Rick Springfield stripped down on Saturday night, March 29 at Grand Falls Casino Resort.  Unfortunately, he didn't take off his clothes.  Rick has been on a 'Stripped Down' tour, an intimate solo performance with storytelling and a question and answer. Rick tells the story behind such hits as "Jessie's Girl," and "Honeymoon in Beirut."  The show, including the Q&A, lasted almost two hours.  I loved the stories and getting to see Rick in a relaxed atmosphere.  He seemed really comfortable telling stories and interacting with the audience.

I've been a Rick Springfield fan for many, many years.  I had this poster on the back of my bedroom door and hundreds of cut-outs from magazines like 'Bop' and 'Teen Beat' hanging on a bulletin board.

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Once my friends and I heard he was going to be at Grand Falls Casino, we got tickets to the show the day they went on sale and scored front row seats.  A few weeks later, I was asked to do the introduction for the show.  Now, I'm nervous.  The reason I enjoy radio is because I'm behind a microphone and no one can see me.  I'm in a little room by myself.  I am not a fan of getting up in front of hundreds of people.  I had a conversation with myself and decided that I needed to do the introduction because it would be a dream come true.  So, I listened to my inner voice and agreed to intro the show.  About two weeks before the show...after I finally had myself calmed down, telling myself that I would be fine doing the intro...I was asked to moderate the Q&A.  I was going to be standing on stage right next to RICK SPRINGFIELD!  Are you freakin' kidding me?!  Now, I'm really nervous.  My stomach is doing back flips.  What if I walk on stage and trip and take out all of his guitars?  What if I throw up?  What if I call him Rick Springsteen?  Again, I conferred with my inner self and we decided I should do it. This opportunity will never present itself again.  Pull it together and do it.  Again, I agreed.

The night of the show rolls around and I'm pretty much a mess.  I can't eat, I don't really want to talk to anyone.  I just want to get it over with.  I went on stage and did the intro and that went pretty fast.  Sweet.  That's done.  Then it was time for the Q&A.   That was the LONGEST 20 minutes of my life!!  I was standing on stage next to Rick Springfield!   Although I started out pretty close, I realized by the end of the Q&A, I had practically walked completely off stage.  I'm not sure why I kept walking away.  It was Rick Springfield!!  Finally, the Q&A was over.  Rick walks off stage and I follow.  Before he goes through the door at the bottom of the steps to go behind the stage, he turns and says something to me.  I'm kind of hard of hearing, so I didn't quite make out what he said, but I'm pretty sure it was, "Karla, will you be my girlfriend?"...or maybe not.

Here's the setlist from March 29 (from what I can remember):

  1. I Get Excited
  2. Affair of the Heart
  3. Me & Johnny
  4. Light My Fire
  5. Love Is Alright Tonite
  6. Rollin' and Tumblin'
  7. Inside Silvia (iPhone jam)
  8. Honeymoon in Beirut
  9. Don't Talk To Strangers
  10. Baby Blue (Badfinger cover)
  11. Painted Girl
  12. April 24, 1981/My Father's Chair
  13. I've Done Everything For You
  14. If Wishes Were Fishes (Rick needs to do a quick video for this and put it on YouTube.  It would go viral.  It's a very funny song.)
  15. Love Somebody
  16. Jessie's Girl
  17. Q & A
  18. Human Touch (by request during Q&A)

Rick Springfield will be in Sioux Falls with his entire band for Ribfest on May 30.

 

 

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