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It’s hard to resist getting in the mood to party when someone’s playing The B-52s. The band, named after the towering hairdos of its two female members (slang for which is "B-52"), has long been a staple at events across the country, and though their national popularity ebbs and flows, their true fans have followed the band’s unique and creative career. The band got its start as one of many to come out of the Athens, GA college music scene. It was formed in 1976 when vocalist Fred Schneider, guitarist Ricky Wilson and drummer Keith Strickland decided to create a band after a night of drinking at a Chinese restaurant. Vocalists Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson would soon join. The band had a knack for creating bizarre but funny songs, like "Rock Lobster," which seemed to be a nautical tour of the sounds of marine life. Their infatuation with retro-kitsch also played a large role in their appeal, with the cover of their self-titled 1979 debut album looking like it had been released 25 years before. "Rock Lobster" continues to get fans out of their seats today, and it was certainly doing so when the band first hit the touring circuit. At Max’s Kansas City and CBGB’s in New York, they introduced their sound to the public, and the public loved it. They followed-up with 1980’s Wild Planet and an EP of dance-mixes. The band continued to develop their music in the ‘80s, experimenting with a more New Wave-influenced direction. In 1986, Ricky Wilson died, an apparent victim of AIDS. In mourning, the band stopped working for several years. They would return in ’89 and ’92 with two more albums, but their popularity had begun to flag. Fred Schneider embarked on a short-lived solo career, but they were mostly quiet until they finally hit the recording studio again in 2008, releasing Funplex. The band still has the ability to rock an audience and get them dancing, so make sure you get B-52s tickets while you still can! This article was written by Andrew Good and sponsored by StubHub. StubHub sells B-52s tickets as well as sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and more to just about any event in the world.
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