The Vindys Will Open for Pat Benatar on US Tour
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Vindys will reach a new milestone this summer when they go on a national tour with a major artist.
The Youngstown-based rock band will be the opening act for Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo for their July 6-Aug. 10 shows. The tour, which was announced today, includes 21 dates, including a July 10 concert at MGM Northfield Park near Cleveland.
Most of the remaining dates are on the East and West coasts.
Jackie Popovec, singer and frontwoman for The Vindys, said her band knew Benatar and Giraldo because they opened shows for the act twice before.
Still, she was surprised when The Vindys were asked to be the opener on their summer tour.
“The last time we opened for her, she was the sweetest person to me,” Popovec said. “I was so afraid of her the first time and stayed out of her way.”
But The Vindys must have left an impression on Benatar, because the second time the band opened for her, “she recognized me and gave me a big hug,” Popovec recalled. “After our set she said, “Oh my God, you guys are so good.”
Tickets for the Northfield concert go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday via ticketmaster.com.
With The Vindys’ touring schedule becoming more frequent and widespread, Popovec said the band recently bought a tour van.
The band has two other opening act gigs in the near future.
The Vindys will open for ZZ Top on Wednesday, March 27, at the Stranahan Theater in Toledo; and for Donnie Iris and the Cruisers on April 6 at The Bluestone in Columbus.
The Vindys opened for Iris on March 16 at a sold-out UPMC Events Center near Pittsburgh – the first show by the Pittsburgh rock legend since returning from his bout with cancer.
Four-time Grammy winner Benatar was a rock radio ruler in the 1980s and is considered one of the greatest female voices in rock.
She produced a string of 19 Top 40 hits, including “Hit Me with Your Best Shot,” “Love Is a Battlefield,” “We Belong” and “Invincible.” Benatar has had seven platinum albums and has sold more than 35 million albums worldwide in her career.
She began working with songwriter-producer Giraldo, a Cleveland native, as her musical director early in her career. The two have been married since 1982.
In 2020, Benatar was nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame but fell short.
In addition to Popovec, The Vindys members are John Anthony, Rick Deak, Owen Davis, Brendan Burke, Nathan Anthony, Kyle O’Donnell, Brian Mayle and Garret Kuchmaner.
Pictured at top: John Anthony, Jackie Popovec and Rick Deak of The Vindys.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
