Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo brought a stadium-level performance to a small venue. They come from an era in which bands had little but a light show, relying on strength of songwriting and actual performance ability, and it showed. There was no auto tune in the 80’s and you couldn’t simply mask a lack of material behind a wall of dancers: you had to be able to really play and sing live, and that is something at which Benatar and Giraldo excel. When you add in the obvious enjoyment they still get from playing live together after 44 years in the band and 41 years of marriage, you get an absolutely wonderful concert experience.
On a side note, I always considered Benatar to be the critical figure of the band with Giraldo a very good guitarist; very good, although fungible to a degree in an 80’s guitarist way. After seeing him in concert, though, I’ve developed a much higher respect and regard for his playing, and would rank him as one of the most underrated rock guitarists I’ve seen. You quickly realize how everything he played on record has been in support and interests of the song with no real unnecessarily “flash” bits other guitarists would add. He is incredibly capable, yet really seems to have put the overall songs ahead of any ego, and that is much rarer than you might think. He is a true musician, and it shows; and I am glad I was able to see him in concert. The combining of his musicianship with Benatar’s formidable voice, lyrics, presence, and performance, was one of the lucky accidents that create a musical entity far in excess of the simple sum of the parts.
In short: strong material exceptionally performed.