Rick Springfield Keeps the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Standing All Night Long
Singer, songwriter, actor and way underrated guitarist Rick Springfield fired up the Sarasota audience during a mid-week show at the Van Wezel. Rick has been busy of late performing on the Rock Legends Cruise XI and then played Epcot’s Garden Rocks Series at Walt Disney World before heading over to the SRQ! Crowds gathered in the lobby lining up for Rick’s merch and waiting for doors to open. It was a mix of the Big 80’s MTV demographic and their kids who no doubt grew up on music of the 80’s.
Rick and the band opened with his Grammy-nominated 1983 hit, “Affair of the Heart!” Wearing black leather jacket and pants with teal green Converse sneakers, he looked and moved nowhere near his 74 years! The front rows of the pit were already standing before the show even started and kept it going. The 1981 Top 10 hit tune with some history, “I’ve Done Everything for You” sounded great! Rick recently performed it on the Rock Legends Cruise with the song’s writer, the great Sammy Hagar. Check the video out here. He also dazzled swinging roses at his guitar which makes for some screams from the audience and rose petals flying.
Rick’s latest album is “Automatic” and he rocked the title track with gusto, there was a lot of jumping and running around during this show. A touching moment in the show was Rick’s tribute to his late father with his song, “My Father’s Chair.” Springfield sat down on the edge of the stage with a small keyboard to tell the story of his father’s passing and how it affected him. Rick shows off some guitar prowess with a nice intro to the cover of The Troggs “Wild Thing.” Moving into some of his biggest hits, starting off with 1982’s “Don’t Talk to Strangers” from the hit album “Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me Yet”, he turns the tune into a sing-along with the audience. Whoever was left still sitting is now up on their feet!
“Human Touch” from the “Living in Oz” best-selling album brings Rick literally climbing on seats throughout the audience to give high-fives, shake hands and even signing an album a fan held up to him while the audience held Rick up. A perfect way to celebrate the song’s theme! After a quick change into shirtless – he returns to play the best for last with his Grammy-awarding winning worldwide hit and still popular “Jessie’s Girl”, from the iconic “Working Class Dog” album and with the video playing along on the screen! Not one person left the theater until the show was over! A rockin’ time for Sarasota with the “Working Class DJ!” You can catch Rick on Sirius 80’s on 8 every Friday night!
Vicky Sullivan Photos