Get ready to rock
Announcing the B-52s!
The World's Greatest Party Band!
It has been said that the B-52s are as quintessentially American as the Beach Boys. And thirty years and over twenty million albums into their career, they remain among the most beloved rock stars ever. Known as “the world’s greatest party band,” the B-52's have attracted legions of faithful, fun-seeking fans with their unique sound and electrifying stage show.
Just weeks before Impact 2008, the B-52's will be releasing a new album, titled Funplex, their first original album in sixteen years. It is expected to be released on March 25, 2008. "It's loud, sexy rock and roll, with the beat pumped up to hot pink," says guitarist Keith Strickland. Eleven fresh new songs, crafted by the groundbreaking band that put Athens, GA on the musical map in the late '70s, and conquered the world with its savvy hooks, unconventional approach to music-making and original style. “Funplex sounds like us, updated," adds Fred Schneider. "It's the B-52s now - or fifteen years from now."
The B-52s have come a long way since their revolutionary 1979 self-titled debut, featuring the evergreen "Rock Lobster." Following the loss of founding member Ricky Wilson in 1985, the group rebounded with their triumphant 1989 smash Cosmic Thing, which spawned the Top 10 hits "Love Shack" and "Roam." Although their last recordings to be made commercially available were the songs "Debbie" and "Hallucinating Pluto" for the 1998 anthology Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation, the band has remained a popular and active live touring act.
Looking back at band’s pioneering fusions of punk, new wave, and vintage rock, it would be tough to imagine the contemporary musical landscape existing without having encountered the intersected spirits of Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, Keith Strickland, and Cindy Wilson. "We all cross-pollinate, and create a wonderfully crazy blossom," explains Fred. Botanists don't need a name for this stunning specimen, though. It already has one, known around the world: the B-52s.
