B-52's

If you ask me to name my favorite bands, I might come up with ten names. The B-52's would be one. And last night we saw them from eight rows away at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

Bless her heart, Dena actually spotted the advertisement first a few weeks ago. (Side note for future attendees: Don't fret - yes, the seats at the BCPA are non-sequentially numbered. Therefore, Dena and I were side-by-side in seats 6 and 8 in our row).

The lights fell and the cheers rose. Into the shadows of the stage emerged four of the original band members and a few highly skilled instrumentalists (including a female bass player and a shades-wearing hyperactive drummer).

Such a unique sound. If you've YouTubed them, you know the cast. Blonde-haired Cindy Wilson and redheaded Kate Pierson used to strut major coiffed hairdos (which actually is the basis for the band's name, which is Southern slang for that bouffant style). Their melodic voices were as fluid and rangy as 25 years ago. Fred Strickland (also labeled loosely - extremely loosely - as a percussionist for his occasional striking of various hand-held instruments) provides that sharp nasally staccato voice that punctuates the music easily.

The crowd rose to its feet shortly after the 8:30 kickoff, then settled mostly back into their seats, head-bobbing with the gusto you'd expect from a white Midwestern audience ranging from twentysomethings through sixtysomethings. Over time, a cluster of ladies danced their way up to the front, waving their arms rhythmically like stereotypical beach partygoers.

A few signature pieces brought the audience to full throat. Deadbeat Club. Roam. Then the 20-million album band got the whole place on its feet with Love Shack to end the performance. That is, except for the encore, where they trotted out Planet Claire and Rock Lobster before giving heartfelt thanks and slowly filing off stage.

With some people you can just sense a humility and genuine joy. Kate had that vibe to me. And their stage chemistry was like the group of old friends that they are. "Old" is meant kindly here - they decided to start the band in October 1976, which means that despite playing much of the same repertoire for nearly 35 years on the road, they still bring youthful energy to the stage. It's overwhelming to think of how they come up with the guitar riffs and lyrics they do. Sometimes it comes across like a stream-of-consciousness collection of random observations, ranging from Mesopotamian times to the year 3000.

What a shot of adrenaline and spirit! If they pass this way again, we may find ourselves right at their feet. Hmmm, I wonder if they need any roadies?