If you were at the Jefferson Theater last Friday night, you know that you don’t need a time machine to go back to the ’80s. The Legwarmers, an ’80s tribute band from Washington, D.C., took Charlottesville by storm, performing favorite hits from the beloved decade.
Concertgoers, most in their early 20s, sang the words to songs from a decade they were likely never alive during. They dressed in wild apparel — the signature leotards, slouchy tee shirts, colorful tights and hair bows for girls; and double popped collars, ray-bans and short shorts for guys. There were some standout outfits choices as well — I spotted a Reagan-Bush ’84 shirt and a few women in “Pretty in Pink”-esque prom dresses.
The band opened with the Beastie Boys’ “Fight For Your Right (To Party)” and I immediately knew The Legwarmers weren’t just another cover band. The four lead vocalists, one female and three male, matched their vocals perfectly with the artists they covered. The woman, Cyndi Sindee, had a killer voice and was able to sing songs by icons such as Pat Benatar and Cyndi Lauper alike, hitting every note in “Total Eclipse of the Heart” with ease. The entire seven-member band donned decade-appropriate clothing, matching the audience with tight colored pants, mullet wigs and vests.
Born in the mid-‘90s, I was worried I would find myself a little lost, but in the end, all of the long hours spent in the car with my mom blasting ’80s tunes actually paid off. The setlist included rock ballads like Poison’s “Every Rose Has it’s Thorn,” crowd pleasers like “Jesse’s Girl” and “Jack and Diane,” and classic pump-up songs that had everyone bouncing, like “Come On Eileen” and “Love Shack.”
Among such a young crowd, I felt like I had stumbled into the prom scene of a John Hughes movie. Even the smattering of “grown-ups” — members of our parents’ generation who sought to re-live a decade they knew well — worked to promote the atmosphere. That was what the Legwarmers did best, creating a genuine concert scene that pulled you into the time period. With the mixture of the lights, outfits and raw musical talent, you almost forgot about the cheesiness of the whole thing.
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