Say so long to summer with Rick Springfield

An appealing combination of rock god, matinee idol and crafty author, Rick Springfield is a 21st Century renaissance man. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Springfield – live Saturday – at The Uptown Amphitheater in Charlotte, is more at ease in his own skin now more than ever.

With a winning smile and multi-format talents, this singer, songwriter, musician, actor, author, producer, and heart throb continues to wield classic hard rock, pop melodic power. His current tour finds Springfield teamed with two other 80’s hitmakers, Loverboy and The Romantics, bringing audiences a late summer extravaganza of memories.

Springfield is in the midst of a flurry of career activity thanks to the tour plus a new “country-leaning” album, as well as being part of the second season cast of HBO’s True Detective series and his role co-starring with Meryl Streep in the movie Ricki and the Flash.

With sales of 25 million albums, a Grammy for the No. 1 hit “Jessie’s Girl,” and a string of Top 40 hits including “I’ve Done Everything for You,” “Human Touch,” “Love Somebody,” and many more, Springfield’s fans are legion. Delivering the music to those fans live still drives Springfield, and the reviews of high-energy excitement for his mix of all his music have brought out record crowds and even critical acclaim.

Add to that a video montage that helps reveal the unseen Springsteen and it’s all a big rocking party. Along with Springfield, lead vocals/guitar, his band features George Bernhardt, lead guitar/backing vocals; Jorge Palacious, drums/percussion; Paul Trudeau, keyboards/guitar/backing vocals and George Nastos, bass guitar/backing vocals.

Don’t forget the support acts Loverboy and The Romantics helping to ramp up excitement for this special concert with hits including “Working for the Weekend,” “Turn Me Loose” from Canadian rockers Loverboy; along with “What I like About You,” and “Talking in Your Sleep” by The Romantics.

Say so long to summer and start off fall full throttle with a hot concert from Rick Springfield, with special guests Loverboy and The Romantics Saturday at The Uptown Amphitheatre, 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd., Charlotte. For details call 704-916-8970, 704-549-5555 or check ticketmaster.com/venue/115656. For more on the music, visit rickspringfield.com; loverboyband.com; and romanticsdetroit.com.

Elsewhere

For a mid-week whirlwind, rip into raucous raunchy rock delivered with laser point accuracy by Buckcherry live Wednesday at the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte.

Straddling genres from hard rock and post-grunge to heavy metal and more, Buckcherry blasted out of Los Angeles in the mid-90s with fearless guitar-driven fury. Their 1999 hit “Lit Up” set the stage for their unbridled hard rockin’ onslaught accented with plenty of punkish attitude. The band features: Josh Todd, vocals; Keith Nelson, guitar; Stevie D., guitar; Xavier Muriel, drums and Kelly LeMieux, bass.

Hit hard rock head on with Buckcherry plus Saving Abel, and Sons of Texas Wednesday at The Neighborhood Theater, 511 East 36th St., Charlotte. Call 704-942- 7997 or check neighborhoodtheatre.com for concert information. For more on the music, go to buckcherry.com.

Upcoming

Friday: Jason Poore solo at McHale’s On Main, Rock Hill; Frank & Rusty at The Handlebar, Catawba; Gene Gene & The Blues Machine, T-Bones, Lake Wylie; Onward to Olympas at Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte; Fuse, Skyfold, Meliora, Halden Van, Genius Music at Amos Southend, Charlotte; Roosevelt Collier’s NC Getdown with Todd Stoops, Heavy Pets, Shane Pruitt at The Rabbit Hole, Charlotte; Atlas Road Crew, Moosekick, The Distributors at Visulite Theater, Charlotte; Sean Chambers Band at Double Door Inn, Charlotte; Mothers, Mall Goth, Zodiac Lovers at Snug Harbor, Charlotte; Kaleb Hinsley at Tin Roof, Charlotte; Out of the Cellar- Ratt Tribute, One Man Up, Eyecon at Stooges, Mint Hill; Diamond Shaped Daylight at Whiskey Mill, Bessemer City; Thriftworks, Space Jesus at Chop Shop, Charlotte; Tribal Seeds, Arise Roots, The Expanders at Neighborhood Theater, Charlotte; Mike Ramsey & Band; Warsong, Good Bones; at Evening Muse, Charlotte; Mama Try’d at Bootlegger’s Saloon & Dance Hall, Charlotte; Jason Aldean, Cole Swindell, Tyler Farr at PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte.

Saturday: Stella & Sean Duo at McHale’s On Main, Rock Hill; The Rockaholics at John’s Place, Fort Mill; Carolina Gator Gumbo at Comet Grill, Charlotte; Above Livius, The Culturalist, Frank & The Alter Egos, The Supplier, more at Amos’ Southend, Charlotte; Rick Springfield, Loverboy, The Romantics at Uptown Amphitheater, Charlotte; Tiny City, Starbenders, more at Petra’s, Charlotte; Shana Blake Band at Rhino Market & Deli, Charlotte; The Body Bags, more at Milestone, Charlotte; Hair Nation, Mr. Scary-Dokken Tribute at Stooges, Mint Hill; Jem Crossland at Puckett’s Farm Equipment, Charlotte; Blackbear, Skinny at Neighborhood Theater, Charlotte; Christopher Paul Stelling, The Lady Comes First; The Rocketboys, Jeremiah Wilde; at Evening Muse, Charlotte; Redleg Husky at Birdsong Brewery, Charlotte.

Sunday: Negura Bunget, Dynfari, Grimegod, Baasthyrian at Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte; Summer Jazz & Blues with Leslie Richardson Duo, Nita B Duo, Brad Bailey, Pocketful of Strange at Casual Water-Tega Cay Golf Club, Tega Cay-Fort Mill; Keller Williams, More Than a Little, The Congress, Dead 27s at US National Whitewater Center, Charlotte; Lyfe Jennings, Keyshia Cole, Rudy Currence at Coyote Joe’s, Charlotte.

Monday: Homeboy Sandman at Snug Harbor, Charlotte; 3 Piece Bucket Open Mic at Puckett’s Farm Equipment, Charlotte.

Tuesday: Evergrey, Voyager, Borealis, Oceans of Slumber at Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte; Taco Pony at Tin Roof, Charlotte; Tal National, Patabamba at Snug Harbor, Charlotte.

Wednesday: Pluto for Planet at Bradshaw Social House, Charlotte; Yarbs, Husky Bundles, Couches at Snug Harbor, Charlotte; Epic Rap Battles of History at Chop Shop, Charlotte; Eric Hutchinson, Tess Henley at The Fillmore, Charlotte; Buckcherry, Saving Abel, Sons of Texas at Neighborhood Theater, Charlotte; Have Gun Will Travel, Cranford Hollow at Evening Muse, Charlotte; 5 Seconds of Summer, Hey Violet at PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte.

Thursday: Cowboy Mouth, Echo Code at Amos’ Southend, Charlotte; Country Hammer at Double Door Inn, Charlotte; Free the Optimus at Crown Station Pub, Charlotte; Andrew WK, Scowl Brow, Hungry Girl at Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte; Holy Ghost Tent Revival at Evening Muse, Charlotte.

“And that was all she wrote.”

This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 2:57 PM with the headline "Say so long to summer with Rick Springfield."