“Are we not in the desert? Where are we?” A bit of comic relief part way through The Go-Go’s set by Gina Schock, who as per tradition emerges from her drum kit at some point in the show to give us a bit of fun. And that is kind of at the heart of The Go-Go’s punky/poppy/surfy/beachy New Wave music, so what better a group to headline 2014’s newest 80s-centric tour, Replay America. Also on the bill is Patty Smyth from Scandal, Martha Davis from The Motels, and Pete Byrne from Naked Eyes. A real assortment of 80s hitmakers each took to the stage at Thunder Valley Casino Resort on Saturday night to take the crowd back about three decades to a real innovative time in music. Though there was a lot of music to be heard, things proceeded along quite quickly with the first three artists sharing a band (with some changes set to set), and a quick changeover for the aforementioned Go-Go’s, who closed out the night with a string of classic songs. Definitely a unique opportunity to catch many favorites in one sitting, and I know I thoroughly enjoyed each artist, only half of whom I’d seen live before (though I was already a fan of all four). Awesome show.
Replay America (The Go-Go’s, Martha Davis and The Motels, Scandal, and Naked Eyes) Takes Over in July
Replay America, a U.S. tour taking place this month, will feature The Go-Go’s, Martha Davis and The Motels, Patty Smyth and Scandal, and Naked Eyes featuring Pete Byrne. With such a significant line-up of 80s music and pop culture icons, the concert series will certainly be one to see this Summer. Everything kicks off in Clearwater, Florida this weekend.