No movie tonight, but I had a lot of fun up at Northridge Park, where they were holding their annual fair, billed as "A Salute To Recreation". They've been having the fair every June for about 20 years now. In the early years and up until about 2012 it was always a big production, with a couple dozen vendor booths, many food trucks, a carnival midway with lots of games and rides, and two different music stages. I used to go up there every year just to see who was playing, and there would be some well-known tribute bands like Which One's Pink or Led Zeppagain, or Ticket To Ride. In recent years, due to city budget cuts, the fair was pared way down. I went up around 2016 and there were just a handful of vendors there, two or three lonely carnival rides and no midway. They had music, but no bands I'd ever heard of, so after that visit I stopped going.
Today, though, I drove past the park coming home from a shopping trip, and it looked like there were a lot of people there, so after I got home I walked up at around 5pm, and it looked almost like it used to. They must have gotten their budget restored, or at least most of it, because all the booths were back, the entire midway and the food court were in place, and the back of the park was crammed with rides. The only thing missing was the Hawaiian Village they used to have, with it's own vendors and musical stage.
There were a lot of people there, however, so I decided to hang out instead of going to Aliso for an evening hike, and I'm glad I stayed. A band came on a few minutes after I arrived, an 80s Tribute Band called Rubix Kube. They were an absolute blast, and before I go any further, a disclaimer is in order. If you are reading this and have known me for a long time, you will know that - in the 80s - I was pretty much a strict Metalhead and that I more or less detested all the pop music that was on the radio, all the Top 40 hits. I mean, I didn't out-and-out hate it, like I would've "hated" punk when it arrived, but I certainly owned no albums or hit singles by any bands like The Eurythmics or Simple Minds or any of that stuff.
But - and here's the catch - as the years have gone by I have developed a nostalgia for commercial 80s music. I even like the Journey hits when they come on the radio, haha. Now - mind you - I don't seek out such music, but when I hear it playing, in the supermarket or wherever I may be, I enjoy it because it evokes good feelings in me, and not only that, but I like the sonic production quality of the popular hits of the era. They had a Big Reverby Sound. Also, I have to admit in retrospect that the hooks were pretty good also. They may suffer in comparison to the superior pop of the 1960s (the greatest era for pop music ever), but all in all, the songs of the 1980s were pretty good as pop hits go.
And this band Rubix Kube was fantastic. They came out dressed in day-glo 80s garb and played all the hits, from Irene Cara ("What A Feeling") to Toni Basil ("Hey Mickey!) to Bon Jovi.
Man......I positively hated Bon Jovi in 1986, I kid you not, lol. Same with Guns N' Roses (I called 'em "Lines N' Noses").
But Rubix Kube played with such enthusiasm and professionalism (including several costume changes), that it was infectious and I found myself singing along.
Yeah, I know the words to "Don't You Forget About Me", and "Hit Me With Your Best Shot".
Thank God they didn't play any Phil Collins, but then he wasn't any fun anyway. 100% pure depression.
The 1980s were upbeat. We had Big Hair, we had Jane Fonda Workouts. Chicks wore leggings, guys wore headbands.
I mean, I didn't do any of that stuff......although I did wear a tiger-striped purple leotard when my band Disturbing The Peace played a concert at Kennedy High School in January 1982. That was my Pat Benatar look, and I've got the film to prove it haha.
I was 21 and dead serious in my musical tastes, which tended toward Rush, Van Halen and Judas Priest. Now, I like to hear the music I once disliked, just because these days I kind of like it. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and this band Rubix Kube was really good. Look 'em up. ////
I stayed at the park as the evening wore on, and at 7:30 pm, there was a set by The Motels, who were actually a famous band in the early 80s, with Martha Davis as their lead singer. She is still doing it, and tonight her voice sounded almost exactly like it did on hit songs like "Suddenly Last Summer", "Take The 'L' " and "Only The Lonely".
I stayed to watch the fireworks at 9pm and then headed home.
I was "Walking On Sunshine", even though it was dark by then. ////
See you in church in the morning. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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