All fired up: Rockstar legend Pat Benatar ready to take fans on a journey

Jul. 26—Release your inner rockstar fantasy by singing along with one of the genre's best.

Rock 'n' roll icon Pat Benatar, along with her husband and music partner Neil Giraldo, make a stop on their Funtastic Tour at Mohegan Pennsylvania's Outdoor Concert Venue, 1280 Route 315, Plains Twp., on Friday, July 28. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m., rain or shine.

Tickets cost $55 and can be purchased by visiting ticket

master.com and the Mohegan Pennsylvania Box Office, located at the hotel front desk.

Entry is general admission, and seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of VIP packages are available. This is an event for guests ages 21 and older and a valid ID is required upon entry. All people, bags and personal items are subject to inspection.

Benatar first took over the radio — and MTV — in the late 1970s and early 1980s with hits such as "Heartbreaker," "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," "Shadows of the Night" and "Love is a Battlefield." She has become an icon of rock thanks to her punchy anthems and extensive vocal range, that allow for her to hit low bluesy tones all the way up to dramatic high notes, brushed with her signature rasp. The four-time Grammy-winner also was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Benatar explained that she and Giraldo — who have been married for 41 years — begin working on the tour's set list about a month out, choosing songs from their 44-year catalog.

"We try to pick something from every era," Benatar said. "The audience, they also want to hear some of the deep cuts from those albums so we put a couple of those in there and we fill in the rest. They really love it."

Benatar and Giraldo have been musical partners since 1979 and Giraldo has produced some of Benatar's biggest hits, including "Love Is a Battlefield" and "We Belong." He's performed on every one of Benatar's albums and produced all but two.

Though the couple has toured together for decades, being on stage still feels as exciting as ever, she said. It's also something they have a gratitude for. When they began making music together, Giraldo (whom Benatar affectionately calls "Spyder") was 22, and she was 25, and the fact that they're touring, performing and still enjoying it is a gift, she said. And enjoying it is a key part. You can get up there and fake it, she added, but the crowd will see right through you. It's that vulnerability that makes a live show so exhilarating.

"There's no hiding anything up there," she said. "You're exposed, but so are they. And that's the fun part."

This summer's tour will take Benatar and Giraldo across the country and Benatar also will join Pink in some upcoming cities. While Benatar has admired Pink's stage presence and vocals, the two had never met in person until the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in November. Benatar said fans should keep an eye out for the two singers —whose vocals are both perfectly suited for the brand of pop-rock music they make —to bring down the house on a duet this summer.

"We're talking about (what song we're going to sing together.) She's such a talent ... but I already told her, don't even think about getting me to do any acrobatics," she said, joking about Pink's penchant for aerial acrobatics during her performances. "I'm not flying through the air, but she is just amazing with what she can do. It should be fun."

Being away from home feels a little bit more difficult now because "our grandbabies are back home and I miss them," she said. Benatar, 70, still loves to be on stage performing and connecting with fans. When she looks out at the crowd, she not only sees fans that have been with her since the beginning, but also their children and even grandchildren. It's remarkable to think about and she feels grateful to be able to share these moments with them. Benatar's goal is to take fans away from the pressures of their lives for a while. When they're with her, nothing matters but the music.

"Let Neil and I take you on this journey," she said. "Come along with us and just have a good time."

Contact the writer: gmazur@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9127; @gmazurTT on Twitter