Beefcake

Most of us have heard the cliché: "There are no second acts in American life." But what of the Lazarus known as Meat Loaf? The Loaf, whose mama calls him Marvin Lee Aday, virtually ruled the AM airwaves in the late '70s with hits "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" and "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" from the album Bat Out of Hell.Produced by rock legend Todd Rundgren, Bat combined high melodrama and deliberate corn and, borne by Loaf's soulful vocals, became one of the decade's biggest sellers. Tragically (sort of), Loaf's voice was a casualty of touring rigors, effectively derailing his career, leading to bankruptcy in the mid-'80s. But you can't keep a good man down if he weighs more than you -- Meat Loaf, who'd played rockin' Eddie in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, proved his acting chops with roles in Fight Club and Focus. Like Sinatra, Meat Loaf couldn't forsake singing -- he still wails his heart out for the faithful. And that dashboard light still burns.

Meat Loaf sings for his supper at 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 14, at Seminole Hard Rock Live, 5747 Seminole Way, Hollywood. Tickets cost $40 to $75. Call 954-797-5531.