Best bet: Pat Benatar

Fire & ice

Pat Benatar has been kicking her way through the rock 'n' roll battlefield since the '70s, and we're betting she could still plant her flag at the top of the heap.

We'll find out when Benatar and her husband/collaborator Neil Giraldo celebrate 30 years of hard-rockin' bliss Saturday night at the Veterans Convention Center inside the Meskwaki Casino, just off Highway 30 west of Tama.

This tour promises “All the Hits ... All the Memories.”

Hmmm, let's see. Maybe she'll hit us with her best shot. Or make some promises in the dark. Whether growling her way through “Heartbreaker” or purring through “We Live for Love,” she's invincible.

Her husband isn't just along for the ride, either. This songwriter and lead guitarist also has produced all of Benatar's albums.

We're guessing she's the fire and he's the ice, although he certainly can blaze through any guitar line and her crystal-clear high notes send shivers down the spine.

Benatar's fan site, www.benatarfanclub.com, says she's heading back into the recording studio after the tour.

So move over Fergie and Pink. Sounds like your fairy godmother isn't done waving her magic wand.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 and $45, through www.meskwaki.com, Club Meskwaki or 1-(800) 728-4263, Ext. 2230. Sorry, no one under 21 allowed.

-- Diana Nollen, The Gazette