The B-52s are touring on their 40th anniversary — sort of
The B-52s are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. But they also may celebrate it next year.
There’s no fuzzy math here — it’s a just matter of which date adequately represents the origin of the band, which began in Athens, Georgia.
Vocalist Fred Schneider considers 2018 as their ruby anniversary. “This is 40 years since our first single came out,” Schneider said. That was the year they released the song, “Rock Lobster.”
The band’s other vocalist, Kate Pierson, interprets their anniversary differently.
“We started in 1976 jamming and we played our first show on Valentine’s Day 1977, so we can mark 40 from there or we can mark 40 from 1979 when we did our first record,” Pierson said.
While the actual date may be a “Cosmic Thing” — just as the title of their fifth album and hit song — there’s no discrepancy that their reputation as “the world’s greatest party band” has thrived since the late 1970s.
Yet, while their sound remained upbeat, the band had some dark days, most notably the death of founding member Ricky Wilson, who succumbed to AIDS in 1985.
Instead, they rebounded with “Cosmic Thing,” and scored their most successful album, and biggest hit single, “Love Shack” in 1989.
As for the tour, the band said fans can expect more obscure stuff, like “Wig,” as well as the hits. “We’re not going to say, ‘Hey, tonight I’m sorry. I hope you understand. We’re not doing ‘Rock Lobster’ or ‘Love Shack’ or ‘Roam,’’” said Pierson. “No, we’re going to do those.”