Pat:Moderately Good Stuff Iget Nervous': Avvesome Album
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...' ,. PAGES SOUTHWEST STANDARD PAGE 9 .. o They came with three semi-trucks, three position of sound mixers and crew calls. "It is crew buses, one van bus and three drivers for a very technical contract. It also establishes • each vehicle. such things as food requirements for the They brought 40,000 pounds of sound crews, " he said. equipment, 25,000 pounds of lights and When the crew of Benatar arrived at HSC 20,000 pounds of set equipment. staff members were ready. The stage was Twenty-two people began working at 7 built the night before and power requirements a.m. and continued well into the night. were met. The construction of the set began REVIEW , 'They" were the show of Pat Benatar. the morning of the concert. When Benatar recently took the stage in the Throughout the day speakers were hoisted Pat: Moderately good stuff Hammons Student Center it was the result of to the ceiling and a lighting truss was hoisted efforts by many people. According to Keith above the stage. Work continued throughout by Mike Glynn Certainly Benatar, dressed in a black sweater, red skirt Stafford, assistant director of operations of the afternoon with sound checks and set "Listen," someone must have told Pat Benatar, and high heels, looked as sexy in person as on album HSC, there is a great deal of planning and construction. "Springfield is a conservative town. Don't get too wild or covers. She strutted from speaker to speaker, casting sassy work to be done before the concert takes By 8 p.m. the stage was set for the lead act, too titillating, or the audience might go blind. ' , look-but-don't-touch looks while flawlessly singing each place. "It is a coordinated effort," Stafford Saga. But the technical coordination did not We know Springfield isn't that conservative, but, song. Even so, her onstage antics didn't match the pulse- said. The coordination is between Stafford end. Integral to any concert are lights and the apparently, Benatar doesn't. racing performances of earlier days. and Contemporary Productions of St. Louis. Benatar show was no different. That's not to say the Pat Benatar concert Nov. 11 at Benatar's four-man band, led by guitarist (and Stafford said' in early October, Contem- For the opening act the lighting director Hammons Student Center was dull. No, the music was husband) Neil Geraldo, played well throughout. But, like porary arranged to lease out HSC for the gave directions to four different sets of lights. good, Benatar's voice tremendous and the near-capacity the light and stage show, it didn't give justice to Benatar's Benatar concert. When the lease was signed, But once Benatar hit the stage the director was crowd very pleased, But ... but ... but what? vocals. according to Stafford, ' 'Contemporary de- responsible for nine different sets of lights. Simply, she didn't live up to her image of goddess on Benatar opened slow ly, singing from her latest album, cided on ticket prices and the budget for the Four of the positions were in front of the stage stage. Get Nervous. The audience tried to show excitement, but promotion of the concert. ' , towards the back of lISC. The other five was obviously waiting for the meat of the show. , ,After the budget was decided on, I positions were in the light truss above the Fortunately, it didn't take long. Benatar spun into ordered tickets and worked on advertisement stage. ,'Shadows of the Night, " her hotest single from the new for the concert," Stafford said. Through a headphone each individual album, and built through the favorites' 'Hit Me With Your With the promotion in full swing, Stafford recei ved instructions from the lighting Best Shot," "Heat of the Night" and "Heartbreaker." and other HSC staff members reviewed the director. Once the concert was in full swing By the time they reached' 'Hell is For Children" - a "rider. " the directions became a rapid series of orders fiery blast on child abuse - Benatar and her band were in , 'The rider is the contract between Benatar for each light position. It continued until the rare form - piercing vocals and driving rock. and Contemporary Productions. It is what she houselights were turned on after the concert Although she returned for two heated encores, Benatar and her crew required," Stafford said. He was over. couldn't outweigh her predominantly reserved stage show. added that the rider establishes the technical And as Benatar walked on for an encore, Some may accuse the audience -f having been wishy- aspects that HSC must meet for the concert. the semis were backing up to the loading dock washy, but blame is better ainv-. at he stifling security. The rider, Stafford explained, gives power of HSC to begin the cycle again in another Hammons Security, it appears, c'('lS pushy when concert requirements, weights of the sound system, town. crowds frolic in the aisles. On a good note, opening the night for Benatar was Saga, a Canadian-based, five-man band. Saga - sounding like a hard Emerson, Lake and Palmer - relied REVIEW heavily on keyboards and harmonizing vocals. Unlike Benatar, Saga's members have a flair for the extra- ordinary, at one point turning in an impressive two-man IGet Nervous': Avvesome album drum performance. by Doug Steere Overall, the audience was treated to an appetizing One might think the rock 'n' roll racket is getting to Pat Avon war paint on her cheeks and perhaps her hair has show. The variety of Saga paired with the straightforward Benatar. She's all punked-out. been blowing in the monsoons a little too long. rock of Benatar proves Hammons can - if it trys - So the woman is a cretin. Can she still sing? On her new album cover, Get Nervous, Benatar is schedule quality concerts pleasing to students. perched in a padded cell, tied up in a straight jacket and Yes. On Get Nervous, she sings like a reborn lunatic. She packed in tight tights. Unique, but let's hope this doesn't start a new fashion. sings about her spoiled lovers. She sings about men who've abused her. She sings about breaking up. She looks like someone has just dropped a truckload of Benatar's voice is strong, stronger than before in old songs like "Treat Me Right." Now, with cranked-up songs like' 'I Want Out, " Benatar is forcing her fans to flip down the volume. The album has no intellectual lyrics, but instead all the words are shooting double-barrel at ex-lovers. After all, if you want to hear an awe-inspiring message, you can go to the library and read "Thanatopsis.' The music on Get Nervous is totally awesome, like fer sure. Neil Geraldo, Benatar's husband, slaps together some mighty guitar plucking in "Little Too Late" and Benatar's current release, "Shadows of the Night. " "Little Too Late" features a catchy drum pulsation, a moaning guitar and Benatar vocalizing, "You've been bitten by love and stung by rejection." Benatar tells her beau that "It's a little too little, it's a little too late," and makes him believe it. "Silent Partner" and "Anxiety (Get Nervous)," the best cuts off the album, showcase Benatar's voice and her ability to put some character into rock. She even sounds off a profound "Anxiety spoils all the fun, " and her anxiety / nervous motif mortars the whole album together in a real psychotic package. Benatar doesn't have anything to get nervous about. She's heaped together a pack of songs that a looney at the bughouse or a graduate at the unemployment line would buy. So, loosen up, Pat. You'll sell albums, and maybe you'll make enough money to get your hair medicated. •• •.