The Human League recently released Credo, their first LP in ten years and ninth overall, though according to a source quoted on Wikipedia, it "will not be available domestically in the US or on iTunes." The album is out now overseas. Maybe that will change, Regardless, the classic new wave band has scheduled some shows in the United States.

Though all dates haven't been announced yet, it looks like The Human League will tour from California to NYC, kicking things off at "Totally 80s Hollywood Bowl" on September 2nd along with The B-52s, The Fixx, and Berlin. The B-52s will also join them on other dates, as will fellow old school new wavers Men Without Hats who are the only opener at the NYC show at Best Buy Theater on 9/23. Tickets for that one go on AmEx presale at 10am today (5/18), and on regular sale on Friday.

Men Without Hats recently played SXSW, a fact that amused many in attendance. Houston Press caught them:

Every year at SXSW, Aftermath scans the schedule of hundreds and hundreds of bands and always has the same reaction: "They're still around?"

This year it was Canadian synth-pop safety dancers Men Without Hats. Since Aftermath was already going to be at Club de Ville Friday to interview Cheap Trick/Candy Golde drummer Bun E. Carlos and the Hats - who turned out to be founder Ivan Doroschuk (in a cowboy hat), two hired guns on synths and another on guitar - were closing out the night, we said, "Why the hell not?"

We're glad we did. Yes, there was the "S-s-s-s...A-a-a-a...F-f-f-f..." portion of the evening, at which point the entire tented patio became a sea of cameras and some very amusing dancing (above), but there's a little more to the Hats than that song, which is still as sleek and joyful as ever. It's no albatross Doroschuk only hauls out because he has to, that's for sure, as proved by the singer's own enthusiastic choreography during the 1982 hit.
For one thing, there's also "Pop Goes the World," an afterthought these days but itself a 1987 smash and practically as perfect a little pop song as you're going to find even today; we watched more than a few people who banked on leaving after "Safety Dance" turn right back around.

B-52s meanwhile will be touring a bit in June. Tickets are on sale for a June 11th NYC show at Irving Plaza.

All known tour dates and some new and old Human League videos, below...

Continue reading "Human League playing shows w/ B-52s & Men Without Hats "

photos by Andrew St. Clair

Debbie & Tiffany (Don't Stop Believin')... -- Canal Room, NYC, 1/22/2011

Horrifying, ironic, awesome, call it what you want, but Debbie Gibson and Tiffany are going on tour together. They're promising a full list of dates, but meanwhile the first show at NYCB Theatre at Westbury on July 29th is on sale now, AND (this is an update to the original post...) Tiffany plays a show at BB King's this Sunday.

The two 80's pop stars collaborated recently on a campy b-movie for Syfy called 'Mega Python vs Gatoroid' and also shared a stage for two shows in a row at Canal Room in NYC on January 22nd. They were only special guests at the NYC shows though. The top billing on that night actually belonged to 80's tribute band Rubix Kube who regularly play shows at Canal Room and now Brooklyn Bowl too. Sometimes they have special guests like they did that night. To quote Andrew (who braved this show and brought back these pictures), "Rubix Kube played what felt like 100 songs."

Tiffany and Debbie only played a few songs at each show, and then took the stage together for a duet of "Don't Stop Believin'" which is Rubix Kube's traditional closing song. Their setlists are below, as are many more (belated) pictures from the whole night...

Continue reading "Debbie Gibson & Tiffany going on tour, played w/ Rubix Kube @ Canal Room (belated pics) "

Munetaka Higuchi, the drummer and co-founder of the Japanese heavy metal band Loudness, passed away on Sunday [November 30th] at about 10:00 a.m. in a hospital in Osaka, Japan. He was 49. Akira Takasaki, the guitarist who met Higuchi during high school before forming Loudness, announced the news on his personal website on the same day. The official website for Loudness had announced in April that Higuchi had been diagnosed with liver cancer, and later reported in September that Higuchi went through two rounds of chemotherapy. Higuchi left a message on the website on October 16 that acknowledged that his condition had gotten worse, despite an operation to remove half of his liver. [Anime News Network]

Drummers Jimmy Carl Black and Mitch Mitchell also passed away in November. Not as much attention was given to the less lengendary drummer of Loudness, who, according to VH1 Classic, were just one hit wonders (here in the U.S. at least). I was watching the show "One Hit Wonders: Metal" on Sunday. They played videos by Faith No More, Kix, Twisted Sister, and Quiet Riot. And they played "Crazy Night" by Loudness which inspired me to look at Loudness's Wikipedia page which is where I read the sad news.

