Totally Tubular Festival Brings an ’80s New Wave Time Machine to St. Pete

There are concert tours built around nostalgia, and then there is the Totally Tubular Festival. A steamy and humid midweek summer evening at Ferg’s Pavilion in St. Petersburg, FL, became a musical time machine, transporting the crowd straight back to the MTV era with an impressive lineup of artists who helped define the sound of the 1980s. Thomas Dolby & The Lost Toy People, A Flock of Seagulls, Men Without Hats, The Producers, Animotion, The Escape Club and Tommy Tutone all took the stage, delivering a night packed with synthesizers, new wave, pop, power pop, dance music and—perhaps most importantly—songs that everyone in the crowd remembered.

The show is not simply a collection of bands trying to relive their glory days. It is a celebration of a particular musical era, when MTV could turn a song into a cultural phenomenon overnight and when a great keyboard riff or instantly recognizable chorus could stay lodged in your head for four decades. For me, there was an added layer to the night. This was the music I grew up with. As someone who eventually found his musical home in heavy metal, it might seem like a strange admission that I would enjoy an ’80s new wave festival so much. These songs were part of the soundtrack of my formative years, alongside as my musical tastes became firmly rooted in metal. Even after that many decades, the lyrics are still there in my head. I may spend plenty of time listening mostly to metal but put on an ’80s classic and instantly I know every word.

The evening featured plenty of those moments.

Tommy Tutone brought the crowd one of the most recognizable songs of the decade with “867-5309/Jenny.” Everyone knows the song—and most people probably think they know the story behind it. But Tommy offered a different twist during the performance, explaining that the famous 867-5309 wasn’t about a mysterious girl named Jenny after all. According to the story he shared from the stage, the number is actually the serial number of his 72-year-old guitar. Whether you’ve spent the past 40-plus years singing “Jenny, Jenny” or simply know the number by heart, it was a great bit of concert trivia—and a reminder that sometimes the stories behind the songs are almost as entertaining as the songs themselves. That was a fun start to the night.

For additional photos of Tommy Tutone’s performance, see here.

After The Escape Club kept the energy high and the crowd on their feet for “Wild, Wild West”, the musical highlight of the night came early for me with Animotion. Lead vocalist Astrid Plane and Bill Wadhams, on lead vocals and guitar, are both original members and playfully delivered what I think was the performance of the night with their mega hit “Obsession.” Interacting with one another and using body language and facial expressions to convey every aspect of a given love interest infatuation and the crowd fully on their feet and singing every word, myself included. 

For additional photos of The Escape Club’s performance, see here.

For additional photos of Animotion’s performance, see here.

The Producers offered another taste of the era’s new wave and pop-rock sound and were the band whose music I thought I was the least familiar with on the bill. How could I have forgotten about “She Sheila”?!?! Their video for this song received heavy rotation during the early days of MTV and dusted off some cobwebs in my head.

For additional photos of The Producers’ performance, see here.

Men Without Hats also brought the audience to its feet with “The Safety Dance,” an anthem that has somehow managed to remain both completely ridiculous and irresistible. That instantly recognizable keyboard intro is difficult to hear without immediately wanting to move, and the Ferg’s crowd clearly had their dancing shoes on. Interesting to note, for a band named Men Without Hats, their drummer had a hat on!

For additional photos of Men Without Hats’ performance, see here.

A Flock of Seagulls demonstrated why their music remains so closely associated with the visual and sonic identity of early-’80s MTV. “I Ran (So Far Away)” remains one of those songs where the opening notes alone can transport you back to another decade, and hearing it performed live was another highlight of the evening and helped solidify this show as a solid candidate for show of the year for me!

For additional photos of A Flock of Seagulls’ performance, see here.

Then there was Thomas Dolby. Dolby’s appearance was particularly special because this was not simply another stop on an ’80s nostalgia tour. Thomas Dolby & The Lost Toy People were reunited for the first time since 1988 on this tour, making their appearance at Ferg’s an inclusion of a musical reunion as well as a celebration of his influential career.

Naturally, “She Blinded Me with Science” was one of the night’s biggest crowd pleasers. The song remains one of the most recognizable pieces of synth-pop ever to emerge from the MTV era, but seeing Dolby perform it live with material of his I was not familiar with served as a reminder that his musical career is considerably broader than one novelty-sized hit. His combination of electronic experimentation, pop songwriting, technology and musicianship helped establish a sound that still feels distinctive today. Having The Lost Toy People alongside him made the performance even more significant. Instead of simply recreating an old record, Dolby and the band brought the songs back to life with the energy of a live band.

For additional photos of Thomas Dolby & The Lost Toy People’s performance, see here.

’80s fashion was very much on display, too. Plenty of people came dressed for the occasion, bringing back the hairstyles, clothes and unmistakable look of the decade , adding to the feeling that Ferg’s had been transported back in time that night. There was also a familiar face in the crowd who seems to be at almost every local show I attend. Local music legend Medicine Man. A beloved figure around the Tampa Bay music scene, Medicine Man was right up front near the stage, dancing and singing along with the bands.

I may be a metalhead but standing in the crowd surrounded by people singing along to these songs, I was right there with everyone else. Lost in the moments and memories of when life was simpler, somehow we knew that these particular tunes from back then would still rock strong decades later.  I knew the words. I knew the hooks. I knew the songs. The musical memories never really leave.

Keep your eyes out for future Totally Tubular Festival dates, there are only a few shows remaining on the current tour, but this is one that I highly recommend everyone to attend if there is a date near you in the future!

See tour dates here.

CMO approves! \m/