Rick Springfield in Boston

About Rick Springfield

Rick Springfield's career has been a study in reinvention. He started as an actor and soap opera regular on General Hospital before "Jessie's Girl" became an inescapable 1981 hit—a song so perfect in its specificity about wanting your friend's girlfriend that it still sounds fresh. The album Working Class Dog went multi-platinum, and he followed up with Living in Oz and Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet, establishing himself as a legitimate rock songwriter rather than a one-hit curiosity. Beyond the early 80s hits, Springfield's catalog includes thoughtful ballads and guitar-driven rock that showed more depth than the charts initially suggested. He's been refreshingly candid about his struggles with depression and substance abuse, turning that vulnerability into his songwriting. The guy hasn't stopped working—he tours relentlessly, still acts occasionally, and released new material well into his 70s. Fans know him as genuine and self-aware, someone who never pretended those hit years were anything more or less than they were.

Springfield's shows are surprisingly energetic for someone in their 70s. Crowds sing every word to Jessie's Girl and the deep cuts, creating this mix of nostalgia and actual engagement. He's personable between songs, not trying too hard, which somehow makes it work.

Known for Jessie's Girl, I've Done Everything for You, Don't Talk to Strangers, Human Touch, Souls

Rick Springfield + Boston

Rick Springfield has maintained a quiet presence in Boston over the years, never quite the arena-filling draw he was in the '80s, but still able to pull a crowd that knows every word. His August 2023 stop at Lynn Memorial Auditorium felt like a homecoming of sorts—the kind of show where you get the deep cuts alongside the inevitable hits. He opened with "Affair of the Heart" and "I've Done Everything for You," letting people settle in before building momentum. The setlist was smart: "Human Touch" and "Love Somebody" gave longtime fans something to chew on, while the medley stretch—bunching together "Bop 'Til You Drop," "867-5309/Jenny," "Jessie's Girl," and the rest—delivered the goods people came for. He closed on "Jessie's Girl," which is the right call, the song that won't leave him alone and probably never will.

Rick Springfield in Boston News

• Sammy Hagar announces 2026 tour with Rick Springfield. Get tickets now New York Post · Jan 15, 2026
• Judas Priest, Rick Springfield, John Oates and Bob Geldof reflect on 40 years of Live Aid Boston Herald · Jul 10, 2025
• Country music star with 12 No. 1 singles is headed to South MS on his new tour Biloxi Sun Herald · Apr 28, 2025
• Just Announced: 2025 EPCOT Garden Rocks Concert Series Lineup Disney Parks Blog · Jan 27, 2025
• Rick Springfield concert: Acoustic, with stories Cape Cod Times · Jan 22, 2020

Live Music in Boston

Boston's rock scene has always been about substance over flash, and Springfield fits that sensibility. The city that gave us the Cars and Aerosmith understands the value of a songwriter who can write a hook and actually play. Springfield's blend of new wave accessibility and genuine musicianship—he's a legitimately skilled guitarist—resonates with Boston audiences who tend to respect craft over trend. The arena rock of the '80s still has resonance here, and Springfield's ability to deliver both polish and sincerity appeals to a crowd that doesn't need irony.

Boston road trip to see Rick Springfield?

Stay in the Back Bay neighborhood—it's walkable, lined with brownstones, and positioned between the best dining and the waterfront. Book a table at No. 9 Park for New American cooking that actually justifies the hype, or hit Oleana in nearby Cambridge if you want something fresher and less fussy. Spend an afternoon at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, a genuinely strange and rewarding art collection housed in a deliberately eccentric mansion. The Prudential Center has decent shopping if that's your thing, and the waterfront is legitimately beautiful for a walk before the show.