Rick Spingfield: Wind Creek Events Center, Bethlehem, PA 12-3-2022

Rick Springfield melted the stage and hearts at the Wind Creek Events Center in Bethlenhem, PA on December 3rd, 2022. He played a mix of his classic hits and newer material, including a medley and a killer guitar solo. Whether you know him for being the 80’s heartthrob singer of Jessie’s Girl or his acting on General Hospital, I can assure you that Rick is as handsome as ever, with 6-pack abs. At 73 years old he shows no signs of slowing down. His vocals were spectacular, his guitar and piano playing were sharp, and his ability to run and jump around for nearly two hours exhausted me from the audience.

Like many in the audience I grew up with Rick Springfield, the audience was filled with women living out their teenage years, some brought their families, but many were having a girl’s night out. Every time he shook his booty or lifted his shirt there was a loud scream of approval. He started off the show with a few classics, “Affair of the Heart”, “I Get Excited”, and “Living in OZ”. This took me back to my brother’s huge stereo racks of the early 80’s. Everyone in the audience was singing blissfully along, it was such a passionate crowd. Rick continued rocking out for the next few songs only to slow it down, for an emotional speech and song. He spoke about getting older and losing people he loved. He spoke about his fathers passing, which led into the song, “My Father’s Chair”. Ugh, there wasn’t a dry eye to be spotted. It was just him and a piano. At one point his voice broke and continued a cappella. This 100% sets him apart from 70% percent of new artists that can’t play a live show without tracks, sorry our laptop was stolen, we can’t play tonight.

Rick mixed in a medley then played a newer song, “The Voodoo House”, off 2018’s The Snake King. He asked if anyone knew the song and a couple of people yelled out, he exclaimed, yay the 4 people that bought the album are here. This song was quite different then his early material. He played a steel 6-string with a slide, churning out chunky blues riffs. He then changed back to his traditional electric guitar and knocked out a 6-minute solo, not what I was expecting at a Rick Springfield concert, he’s a killer guitar player.

A night with Rick Springfield wouldn’t be the same without his most well know hits, he saved the best for last. “Don’t Talk to Strangers”, “Human Touch”, “Love Somebody”, and of course “Jessie’s Girl”. During “Human Touch” Rick walked down the stairs he had at the front of the stage and sang with the audience. He hugged them, took selfies and chair surfed his way across the crowd. It was amazing to see how fan friendly he was, I love seeing this from an artist. He took a short break before coming back out for “Jessie’s Girl”. He had a bit of a wardrobe change; he came out shirtless and the crowd went wild. He’s the most ripped man I’ve see of his age aside from Jack LaLane. What a great way to end the night, everyone was singing, dancing, and raising their empty glasses.

The long and short of it. Rick Springfield has had an amazing career. He’s been rocking out since the 70’s and the only thing that’s changed is the calendar. He’s as good as he ever was, maybe better since some things improve with age. If he is ever in your area, please check him out, even if you don’t think his style is for you. You will not be disappointed.