Rick Springfield, the artist behind ‘80s hits “Jessie’s Girl” and “Human Touch,” is bringing his power pop sound to RiverEdge Park on Thursday, August 31 at 7:30 p.m.
The Grammy Award-winning rocker, known for his powerful connection to his legions of fans, will play a hot outdoor show in the heart of downtown Aurora, on the banks of the beautiful Fox River. Special guests are The Hooters, Paul Young and Tommy Tutone.
Rick Springfield. Photo credit: Elizabeth Attenborough
Tickets to the “I Want My 80s Tour” with Rick Springfield go on sale to the general public on Friday, May 5 at 10 a.m. Tickets are $39.
For tickets and information, visit riveredgeaurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, stop by RiverEdge’s satellite box office, Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and until show time on show days, or purchase day-of at RiverEdge Park. All tickets are general admission. Fees not included.
RiverEdge Park is located at 360 N. Broadway in downtown Aurora, right across the street from Metra’s Aurora Transportation Center.
The “I Want My 80s Tour” with Rick Springfield is sponsored by Beach Bar Rum. Promotional partner is SiriusXM, “80s on 8.”
Rick Springfield. Photo courtesy Crush Malibu Music Management
About Rick Springfield
Rick Springfield. Photo credit: Jay Gilbert
Over the past four decades, Rick Springfield has worn many hats as an entertainer and performer. The creator of some of the finest power-pop of the ’80s, a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and musician who has sold 25 million albums and scored 17 U.S. Top 40 hits, including “Jessie’s Girl,” “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “An Affair of the Heart,” “I've Done Everything for You,” “Love Somebody,” and “Human Touch.”
He’s an accomplished actor who starred opposite Meryl Streep in the feature film Ricki and the Flash and gave a chameleonic performance as the creepy Dr. Irving Pitlor in HBO’s prestige drama True Detective, earned great reviews for his portrayal of Lucifer on the CW hit Supernatural and most recently played the insane Pastor Charles on FX’s worldwide hit series American Horror Story.
He’s also a talented author — both his candid 2010 memoir Late, Late at Night (which Rolling Stone named one of the 25 greatest rock memoirs of all time) and his 2014 comedic novel Magnificent Vibration earned rave reviews and spots on the New York Times Best Sellers’ list. In 2013, Springfield wrote and recorded “The Man That Never Was” with Dave Grohl for the soundtrack to Sound City — the Foo Fighters’ frontman’s documentary about the San Fernando Valley recording studio that was Springfield’s home away from home (his manager owned the building). Rolling Stone called Springfield’s touching interview in the film its “breakout story.” In 2014, Springfield was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located around the corner from the first apartment he lived in when he first arrived in the U.S. from Australia in 1971.
That Springfield has not only enjoyed longevity, but remained vibrant and relevant at a time when many veteran artists would be resting on past laurels led Rolling Stone to dub this stage of his career “The Rickonaissance.” “I guess it may appear like that, but in my head, I’ve never really left,” Springfield says. “I think it’s really important to stay connected to the vitality of your career. I have a certain pride that I'm not a total nostalgia act. I've never been the guy who hung the platinum albums on my walls because, to me, it was looking back. I'm very passionate about moving forward. I have to write new music. I have to record. I’m always working on the live shows. I have to always be working, otherwise I think I’d just turn to smoke and disappear.”
Rick Springfield. Photo credit: Jay Gilbert
In 2019, Springfield released his 17th studio album, “Orchestrating My Life,” a career-defining re-visitation of a lifetime of hits. The album is a collection of all the hits the public loves re-recorded with an electrifying mix of rock and accompanied by a full orchestra. It also includes a brand-new song, “Irreplaceable,” dedicated to Rick’s mother who passed away in 2017. Springfield toured and continues to tour this record with symphony orchestras throughout the U.S. and world.
Music has always been a healing force in the Australian-born Springfield’s life. The son of an Army officer, Rick and his family moved every two years. “Which meant every time I made a friend, I knew I’d be leaving him,” he says. “It was super stressful for me. I’d go to a new school and go through the trauma of trying to fit in.” Books and records became his savior. Then at age 11, he encountered his first guitar. “This kid brought one to a Christmas fair at my school in England and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen,” Springfield recalls. “He let me hold it. I hit two strings and the two strings happened to be the first couple of notes of the theme song to my favorite cowboy show at the time, Cheyenne. I realized instantly I could play the guitar. Some guys fall in love with cars, some with football teams. I fell in love with guitars.”
It has been a long and fruitful affair, one that has gifted him with a powerful connection to his legions of devoted fans, who pack his annual fan getaways, as well as the nearly 100 shows a year he performs both with his band and solo in an intimate “storyteller” setting that he captured on the 2015 CD/DVD and concert film Stripped Down. Though too self-deprecating to discuss his immense appeal, he will acknowledge that the fans connect with him through the music. “I guess they think I'm honest,” he says. “They must like my approach, what I write about. I think they like that I have a sense of humor in it at times. Because the ‘cute’ thing isn't going to last forever.” rickspringfield.com
Watch Rick Springfield "Jessie's Girl" (40th Anniversary Live Version)
How to rock your RiverEdge Park experience
Rick Springfield at RiverEdge Park is a general admission show. The park is general admission for bag chairs. Bag chairs and blankets are also allowed on lawn areas. Standing room only next to the stage.
RiverEdge is located right across the street from Metra’s Aurora Transportation Center. Drivers can find paid parking in the Metra lot, with more public and private lots around the park and in downtown Aurora.
Concessions include a diverse menu and bar with domestic and craft beers, wine, sodas, bottled water and more. Local food trucks also ring the back lawn. Outside food is welcome. No alcohol or other outside beverages are allowed, with the exception of two sealed bottles of unflavored water per person. Visit the Park’s Plan Your Visit page for more information, directions, parking options and outside food policies.
Events at RiverEdge Park take place rain or shine, unless conditions endanger the safety of artists and the public. For the latest weather updates, follow @RiverEdgeAurora on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, call the RiverEdge Park Weather Line, (630) 723-2480, or text REPARK to 888777.
About RiverEdge Park
RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway St., in downtown Aurora, Illinois, is an idyllic outdoor summer concert venue, serving up live music, delicious festival food, cool beverages and a great time, all overlooking downtown Aurora and the beautiful Fox River.
RiverEdge Park debuted in 2013 and was renamed Thomas J. Weisner RiverEdge Park in 2016 in honor of late Aurora Mayor Thomas J. Weisner. RiverEdge is anchored by the contemporary John C. Dunham performance pavilion, with state-of-the-art acoustics and lighting set against a beautiful night sky. With a capacity of up to 6,000, RiverEdge combines live concert excitement with a warm community feel and gorgeous views of the Fox River.
RiverEdge Park is managed and programmed by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA), which also oversees Aurora’s historic Paramount Theatre, the newly renovated, 165-seat Copley Theater across the street from Paramount, and the Paramount School of the Arts. For tickets and information, visit riveredgeaurora.com or call (630) 896-6666.
RiverEdge Park is sponsored by Dunham Foundation, City of Aurora, Progressive Business Solutions, Jake’s Inc., Hollywood Casino Aurora, Invest Aurora, Baird and Warner Naperville/The Byrne Group, Globe Management, Paul Gregory Media and Youngren’s Heating and Cooling.