In 1997 Munetaka also released the album "Free World" under the name "Munetaka Higuchi & Dream Castle". It featured "Steve Vai, Stanley Clarke, Billy Sheehan, Ty Tabor, Terry Bozzio, T. M. Stevens, Ronnie James Dio, Richie Kotzen and others". The Dio song, "Crazy Night" by Loudness, and another video, below...

Continue reading "Munetaka Higuchi, RIP (drummer of Loudness)"

Til Tuesday (Aimee Mann then)

Aimee Mann (now)

Twisted Sister

What do Aimee Mann and Twisted Sister have in common? They were both popular in the eighties (though maybe Twisted Sister are the only ones still living in it) and are still at it today, they both put out Christmas albums in 2006, they both played Christmas shows in 2007 (Aimee also played one in 2006), and they both are playing Christmas shows in 2008 - both of which are at Nokia Theatre in NYC in December. Twisted Sister plays two nights (tickets are on sale), and Aimee Mann plays one (she had two nights, but one was already cancelled) (tickets are also on sale).

In case the title confused you Aimee & Dee are not sharing the same bill (just the same BV post, again).

Twisted Sister is advertising two openers: ZO2 and The Dirty Pearls. Aimee Mann is saying that "This years special guests include: Nellie McKay, Grant-Lee Phillips, Morgan Murphy, Patton Oswalt and Paul F. Tompkins.", but her tour is eleven dates long and it's unclear who will be appearing at each show along the way, BUT Nokia Theatre IS listing all of those guests EXCEPT Patton. All tour dates and a whole bunch of related videos, below...

Continue reading "Aimee Mann & Twisted Sister - 2008 Christmas Tour Dates, Nellie McKay, Patton Oswalt, videos w/ Lita Ford & stuff"

I thought it would be a good game to try and see every single concert that brings me back to the 80's this summer. I already failed by missing Duran Duran at Summerstage, and the Cyndi Lauper shows at Jones Beach and Radio City, and I'll probably continue to fail by not actually going to most of these: George Michael, Boy George, Bruce Springsteen, Aimee Mann, New Kids on the Block, Yaz, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and The Human League. I did sorta go see Madonna though, but that doesn't count because she only played newer songs.

I knew something besides Michael Jackson was missing from my list though, but not anymore. Billy Idol is playing Hammerstein Ballroom on August 26th and 27th. Tickets go on sale (for one of them at least) Friday @ 10am. All tour dates below....

Continue reading "Billy Idol - 2008 Tour Dates - a very 80's summer (continued)"

Tickets are on sale (@ 12) for the upcoming Boy George show at Terminal 5.

Like George Michael, Madonna, Duran Duran, Bruce Springsteen and Cyndi Lauper, Boy George, is playing some shows this summer.

That's Rosie O'Donnell (the one wearing blue) up there pictured with Boy George. She won't be touring with Boy George this summer, but she WILL be touring with Cyndi Lauper (and the B-52's) (seriously).

The Human League, Belinda Carlisle, ABC, Dead Or Alive, A Flock of Seagulls and Naked Eyes are touring too.

And Yaz.

Continue reading "Boy George tix on sale -- this summer is all about the 80's"

Who's Bad?

* Etta James @ BB King's
* Dead Meadow @ Maxwell's
* Joe Jackson @ The Apollo
* Gossip & Shy Child @ Webster Hall
* Autechre @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Tally Hall and friends @ Bowery Ballroom
* French Kicks & Miguel Mendez @ Mercury Lounge
* Casiotone for the Painfully Alone & Fiasco @ Knitting Factory

Get a new Wolf Parade song.

Tickets went on presale this morning for a Brian Wilson benefit show. Brian is also among those playing the Rainforest Benefit at Carnegie Hall.

Tickets are on sale for some George Michael shows.

Madonna is playing Roseland Ballroom.

Who's Bad ("the ultimate" Michael Jackson tribute band) is playing Canal Room Friday.

Cyndi Lauper is going on tour this summer.

Alejandro Escovedo joined Bruce Springsteen on stage in Houston last night. Video below.

what else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

The Human League, Belinda Carlisle, ABC, Dead Or Alive, A Flock of Seagulls and Naked Eyes will tour this summer as part of the inaugural '80s-themed Regeneration Tour, scheduled to begin August 1 at the Dodge Theater in Phoenix.

Dead or Alive will perform on the jaunt through August 11, and A Flock of Seagulls will join the tour on August 13. [Reuters]

The only date on sale so far is the one on August 4th in California, but shows are also scheduled for Boston, Trenton, Jones Beach, and a bunch of other places. All dates below....

Continue reading "'80s pop veterans team for Regeneration tour (dates)"