Legendary all-female New Wave band The Go Go’s are back on the road in the summer of 2014 for more touring. Pioneers for all female rock bands, The Go-Go’s have sold more than seven million records over the past three plus decades. Led strongly by founding members Belinda Carlisle (vocals) and Jane Wiedlin (guitars/vocals), the line-up also includes long-time members Charlotte Caffey (guitars) and Gina Schock (drums). Gearing up for the “Replay America” tour, which kicked off July 5th, the band made a special stop in Huntington, NY to play at The Paramount on the eve of Independence Day.
Opening up the night was New York native Laura Stevenson and The Cans. Originally from Rockville Centre Long Island, Stevenson moved to Brooklyn in her 20’s and since has built a solid growing fan base. Performing tunes from her latest album Wheel (2013), Stevenson’s voice was delicate and vivid as she sang affectionately to the audience. Mixing in some country and folk textures to her sound, the tingling of ambient guitar tones resonated through the air and Stevenson grabbed everyone’s attention. Making the most of her time in the spotlight, Stevenson graciously thanked the audience and glowed for the chance to share the stage with The Go-Go’s. Stevenson is a talented young vocalist that is on her way up.
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Gearing up for the main event, The Paramount was packed with fans of all ages and even former NBA star and Cold Spring Harbor native Wally Szcezerbiak was in attendance. Having made an appearance at the theater back in May of 2012, the band is now officially a quartet after the departure of bassist Kathy Valentine in 2013 due to irreconcilable differences. Remaining neutral parties in the dispute, fans were ready to rock-n-roll to some of their favorite The Go-Go’s tunes of years past.
Set with dim lighting, Pink’s “Let’s Get This Party Started” played until each member of The Go-Go’s took the stage. Kicking things off with “Vacation”, everyone was dancing and singing along in pure joy. Barreling straight through more unmistakable tunes like “Tonite”, “How Much More”, “He’s So Strange”, and “Insincere”, the band was tight musically and Carlisle and Wiedlin sounded amazing on vocals. Energetic and into the music, each member grooved to the sounds they produced as they engaged the room. With drumming that was full of punch by Schock, The Go-Go’s sounded as good as ever.
Throwing in a nice surprise, Carlisle performed her solo hit “Mad About You” which received a warm reaction. Playing more great songs off their mega debut Beauty and The Beat (1981), the flow was uninterrupted and kept the dancing going. Taking a moment to speak with the audience, the band praised the audience for their enthusiasm and Wiedlin offered everyone three choices of what the band would play next. Without much hesitation the audience unanimously voted for “Fading Fast” which saw Caffey switch from guitar to keyboards for the number. Losing themselves in the music, The Go-Go’s made the evening that much more special for seven lucky people to join them on stage for The Capitols cover of “Cool Jerk”.
Showcasing more seldom heard tunes, they played the 1983 “Cool Places” in which Wiedlin collaborated with Sparks. Mixing into the overall set nicely, more highlights of the night included “Head Over Heels”, “Lust to Love”, and “Get Up and Go”. Leaving an overwhelmingly positive impression on the fans, the set concluded with “Our Lips Are Sealed”. With the audience roaring for more, The Go-Go’s came back out for a great encore that featured a cover Josie Cotton’s “Johnny, Are You Queer?” and their mega hit “We Got The Beat”. Rocking and rolling, The Paramount definitely had the beat as well, dancing their way into the streets of Huntington as the night concluded. The Go-Go’s are on tour now on select dates leading a spectacular line-up of Patty Smyth & Scandal, Martha Davis & The Motels, Cutting Crew, and Naked Eyes; making it a show not to be missed.
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