Love Baby, That’s Where It’s At!

Review and Photo Essay by Venus Zarris

For over three decades, The B-52s have captured a singular identity in pop culture by musically capturing and combining a diverse range of styles, sounds, genres, moods and atmospheres. For many, their first exposure to The B-52s was the song Rock Lobster. It was a song that stopped you in your tracks. You didn’t know what it was at first as you had never heard anything like it. You might easily have thought that it was a novelty song, destined to become a one-hit-wonder. Whether you liked it or not, it was as impossible to imagine a follow up to Rock Lobster as it was impossible to imagine its existence in the first place.

Who could possibly create a song about a lobster at a beach party that combined the surfing sounds of Dick Dale, the cowbell, punk rock, the theme song stylings of 1960s TV shows like Batman, a cheerleader convention on crystal meth, Yoko Ono’s caterwauling, and a lead singer shouting a bizarre conversational narrative about matching towels?

The B-52s could, that’s who and follow it up they did with hit after insanely playful hit. They went from musical oddity to musical royalty. The B-52s remain the reigning Kings and Queens of Pop-Punk-Camp, a brilliantly unique combination that has been often imitated but NEVER duplicated.

Still, over thirty years is a long time to be doing anything. For many popular bands, the joy of seeing them again comes more from nostalgia than from the band’s enthusiasm. It is easy to simply “phone in” a show when you know that the audience loves the music. Even if you are a little off, they’ll be so busy singing along and basking in the memories they have associated with the music that they won’t notice or care.

But The B-52s don’t put on a nostalgia show and they most certainly do not “phone it in.” This is not a musical museum of pop tunes from days gone by, but rather music that is vitally and delightfully in the moment. They don’t recycle their music, they renew it.

The B-52s sound better today than when they first took the stage. Their music, from new songs to classic crazy standards, are delivered with ferociously fresh energy and musical chops that are nothing less than marvelous. Their voices are perfection, hitting every note with sledgehammers. Kate Pierson still sounds like a 13-year-old. Fred Schneider is still the master of ceremonies to mischief and madness, exploding with playful righteous indignation. Cindy Wilson is still the darling girl-next-door gone Go-Go-riffic. Keith Strickland is still an innovative musical master. Their energy, presence and playfulness are intoxicating. They put on a show that will make even the most devoted fan fall in love with them all over again, as if it is the first time you discovered their magical musical mayhem.

Don’t let their badass t-shirt design fool you; The B-52s have discovered the fountain of youth. All other bands should beware, as The B-52s have more going on than kids half their age, but when you’re playing music that is driven by pure cosmic bliss it is impossible to age. Even though a song might remind you of college or high school, there is nothing dated about their music because sheer joy is timeless.

Their harmonies are tight and tantalizing, like hot rod engines purring while racing down the highway on the way to a Love Shack. Song after song, they deliver the anthems of a carefree America, driven and determined to love and laugh!

The B-52s have always been and are still today a band that creates most emphatically MUST SEE shows. On July 21, 2010, they blew the delighted crowd at Ravina in Highland Park, Illinois away! They take punk rock, world music, cartoon theme songs, 1960s space age bachelor pad ambiance, nonsensically delightful exposition, silly syncopation and sensational stage presence, mix it all up in a fondue pot of fabulous and then mainline this musical ecstasy to their audience with genuine genius and a whole lotta love.

Love Baby, That’s Where It’s At!

4 STARS

*** If The B-52s are playing anywhere near you, DON’T MISS them! ***

For Tour Dates and More Info check out the official website here! …

The B-52S - Official Site

The B-52s concert images by Venus Zarris.