“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.
V101’s Summer Jam Concert with Keith Sweat, Tony! Toni! Tone! and Salt-N-Pepa This Saturday Night at Thunder Valley Casino Resort
This Saturday, WorldOne Presents will be bringing V101’s Summer Jam to Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California. The line-up features Keith Sweat, Tony! Toni! Tone! and Salt-N-Pepa, along with DJ Gino, as part of a rare concert appearance. [Read more…]
The Rewind Festival Featuring Regeneration Tour 2013 (Howard Jones, Erasure’s Andy Bell, Berlin with Terri Nunn, Men Without Hats) at Thunder Valley Casino Resort | Lincoln, California | 8/24/2013 (Concert Review)
Readers of The Rock Subculture Journal know that my favorite decade of music is the 80s, so a multi-headliner concert like The Rewind Festival Featuring Regeneration Tour 2013 at Thunder Valley Casino Resort’s Outdoor Amphitheater is an event I’ve been anticipating for months. With a stellar line-up of some of my favorite artists, it was certainly a night to remember. The Regeneration Tour is in the midst of a 9-date tour across the U.S. with a final show in Mexico City, with a varying line-up as it goes along. Music fans lucky enough to attend the show in Lincoln, California last night got to see a show which included Men Without Hats, Berlin with Terri Nunn, Erasure’s Andy Bell, and Howard Jones, as well as local talent Larisa Bryski kicking things off as part of the World One Presents and 93.7 Jack FM promotion. All of the artists were in top form, the sound system was excellent, and things moved along briskly, offering a non-stop show of hits from the 80s and beyond. It was a stellar show, and definitely one to catch if you are able to with the remaining dates on the tour.
Crystal Gayle at Thunder Valley Resort & Casino | Lincoln, California | 2/22/2013 (Concert Review)
Last night Thunder Valley Resort & Casino played host to one of a short run of shows by music legend Crystal Gayle. The award-winning singer, best known for her 1977 hit, “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue”., put on an amazing show of her own songs as well as tributes to the works of others, with her own signature style. It was incredible to have an opportunity to enjoy the show put on by her along with her sister Peggy Sue and the five-piece band led by Jay Patten.
Styx at Thunder Valley Resort and Casino | Lincoln, California | 9/6/2012 (Concert Review)
Last night I had an opportunity to see Styx perform at Thunder Valley Resort and Casino in Lincoln, California. Really quite the performance… it’s rare these days when a band comes onto the stage, sans opening act, and just let’s it rip, and has the audience from the first riff. Given that the band, born in Chicago, has been around since the 70s, they obviously have a stellar catalog of work to choose from, and the set tonight spanned everything from their more anthemic rock to popular hits on the ballad side, showing a real versatility in their musical style as well as an unusually democratic (small “d”) sharing of their various talents, and (quite literally) the spotlight. It is obvious that these guys love to perform, feed off their audience, and seem to play together well, and really appear to enjoy their music and playing it live – together – to an enthusiastic crowd. And given some back and forth, and my interview with Lawrence Gowan leading up to the show, and, well, just looking around within the amphitheater (which at least appeared to be completely sold out), their audience today very much spans many, many generations, with old and new fans alike just soaking in some genuine rock and roll. Styx really delivered, and it was an awesome performance, from beginning to end. [Read more…]
Berlin featuring Terri Nunn at Thunder Valley | Lincoln, California | 4/13/12 (Concert Review)
Tonight was the first Berlin concert of the year, in Lincoln, CA in the foothills of the greater Sacramento area. The legendary band that was prominent on the radio and MTV in the 80s played through many hits, one less played song (as voted on by Facebook users) and two new songs never played before a live audience prior to tonight. It was a fantastic show with a lot of energy, and Terri Nunn put on an amazing performance, both vocally and in terms of sheer audience interaction. The band killed it.
Daryl Hall and John Oates at Thunder Valley | Lincon, California | 9/11/11 (Concert Review)
On September 11th, I went to one of Hall and Oates shows, which was incredible, as I’ve come to expect from seeing them many times over the years (including at Mountain Winery last year). With such a deep catalog of hits, any fan of 80s pop music would not come away disappointed.