When the We Are The 80's tour came through town on Sunday, we (the plus one and friends) couldn't pass up the chance to see and hear some retro gods--Scandal, Eddie Money, Loverboy, and the still-rocking-at-56-years-old Rick Springfield.
We arrived either at the tail end of Scandal's set or right in the middle of a three song performance, which ended with "The Warrior" and "Goodbye to You," appropriately enough. Once I heard Patty Smyth say "groovy" and "dig," I totally lost my shit.
Up next was supposed to be Loverboy. Unfortunately, their plane was delayed because of the weather, and then we were told that their lead singer was AWOL. What a letdown. I was ready to turn it loose after a long week of working for the weekend.
So, instead of lovin' every minute of it with Loverboy, we got the Money Man, Eddie Money. Let me tell you, this guy as two tickets. To what? He never said, but he told us repeatedly that he has two tickets. He also told us to slap his ass. You know, there's just not enough lead singers out there asking us to slap their asses. It's a lost art, kind of like the art of being a spokesperson.
And then the headliner, Rick Springfield. Not only did he bounce around the stage like an kid on Ritalin, he also roamed through the crowd, talking to strangers, getting them to help sing his songs. But it was one song that had us jaw dropped: "Jesus Saves (White Trash Like You)." Was this a serious song? Has dreamy Rick Springfield gone contemporary Christian on us? Surely, Jessie's girl wouldn't fall for a nice, Christian boy. She's a harlot, loving her boyfriend with her body and watching him with those eyes. In the end, we were just hoping it was a joke. Maybe Rick Springfield was making fun of himself just a little bit. Surely, someone of Dr. Drake's stature can recognize jump sharking when it's presented to him.
I think Rick Springfield began his illustrious career in the seventies and at that time he sang more folky, at least slightly christian-y songs (I believe one of his 70's songs was called "Speak to the Sky"). So, he could have been singing something REALLY old or he might be turning to god all over again.
The one thing that stands out the most for me is that he date Linda Blair.
I think Rick Springfield began his illustrious career in the seventies and at that time he sang more folky, at least slightly christian-y songs (I believe one of his 70's songs was called "Speak to the Sky"). So, he could have been singing something REALLY old or he might be turning to god all over again.
The one thing that stands out the most for me is that he date Linda Blair.