Story by:  Michael Johnson
Email:  mj40@webtv.net

Finally...my time has come to write my Rick Springfield concert review. I've been waiting for this moment for what seems like all my life!!! The only thing is that I feel bad about it because I'll probably be the only person out of the whole fan club to submit a negative review(kinda!!).

First off, I guess I knew there were gonna be some problems bacause this show was one where Rick was playing ahead of Joe Cocker, the throaty voiced singer who for some reason is considered a rock legend. I could've cared less about seeing Mr.Cocker. I was there to see Rick and Rick only!!!! I think maybe me and my girlfriend were the only ones though, besides the 5 or 6 women dancing in the front rows. Anyways, the show started at 7:35pm Ohio time. He opened with An Affair of the Heart and went right into I've Done Everything For You. The only thing is, Rick was playing for maybe 300 people. There was no doubt about it that the people had come to see Joe Cocker and hardly anybody had arrived yet. The generation gap between the two is a pretty good one so I can't
imagine why Rick had put this gig onto his tour schedule. Anyways, the crowd really wasn't into his act. I felt sorry for the poor guy as a matter of fact. The only time he acknowledged the crowd was when he introduced his band( the only time he really said anything to the audience during his show!!) and when he jumped down to the 5 or 6 women during Human Touch. And of course he sang Jessies Girl which kinda got the crowd awake. He ended up closing with Love Somebody. And then that was it. He was done at 8:05!!! He only played for half an hour
folks!!!!! That's it!!! It seemed like the entire time he was in a hurry or that there was someplace else he wanted to be. I think the whole problem was that there were hardly any Rick fans there. As a matter of fact, while we were leaving, 2 guys were walking behind us trying to figure out who Rick even was. My girlfriend finally broke out and told them. Rick wasn't even introduced to the crowd. He never mentioned anything about his new cd or played a new song. He sounded good, even though he messed up the lyrics to Don't Talk to Strangers. The band was
good also, but after waiting for a lifetime to see my idol live and after getting pumped up from all the other great Rick concert reviews from the greatest fans in the world, I was definetly left with wanting more!!! This show just wasn't it for me. I love Rick to death and this wiil not change my attitude about him. I will still buy the new cd and watch his movies and admire his musical abilities. I guess I'll just have to pop in his concert video Beat of the Live Drum to get my fill for him live( or if he ever comes to Indiana!!!). Hopefully this review will not stop anybody from going out and seeing Rick in person. He did his best to get the crowd into it but it just wasn't happening here. It
looks as if with the rest of his tour schedule that he's pretty much on his own. I would love to see him again but only when I know that there will be fans like all of you out in the crowd. Support him because he deserves it. There is only one Rick Springfield. But he will be playing many more venues. Go and enjoy him while you can.