Pat Benatar burst onto the music charts 45 years ago with her hard rockin’ single “Heartbreaker,” which hailed from her magnificent debut album, In the Heat of the Night. Things happened quickly for Ms. Benatar from that point forward, including a romance and marriage with guitarist Neil Giraldo, who was originally recruited for Pat’s band.

“Heartbreaker,” a thunderous gallop of a song, was released as a single packed with the sci-fi ballad “My Clone Sleeps Alone,” long a personal guilty pleasure but also a song indicative of Pat Benatar’s ambition and imagination.

I was therefore floored that Pat and Neil recently performed both songs in an awesome concert at Warner Theater in DC.

I’ve seen Pat and Neil perform “Heartbreaker” quite a few times, dating back to my first Benatar show at Nissan Pavilion on June 17, 1997. (I was a concert late-bloomer.) I was there too the following night when No Doubt covered “Heartbreaker,” surely aware that Pat and Neil were there the previous evening. When Pat and Neil play the anthem, it’s always fresh.

But “Clone?” — wow that blew my mind at the Warner Theatre on July 9. According to available statistics from Setlist.fm, Pat and Neil only have played it several dozen times in their entire career, and its performances peaked in 1980 before resurfacing in 1999.

Watch the official music video for “Heartbreaker” by Pat Benatar:

I always loved Pat Benatar for her range. She and Neil have an unparalleled ear for fine arena rock for sure, but they’ve always had a whimsical, unpredictable edge. They revealed a bit more of that whimsy with “Strawberry Wine,” a lovely tune from their 1997 album, Innamorata, halfway through the show. Neil introduced it a tune fueled by memories of drinking a bit much Boone’s Farm flavored wine as a young man. The very full house roared its approval when he asked if we too had experienced the beginner’s drink in the past.

At the Warner Theatre, Pat and Neil (71 and 68 years old, respectively) both looked smashing, and they performed with the presence and dexterity of seasoned musicians while also clearly defying the years. There is no voice like Pat Benatar’s voice, and when she sang, she stirred the audience to our core.

The husband and wife duo wisely kept things simple, performing in a quartet. Neil played guitar and piano, and he jammed with longtime bassist Mick Mahon, who actually joined the band with Inamorata back in 1997 and stuck with Pat and Neil ever since. The show also featured a mighty impressive drummer — Caesar Griffin — whom Benatar apparently recruited from Taylor Dane’s band. The whipsmart drummer played with very groovy, rollicking percussive power, and he was fascinating to watch.

In the latter half of the show, Pat and Neil played another rarity, “Ties That Bind” — again a song that has seen only several dozen performances — from Gravity’s Rainbow (1993), and Neil described it as a song that came together from scratch in the studio with inspiration from old time rock and rollers like Bo Diddley.

Along the way, Pat Benatar sang her heart out for many of the tunes you would want to hear if you’re a lifelong fan like myself. She reached incredible heights for “Invincible” (1985). She soothed our souls with “We Belong” (1984). And Pat and Neil both made our hearts bleed with “Hell Is for Children” (1980). They closed their main set with the always wonderful “Love Is a Battlefield” (1983).

Watch Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo perform “Love Is a Battlefield” live at Austin City Limits on YouTube:

The show’s encore included a rousing rendition of Edwin Starr’s “War” and of course “Heartbreaker,” into which Pat and Neil weaved a cover of “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash. The Johnny Cash tune really suited Neil in particular as he’s always had a bit of buttoned-down country sensibility to him. I had last seen Pat and Neil perform “Heartbreaker” live for their well-deserved induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

What a pair of truly exciting performers, and what an astounding show!

Catch Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo on their Funtastic ’24 Tour.

Here are some photos of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo performing at the Warner Theatre in DC on July 9, 2024. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.