14 Feb 14

"If you leave ...don't leave now ...please, don't take my heart away..." ~ OMD

The 80s was one amazing decade, blogspot readers! It was Reagan-Bush years when MTV killed the radio star. We were taught how to be notorious while doing the safety dance like a virgin and had the fashion sense which changed a generation. Plus, it was a decade of movies featuring the legendary brat pack - Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Jon Cryer, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, James Spader, Andrew McCarthy,  - just to name a few who starred who in iconic movies such as Pretty In Pink, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club directed by the legendary John Hughes. In honor of this decade and director, Debonair Social Club recently threw a happening themed party in which allowed SouthSide to re-live the fun decade of her youth.

Featuring visual clips from John Hughes' movies (by Adam Black), this party included many of those hits and/or one-hit wonders from Billy Idol, Bryan Adams and Aerosmith to Golden Earring, The Clash and many more all night long. Also, attendees dressed in their vintage 80s wear rocked to the The Shermer High School band featuring members of Kill Hannah, Local H, Makeshift Prodigy, Gemini Club, The Lovehammers, Scott Lucas and The Married Men, Comasoft, Perfect Kiss and Streets On Fire who wowed the crowd with favorite renditions from John Hughes' movies. But before the 80s came alive again, local hardcore/thrash metal band Pound of Flesh warmed up Debonair with plenty of thrilling riffs and head-banging music, blogspot readers.

It was totally cool re-living favorite yet iconic scenes from movies like Pretty In Pink and Weird Science all night long while dancing to some of her favorite 80s songs like "Modern Love", "Rock The Cabash"  and "When Doves Cry". Though running the English version, it was cool viewing Nena's "99 Red Balloons" as well as The Ministry and Wham!. Then ...it was time for Shermer High School band to rock the stage featuring those loveable hit songs along with movie scene clips to enhance everyone's experience inside Debonair tonight. Opening with OMD's "If You Leave" from Pretty In Pink, this band of some of the best local talent around not only had the packed main floor of the club rockin' but also had many (like SouthSide) reminiscing those days back in high school when they were popular on the radio. The nearly 90 minute performance included Flesh for Lulu's "I Go Crazy" (from Some Kind Of Wonderful), Oingo Boingo's "Weird Science" (from Weird Science), and Echo and The Bunnymen's "Bring On The Dancing Horses" (from Pretty In Pink). Yet there were a few highlights of Shermer's performance in which made the evening seem quite magical, blogspot readers.

For instance, they reacted the final scene of Sixteen Candles (the birthday cake with Molly Ringwald and Michael Schoeffling on top of the table) for special fan in attendance celebrating her birthday before Anthony (front man of Makeshift Prodigy) serenaded the couples with his ultra suave rendition of Spandau Ballet's love ballad of the decade - "True".  It's a rarity that two iconic songs from one John Hughes' movie gets a chance to be heard live. Well, blogspot readers, be prepared to "Twist and Shout" like they did in Ferris Bueller's Day Off while clips of the Von Steuben parade in the movie were running. This song totally had the entire main floor hopping as well as twisting and shouting throughout. Then the fun continued when the Shermer performed a live version of Yello's "Oh Yeah" (the ending movie credit song) - very rare indeed since NO ONE has ever attempted to cover this famous tune live. Think it was wild in the audience ...try watching the crazed moments happening on stage when this particular song was rockin' down Debonair. As a bonus (and though not truly part of the John Hughes' tribute via songs), the band treated everyone to the fist-pumping antics of the bad boy Brit - Billy Idol by performing "Dancing With Myself" while many of us sang along with them. And the night wouldn't have been complete with playing that teen anthem from The Breakfast Club, the Simple Minds' song - "Don't You (Forget About Me). SouthSide was a cross between the "princess" and "brain" ...which were you, blogspot readers?

Debonair Social Club needs to have a recurring 80s theme party again ...with Shermer High School Band rockin' the stage...

Until next time, support your local scene,

SouthSide