While the regrettable fashions and fads are gone, the music of the Reagan era lives on. If you miss listening to the sound of drum machines and synths, there are several concerts this summer that will bring you back to the decade of MTV and fanny packs.
The English Beat
If you missed the influential ska band during its set at the Pure Imagination Festival in Prescott, you have another chance to hear the Birmingham natives play their hits “I Confess” and “Save It for Later.” July 3 at Marquee Theatre, luckymanonline.com
The Church
Known in the States for the mystical, poetic 1988 hit “Under the Milky Way,” the Australian group continues to release ambitious, psychedelic albums that unfurl as beautifully as the night sky.
July 15 at Musical Instrument Museum, mim.org
Lost ’80s Live
Hairstyles will defy gravity when this concert tour, hosted by SiriusXM DJ Richard Blade, makes a stop in Downtown Phoenix with A Flock of Seagulls (“I Ran”), General Public (“Tenderness”), The Vapors (“Turning Japanese”), Scottish group Big Country and many more. August 20 at Arizona Financial Theatre, livenation.com
Toto, Christopher Cross and Men at Work
Drift away to the sound of yacht rock icons Toto, the band behind the eternal hit “Africa.” They’ll bless the rains with Christopher Cross (“Ride Like the Wind”) and Men at Work (“Down Under”). August 21 at Arizona Financial Theatre, livenation.com
– Jason Keil
Fashion: The Westside Club
Browse local boutiques and you’ll find T-shirts, sweaters and snapbacks touting Phoenix, Scottsdale and Arcadia. But sartorial expressions of west side pride? They’ve been harder to come by. Enter The Westside Club, a new clothing and accessories line from Glendale’s Westgate Entertainment District. “We wanted to bring a fresh, exciting new energy to the West Valley as a whole,” says Westgate marketing manager Alexandra McNeil. “The Westgate logo isn’t necessarily featured in every single piece, if at all… We really wanted to not just market Westgate, but also bring the community together and have this be a lifestyle brand to reflect local pride and connection.” McNeil and her marketing team collaborated on the simple, elegant designs, which feature desert imagery (read: saguaros) and more sophisticated font and material choices that differentiate The Westside Club’s tees, hats, golf balls and matchbooks from run-of-the-mill merch.
“Everything is very intentional and something that you or anybody else could use… not just apparel-focused,” she says. The line will mirror fashion brands with product “drops” of limited-edition designs. “Once they’re gone, they’re gone.” The Westside Club is exclusively sold in the Retail Therapy boutique at Westgate. Follow new drops on Instagram @westsideclubaz.
– Leah LeMoine
