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Totally Tubular group shot
Saturday, July 27 in Cincinnati, OH at Riverbend Music Center
“As if in a DeLorean, Totally Tubular took us back to the ’80s on Tuesday… Some of these ’80s hit songs are so woven into the fabric of our lives, fans seemed ecstatic to get the chance to hear and see these songs performed firsthand.’”
–Andrew Sherman, Dallas Observer, 7/10/24
“The Totally Tubular Festival on Friday, July 26 at the Meadow Brook Amphitheatre was a trip in the Way Back Machine, a nearly five-and-a-half hour exercise in unabashed and unapologetic nostalgia, 80s variety. Modern English slipped in a couple of songs from its new album, ‘1 2 3 4,’ but mostly the eight acts from the day joyfully led a crowd of 6,000 or so down an aural memory lane of enduring hits from four decades ago. And if there was any PTSD about the fashion choices of that era, it was shed as many of those at Meadow Brook brought out their garishly colorful garb and face make-up to add to the time capsule feel of the night. ‘I hope it looks and feels and sounds the same,’ Bow Wow Wow’s Annabella Lwin told the crowd.”
–Gary Graff, The Oakland Press, 7/27/24
The 80’s New Wave tour TOTALLY TUBULAR FESTIVAL across North America celebrated its successful finale at Blossom Music Center in Cleveland, OH. The artists who performed on that night (July 28, 2024) were Thomas Dolby, Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey, Modern English, Men Without Hats, Bow Wow Wow, Tommy Tutone, Eddie Munoz of The Plimsouls, and Wang Chung.
Tour creator Jon Pleeter says that the “TOTALLY TUBULAR FESTIVAL in its debut this summer played 23 markets, to great success, and highlighted some of the most iconic performers of the early 1980’s, delivering a bucket list experience for all who were part of the glory days of the MTV generation.” Pleeter adds: “The icing on the cake was the ‘superjams’ with Tommy Tutone, Men Without Hats, Modern English, and the Hot Sauce All-Stars with Thomas Dolby. Truly awesome. Let’s do this again!!!”
The festival featured artists that exploded in the pop culture zeitgeist in the early to mid-1980’s thanks mainly to the high rotation of their music videos on MTV; the genre has also seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years. The artists that performed on the 2024 tour included THOMAS DOLBY, THOMPSON TWINS’ TOM BAILEY, MODERN ENGLISH (Select Markets), MEN WITHOUT HATS, BOW WOW WOW, TOMMY TUTONE (Select Markets), EDDIE MUNOZ OF THE PLIMSOULS, THE TUBES (6/25 – 7/14), and WANG CHUNG (7/16 – 7/28). Read the initial announcement here.
TOTALLY TUBULAR FESTIVAL has unveiled a merchandise line, available for purchase at totallytubularfestival.com.
Here’s more praise for the tour:
“Totally Tubular Festival at the Santa Barbara Bowl Was a Feast Full of Fun for the Fifty-Something Set” –Leslie Dinaberg, Santa Barbara Independent, 7/3/24
“The Totally Tubular Festival at the YouTube Theatre was a blast from the past, with a lineup of ’80s acts that brought back memories of neon colors and big hair. The audience was treated to a night of pure nostalgia and fun, with standing ovations and sing-alongs.” –L. Paul Mann, Grateful Web, 7/9/24
“The Fox Theater transformed into a neon-drenched time machine this past Sunday, as the Totally Tubular Festival crashed into Oakland like a tidal wave of ’80s nostalgia. With a surprisingly early 5:30 pm kickoff, the festival crammed eight iconic acts into one glorious night of ’80’s (synth) pop ecstasy. The lineup read like a ‘Who’s Who’ of MTV’s golden era, featuring the likes of Modern English (still promising to melt with you), Men Without Hats (safety dance, anyone?), and Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey (holding out for a hero in his own right). But for us, the cherry on top of this retro sundae was none other than the mad scientist of synthpop himself, Thomas Dolby.”
–Kevin Keating, SF Bay Area Concerts, 7/1/24
“The Totally Tubular Festival really connected with its audience at The Anthem. Most of us in attendance readily recalled the halcyon days of Live Aid, and the invocation of anniversaries related to the date put us in a receptive mood for an evening of timeless music. Across the seven acts, there was a great deal of variety while everyone at least touched upon the dominant “new wave” label of the day. With Thomas Dolby, Tom Bailey, and Ivan Doroschuk alone, the festival also was bursting with personality.”
–Mickey McCarter, ParklifeDC, 7/18/24
“Every once in a while we all wish we could relive a certain moment in time, good or bad. The Totally Tubular Festival at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport was a welcomed blast from the past, turning an ordinary hot summer day into an unforgettable ’80s extravaganza! With the venue lights emulating pink and blue neon lights and vintage tunes blaring, the amphitheater transformed into a time machine, whisking us back to an era of big hair, synth-pop, and infectious energy.”
–Jessie Fuentes, Finding Connecticut, 7/22/24
The TOTALLY TUBULAR FESTIVAL 2024 tour dates were:
*6/25 – Seattle – Remlinger Farms
*6/27 – Sacramento – Hard Rock Live
*6/28 – Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara Bowl
*6/29 – Los Angeles – YouTube Theater
*6/30 – Oakland – Fox Theatre
*7/3 – Phoenix – Arizona Financial Theatre
*7/6 – Denver – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
*7/9 – Irving, TX – Pavilion @ Toyota Music Factory
*7/10 – Houston – 713 Music Hall
*7/12 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheatre
*7/13 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheatre
*7/14 – Washington, DC – Anthem
^7/16 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford Healthcare Amphitheatre
^7/17 – Boston – MGM Music Hall @ Fenway
^7/18 – New York, NY – Pier 17
^7/19 – Atlantic City – Hard Rock Live @ Etess Arena
^7/20 – Bushkill, PA – Poconos Park Amphitheatre
^7/23 – Montreal, QUE – Place Bell
^7/24 – Toronto, ONT – Great Canadian Casino Resort
^7/26 – Detroit – Meadowbrook Amphitheatre
^7/27 – Cincinnati – Riverbend Music Center
^7/28 – Cleveland – Blossom Music Center
* With THE TUBES
^ With WANG CHUNG |
