Published: July 19, 2008 11:46 pm         

Fans travel from afar to hear Benatar

Although it’s been 29 years since Pat Benatar released her first album, “In the Heat of the Night,” she’s still making fans pump their fists, croon her lyrics, and wield their air guitars.

That’s what happened when she strutted onto the Elkhart County 4-H mainstage Saturday night and sang to a crowd of all ages, which fair officials estimated to be between 6,000 and 6,500 people.

“I grew up with her,” said Susan Riggs, 44, Granger, who said she’s transformed her daughter into a fan by making “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” her softball team’s theme song. Her daughter surprised her with the tickets.

“Those Friday nights when we were out, rocking to the radio, the Friday and Saturday night football games” are what Riggs thinks about when she hears Benatar’s music.

“She’s my all-time favorite,” said Julie Cheney, 36, of Niles, Mich. She “just started listening hardcore within the last year, and was digging it.

“It’s just strong-woman music,” she said. “All Fired Up,” is her favorite song — “I’ll probably start crying when I hear her sing it.”

Mellody Wilson, 43, of Goshen, brought her 16-year-old daughter Autumn to the show.

“We’re mother-daughter rock and rollers,” she said. “Classic rock, especially.”

Mellody said Benatar’s music reminds her of “love gone bad,” but it also “brings back a lot of good memories.”

Bill Ozinga and Ann McCain, both 44, made the trip from Buchanan, Mich., mainly for Ann’s sake.

“Pat Benatar is the reason I cut my hair short, back in ‘82,” she said. “(Her songs) rock. And I like her ballad music. The blues album is really nice. I love her attitude. She’s the girl next door with a bad girl persona. I feel sort of like her. I try to be good. She’s the only one I’m a fanatic about.”

“I’ll be 17 when I leave here tonight,” said Mike Fink, Nappanee. “My girlfriend got me an 8-track tape of her back then.”

His wife Rhonda said one of her favorite songs is “Hell is for Children.”

“I know it sounds like a horrible song, but it’s about child abuse. My parents were foster parents, so they had experience with that.”

Goshen is the last stop on Julie and Steve McKay’s latest Pat Benatar trip. They traveled from their home in Bowmanville, Ontario, a city about 60 kilometers east of Toronto.

“We follow her around,” said Julie. She and Steve saw Benatar in Chicago Friday night, and are going home tomorrow. “This is what we do for holiday. We’ve always loved her voice. I want to travel. (Steve) wasn’t interested in travel, so this gives us a reason.”

However, Julie appeared to be the more enthusiastic fan Saturday night as she waved a license plate reading “Patsfan1,” which she bought Steve for his 50th birthday.