Michael Jackson, Duran Duran…I’m just an 80s girl at heart

I feel like I’ve overloaded on 80s music over the last couple of weeks.  What with Michael Jackson’s music being played constantly everywhere and seeing Duran Duran in concert on Saturday night, we’ve had 80s flashbacks daily.

We dug through my LP collection on the day of Michael Jackson’s death.  I wasn’t a huge Michael Jackson fan but I was fairly sure I’d bought Thriller.  There it was in the middle of my records, in great condition with the middle spread of Michael in a white suit with a leopard.  It was strange knowing I’d bought the album in a small record shop in Chelmsford, Essex, shipped it with all our other belongings to California and now here I am living a short drive away from where Michael Jackson died.  I never thought I’d be living in LA when I was growing up.

On Saturday night, my friend Thelma and I saw Duran Duran in concert at the Orange County Fair.  We’d talked a couple of months ago about going but never got around to booking it  After a few drinks last weekend, we talked one another into it.  A quick visit to StubHub later and we had our tickets.

Duran Duran was great! I couldn’t believe how many songs I remembered and they did a few covers from the 80s too.  The audience was filled with true fans wearing their tour t-shirts from various concerts in the 80s and 90s.

I liked the band when I was growing up but realized I’d never bought any of their albums.  Now I own their Greatest Hits.  When I got home from the concert, Danny had downloaded them for me and put them on my iPod.

My favorite songs of the evening were Ordinary World, such a beautiful song and it still sounds fresh to today.  I’d completely forgotten that the group had recorded a Bond song so View to a Kill was a great surprise.  Then, of course, Rio, Girls on Film, Wild Boys – the crowd went wild.  Simon Le Bon is a great performer, but I did think of Music and Lyrics a few times!

The Orange County Fair has a great series of concerts booked this summer, all with an 80s theme. I’m off to see Huey Lewis and the News at the end of July.  I saw them in concert at the Hammersmith Odeon in London in 1987 and my friend Greg Hernandez saw the same concert tour in San Diego before we’d met.  So this time, we’re going together. Thelma has booked to see the B52s but there’s also Tears for Fears and a few other bands.

I’m taking a friend who is visiting us from London to LA tomorrow.  We’re doing all the tourist things, the Hollywood Sign, Beverly Hills, Pink’s Hot Dogs, Randy’s Donuts.  We thought we’d have to make a trip to see Michael Jackson’s star on the sidewalk.  I’m beginning to re-live the 80s all over again.