi Lauper Brings Nightlife to Penn's Peak

Cyndi Lauper Brings Nightlife to Penn’s Peak

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By Brian Walmer, Independent Music Critic

Thursday night eighties icon, Cyndi Lauper brought her infectious pop rock hits to the small town of Jim Thorpe bringing all ages to their feet.

Dressed in all black, yellow curls with streaks of blue, Lauper, 56, looked more than ready to have fun with the audience when she took to the stage at Penn’s Peak. Guitar in hand as she took to the mic, Lauper asked the excited crowd it they were ready to rock before starting her set with a rollicking version of “When You Were Mine”. A infectious techno-dance driven version of “She Bop” was next which had Cyndi dancing on the first level railing much to the joy of fans. The theme song from the movie, “The Goonies” followed with just as much energy.

Lauper took the time welcome the audience before going into “All Through The Night”, and when an audience member shouted out “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” she set them in their place by saying “This is my show, we’re not starting this now, if you just came to hear that song leave now and come back at the end”, to which the audience cheered.

Lauper shared with the audience her love of Joni Mitchell and being invited to perform at a tribute for her idol a few years ago before she performed an amazing rendition of the Mitchell hit, “Carey”. Long time fans of the 80’s pop star were in heaven when she pulled out “Can’t Blame Me”, a song from the band Blue Angel that she started out in back in 1980. Another lesser known gem, “Hole In My Heart (All The Way To China)”, followed before she launched into “Change of Heart”.

Lauper danced on with her 1997 hit, “Ballad of Cleo & Joe” before playing the dulcimer during a audience sing-a-long of 1984’s “Time After Time”. “Into the Nightlife”, a hit off her Grammy nominated new album, “Bring Ya To The Brink” had Cyndi venturing out into the crowd pulling people up, dancing across chairs and working everyone up into a party mood. Lauper journied back to the stage for a passionate “I Drove All Night”.

Digging back into the Blue Angel catalog, the pop icon performed an emotional version of “Anna Blue” which led to a standing ovation. “Money Changes Everything”, a hit from her debut “She’s So Unusual” album, kept the audience on their feet as Cyndi left the stage.

The exuberant Lauper re-emerged and performed a fan request, “Who Let In The Rain”. A cover of The Dixie Cups, “Iko Iko”, was performed complete with washboard vest. After the song, Lauper asked a young man why his friend left to which he said “Security kicked her out for dancing”. This had her going since this was a rock show and she scolded security for chasing people and telling them they couldn’t get up and dance. To one security guard Lauper said “Did you take notice when you told those people to go sit down, I went out and got them back up again…and oh by the way, this says do not step, look, I’m stepping on it, what are you gonna do?” she said as she stood on a floor monitor. With that, the audience cheered and everyone started moving up, filling in the front of the stage.

Lauper invited up 3 young girls who had been dancing near the stage all night for her monster hit and trademark song, “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”. A moving version of “True Colors” closed out the evening with Cyndi addressing the crowd part way through to promote the message of peace and love for everyone. With that, Lauper finished the song and said her goodbye’s. A nice finish to an amazing hit packed evening from one of Pop’s leading ladies.

SETLIST

When You Were Mine

She Bop

Goonies “R” Good Enough

All Through The Night

Carey

Can’t Blame Me

Hole In My Heart (All The Way To China)

Change of Heart

Ballad of Cleo & Joe

Time After Time

Into The Nightlife

I Drove All Night

Anna Blue

Money Changes Everything

ENCORES:

Who Let In The Rain

Iko Iko

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

True Colors