Culture Club, Berlin and Howard Jones Bring the 80s to New Jersey

It was an 80s night at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey on Wednesday night. Thousands packed the art center to see several 80s icons. There were a lot of "MTV" shirts and funky hats as 80s kids, now in their 50's or 60's, danced the night away listening to Culture Club, Berlin, and Howard Jones.

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Shawn Michaels

First out was Howard Jones and even though it was still daylight and hot and bright at the arts center, Jones delivered a nice set featuring many of his hits. I always feel bad for the opening acts during summer shows in Holmdel because they don't get the nice dark setting of nightfall which gives the stage such a better look. That said, Howard Jones didn't disappoint, and at nearly 70 years old Jones delivered. Hits like "Things Can Only Get Better", "No One Is To Blame", "Like to Get to Know You Better" etc, Jones's synth-pop sounds got everyone on their feet. Jones was joined by bassist Nick Beggs from the band Kajagoogoo and they covered their hit "Too Shy".

Shawn Michaels

Next up was Berlin. Formed in 1977, Terri Nunn and her bandmates played a fantastic set that had folks rockin', dancing, and singing along. Nunn looked and sounded fantastic as she made her way around the stage and the crowd. Hits like "Metro", "Sex", "Masquerade", and "Take My Breath Away" delighted all their fans. Berlin mixed their stage performance with video from their 80's MTV clips to make a nice nostalgic presentation, that took you right back.

Shawn Michaels

Finally, it was time for Boy George and Culture Club. Fans screamed and danced along with George as he took you through the Culture Club songbook with some we knew well and some we didn't know at all. George joked that although the band didn't speak for several years, they never officially broke up, since they first formed in 1981. George, Roy Hay, and Mikey Craig had folks dancing in the aisles all night and made for a nice finale to the "Letting It Go Show". Boy George did a musical tribute to Sinead O'Connor who died earlier that day.

Shawn Michaels

80’s Night at the PNC Bank Arts Center

The “Letting It Go Show” with Culture Club, Berlin, and Howard Jones at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey 7/26/23

Check Out the Best-Selling Album From the Year You Graduated High School

Do you remember the top album from the year you graduated high school? Stacker analyzed Billboard data to determine just that, looking at the best-selling album from every year going all the way back to 1956. Sales data is included only from 1992 onward when Nielsen's SoundScan began gathering computerized figures.

Going in chronological order from 1956 to 2020, we present the best-selling album from the year you graduated high school.