Reto Show plays well to the right audience

DALLAS - Somewhere in the middle of the '80s Retro Show last night at Starplex - I think it was when Berlin played The Metro - I realized why folks who are now in their 40s and 50s flock to see bands such as Black Oak Arkansas and Kansas when they come to town.

Nostalgia.

I'm almost 30, and can accurately say that the bulk of the audience who turned out to catch John Waite, Berlin and Rick Springfield came because they wanted to hear the music that they listened to when they were young.

And I've got to admit it was kind of fun.

Waite started the evening. When he performed his most memorable hit, Missing You, early in the set, I thought he would have to keep singing that song over and over just so that people would remember who he was.

But he didn't, and I'm frightened to admit that I know most of those other songs, including the mega-schlocky When I See You Smile.

Next up was Berlin, and they were easily the best thing about this lineup. Lead singer Terri Nunn has never looked better, and she started off right with Masquerade.

Their set was a good mix of the old - The Metro, No More Words and Sex (I'm a...) - and new. Surprisingly, the songs they play from their forthcoming album actually rocked.

Nunn cavorted about in a slinky dress, she jumped on the speakers, she walked out through the audience. Her backup singer was fabulous and almost stole the show a few times.

Then came Rick Springfield - the reason that most in the crowd were female in their late 20s, early 30s.

Bad news ladies: Rick no longer looks fantastic in a pair of leather pants; he merely looks good.

He did all the expected hits, Rock of Life, Don't Talk to Strangers, Affair of the Heart, The Human Touch.

For my taste, he is just not that great a performer (I laughed when he threw his guitar in the air and didn't catch it.)

But these women didn't care about that. They wanted to go back to a time when there were 10 years old and dreaming about being Jesse's Girl. They were crying and fainting like crazy. It was hilarious.

Let's hope that this trio - even Berlin - realizes that they need to call it quits and stay home.