Rick Springfield at The Show: For 90 Minutes, It Was 1981 Again -

Rancho Mirage, CA

Rick Springfield took the stage at The Show at Agua Caliente and wasted no time reminding the room why he has occupied such a durable place in pop-rock memory for more than four decades. This was a concert I had been looking forward to for a long time, and the moment he walked onstage, it was as if 1981 had come roaring back to life. For those of us who came of age during the MTV era, that kind of time travel is no small thing. It is also no small feat.

Springfield looked strong, sounded strong, and, perhaps most importantly, performed with the kind of ease and confidence that only comes from someone who genuinely loves being onstage. There was no sense of obligation here, no going through the motions for the sake of nostalgia. He came out to play. And the audience, many of whom were wearing shirts proudly declaring themselves “Jesse’s Girl,” were more than ready to meet him there.

The set balanced the expected crowd-pleasers with newer material, which is part of what made the night work so well. Yes, the audience came for the songs that have lived in their bloodstream for years, and Springfield delivered them: “State of the Heart,” “I’ve Done Everything for You,” and “Don’t Talk to Strangers” all landed exactly where they needed to. But what also came through clearly is that he is not content to live entirely in the rearview mirror. He is still writing, still recording, still working, and that matters. Too many artists from that era are flattened into nostalgia acts. Springfield still carries himself like a musician with something to do, not just something to remember.

For roughly 90 minutes, he worked the stage with the kind of energy and charisma that made him a star in the first place. He has always understood something some performers never do: a concert is not just about singing songs well. It is about creating contact. It is about making the audience feel included in the event, not merely present for it. Springfield understands that instinctively.

The crowd itself was, let us say, decisively on the AARP side of the demographic ledger, and I say that with affection and full self-implication. At one point Springfield invited those over and under 50 to make some noise. It was not close. Youth had enthusiasm; experience had volume. The room knew the assignment.

One of the evening’s most enjoyable moments came when Springfield left the stage and moved through the audience, offering high fives, hugs, and photo opportunities with the ease of someone who knows exactly what his presence has meant to people over the years. He also pulled out one of his signature flourishes, strumming his guitar with a dozen roses and sending petals into the air. It was theatrical, a little ridiculous, completely effective, and exactly the sort of thing a Rick Springfield audience hopes to see. Sometimes showmanship is not excess. Sometimes it is good manners.

I said earlier that this was a concert I had been excited to see, and that is true for reasons both musical and personal. Rick Springfield was a heartthrob for a great many girls in the 1980s. He was also, it should be said, a heartthrob for more than a few gay boys growing up quietly and watching from the edges of the room. Some of us were there last night too, a little older, a little wiser, and still perfectly capable of recognizing a formative cultural event when we see one.

Which brings me to a story I feel duty-bound to include in the interest of honesty and public service. Springfield’s 1984 film Hard to Hold is not, by any serious artistic measure, a good movie. Springfield himself has acknowledged as much, which only increases my affection for him. But for one particular segment of the population, it did contain a moment of near-mythic importance: a very brief glimpse of Rick Springfield’s backside. As a closeted 10-year-old boy in Indiana, I was hardly in a position to suggest a family outing to the latest Rick Springfield movie. That would have raised questions I was not prepared to answer. So I waited until the film turned up on HBO, crept downstairs at an hour when only burglars and desperate romantics should have been awake, and watched. Was it worth it? At the time, absolutely. Does Rick still deliver? Also yes.

That, in the end, is what made the evening work so well. The concert offered the pleasure of revisiting a piece of childhood, but it did not stop there. The deeper reward was being reminded that Springfield is not merely an artifact of memory. He remains a compelling live performer with real command of the room, genuine affection for his audience, and enough musical force to make the night feel alive rather than embalmed.

Springfield’s performance in Rancho Mirage also made one thing unmistakably clear: he is not simply replaying an old script. He is still actively touring, with additional April 2026 dates scheduled in Florida, South Carolina, Illinois, and Ohio, and his recent work includes the album Automatic and the newer single “Lose Myself,” tied to Big Hits: Rick Springfield’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 2. In other words, the catalog may be classic, but the artist is still very much in motion.

Upcoming Events at The Show at Agua Caliente

Tickets: official Agua Caliente Casinos entertainment page
Phone: 800-514-3849
Venue: The Show at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage
Address: 32-250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
Location details: corner of Bob Hope Drive and Ramon Road
Box Office: north end of the casino, outside The Show
Box Office hours: opens at 1:00 p.m. on the day of the event

About the Author

D. Wesley Spencer, Ph.D ch©., is a writer, actor, director, arts educator, and He is the co-author of Universal Creative Intelligence: How the Arts and Sciences Propel Human Advancement, a book exploring how creative thinking shapes learning, leadership, and human progress.

He teaches communication at College of the Desert. Wesley brings a lifelong passion for theater and storytelling to every review he writes. As a columnist for The Palm Springs Tribune, Wesley covers theater, concerts, film, dining, local talent, and cultural events throughout the Coachella Valley. His reviews are known for their warmth, clarity, and deep respect for the power of the arts and the artists and communities they serve. Wesley Spencer @ 2026 All rights Reserved

service.to.others.cci@gmail.com

Universal Creative Intelligence: How the Arts and Sciences Propel Human Advancement