What do you get when you cross a symphony orchestra with 1980s MTV staples?
What sounds like the setup for an inscrutable bad joke is in fact the premise for what should be a fun show: “Electric Avenue: ‘80s MTV Dance Party,” the closing event of Long Beach Symphony’s 2024–25 Pops season, which promises opportunities to dance to the likes of hits by The Police, George Michael, Soft Cell, The Cars, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, a-ha, and Prince.
But this is a Pops show with a difference. Whereas a typical Pops setlist is composed of songs whose original production features symphonic instruments — strings, horns, etc. — most of the hits you’ll hear at Long Beach Arena on May 10 will be getting original orchestrations to help them take flight in a new way.
But that’s not to say they won’t stay true to their core. Electric Avenue — a group of touring/session musicians whose credits include Lionel Richie, Paul Simon, Idina Daniel Lanois, Emmylou Harris, and The B-52s — have traveled the country creating what they call “The ‘80s MTV Experience” with a cache of vintage synthesizers and rare signal processors that were a big part of what gives this swath of ‘80s pop its signature sound. Their recreations are so faithful to the originals that in 2019 (the same year Springsteen’s management team and New Line Cinema hired them to play at the premiere of Blinded by the Light), Electric Avenue received a cease-and-desist letter from Warner Music, who were under the misapprehension that the band was using original recordings on their social media channels, which were temporarily shut down for the supposed infractions.
“Let me start by saying that we’re nerds, we’re total nerds,” says vocalist/guitarist Kevin Spencer. “We have been collecting guitars, keyboards, amps, and electronic doodads since we were kids, and the love affair with the rare and finicky pieces of equipment that anchor these sounds continues to this day. […] A clockmaker must learn to take a clock apart before they can build their own timekeepers. […] It is with great pride, and total nerdom, that we [can] say [that] every single sound and nuance in our performances is from scratch.”
But this is the first time they’ll be doing their thing with an orchestra.
“The answer to the question ‘How did it start?’ begins with our drive to get these songs sonically and emotionally right in the first place,” Spencer says. “After 1,000+ Electric Avenue shows under our collective belts, delivering faithful recreations of some of the best songs in pop music history, we wondered, ‘Where else could we take these incredible melodies and arrangements that they haven’t been before? What else do these songs want to be?’ […] The songs we chose were based on two criteria: Does the song harmonically and rhythmically lend itself to a symphonic arrangement? And most importantly, does the song itself have a big enough heart to survive the process? […] The 1980s represent a very interesting time in musical choices, and we wanted to make sure that these songs didn’t lose some of what made them special by just slapping a bunch of notes on top. Each choice had to make musical sense, to amplify the heart of the original piece, while not taking anything away from its meaning or weight.”
To lead the proceedings, Long Beach Symphony is bringing in Evan Roider, who headed for the national tour of Wicked and made his Broadway debut last month conducting The Great Gatsby. Although Roider is a veteran of “Pops” shows across the country (“It’s one of my passions”), he’s particularly looking forward to “Electric Avenue: ‘80s MTV Dance Party.”
“Any chance I get to work in California is exciting because the musicians are the best of the best,” he says. “[…] I’m especially excited about coming to Long Beach Arena, because it’s a bit different than performing in a regular theatre.”
Among the songs he’s most jazzed to conduct with their orchestral additions are (SPOILER ALERT) “Footloose” and Bryan Adams’s “Summer of ‘69”.
“Even though songs like [those] didn’t originally feature symphonic instruments, that’s part of what makes this sort of concert exciting,” he says. “We’re taking well-known hits and giving them a fresh twist with full orchestral power and colors. It’s a fun way to show how versatile a symphony orchestra can be, and how the magic of the orchestra can enhance almost any style of music. […] Today’s orchestras are incredibly versatile. Musicians have to be able to play everything — classical music, rock and roll, rap, Broadway, you name it.”
Spencer cites “Summer of ‘69” as a paragon of a song whose essence is enhanced by adding the orchestra.
“‘Summer of ‘69’ is a great example of an ‘80s anthem that is begging to take flight with a string section and anthemic brass,” he says. “There’s not much runway on a three-minute single, so you have to get the bird up in the air pretty quick — but once you’re off the ground, there’s no telling how fast and high you can soar.”
“Electric Avenue: ‘80s MTV Dance Party” takes place Saturday, May 10 at Long Beach Arena. Doors at 6 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $35. BYO food/drink (yes, including your favorite libations) or have your meal catered — with no delivery fees — by George’s Greek Cafe, Modica’s, or other local options.