If you’re a one-hit wonder, two-hit wonder or even three-hit wonder from the Eighties, the road can be a tough place in 2019. You can try to eek out a living playing clubs, fairs and remote casinos, but profits are slim once you pay for things like gas, food and hotel rooms and your day-to-day existence can be quite dispiriting.
But as the fine people behind the Lost 80’s Live tour have learned, there is incredible strength in numbers. Every year, they throw together a bill stacked with Eighties bands and suddenly groups like Wang Chung and When in Rome UK find themselves playing venues like the Greek Theater along with a number of classy casinos, the kind that have buffets where it’s actually safe to eat the shellfish.
Organizers just rolled out details for the 2019 edition of Lost 80s Live and the bill features Missing Persons, The Motels, John Parr, The Vapors, Real Life, The Escape Club and A Flock of Seagulls. That means it will be possible to hear “Wild Wild West,” “Turning Japanese,” “I Ran,” Send Me an Angel,” ‘St. Elmo’s Fire” and “Only The Lonely” all in a single show. And don’t worry: None of the bands play for very long, meaning you won’t have to be subjected to their boring non-hits or, God forbid, an actual new song.
The bill varies a bit from show to show, but they promise that A Flock of Seagulls, When in Rome UK original members Farrington & Mann, Boys Don’t Cry, The Vapors, Real Life, & John Parr will be at every show. A handful of concerts will also have Bow Wow Wow and Wang Chung on the bill. We’d all love to Wang Chung every single night, but apparently they’re only able to do it on select occasions.
Love 80’s Live Tour Dates
August 2 – Coney Island, NY @ The Ford Amphitheatre
August 3 – Peachtree, GA @ The Fredrick Brown, Jr Amphitheatre (The Fred)
August 9 – Detroit, MI @ Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre
August 10 – Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
August 17 – San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay
August 22 – Houston, TX @ The Arena Theatre
August 23 – Lake Charles, LA @ Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel and Casino
August 24 – Grand Prairie, TX @ The Theatre at Grand Prairie
August 30 – Santa Ynez, CA @Chumash Casino Resort
August 31 – Saratoga, CA @ The Mountain Winery
September 1 – Lincoln, CA @ Thunder Valley Casino – Outside Amphitheatre
September 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre
September 7 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Downtown Las Vegas Event Center