You may have been wondering why the the streets and clubs of Miami were looking a little sparse this Saturday. It seems the entirety of Miami made a pilgrimage to the Gateway Theater in Fort Lauderdale for an ’80s era revival event hosted by Subculture. Hundreds flocked north to see showings of The Breakfast Club and Back to the Future on the silver screen, and to watch some local bands we all know and love play during intermission.
The Breakfast Club screened first, with audience members shouting out memorable lines, applauding and whistling at the screen. During intermission, the front of the theater turned into the stage for the bands to perform. All eyes were on Suede Dudes as they started off their set. It took a while for the band to warm up due to technical difficulties, but once they got going the crowd fell into rhythmical grooves and motioned harmoniously to the tempo of each song. In the background, a colorful loop of ’80s commercials played on the screen. As homage to the event, they closed with the memorable “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” to a crowd that indulged in the classic ending track.
Beach Day took the stage and energized the crowd with their surf rock sound. Truly in sync with the crowd, they delivered a much needed dose of skilled musicianship that reverberated with everyone. They kept heads nodding and hands clapping through each song with contiguous joy and appreciation. Bandmembers Kimmy, Nat and Skyler made funny comments between songs, and really won the crowd over. They closed with a nostalgic track of “Earth Angel” to roaring applause.
After intermission, it was time to pump 1.21 gigawatts into the crowd and watch Back to the Future. Everyone greeted Marty McFly and Doc Brown like old friends and laughed at their antics as they enjoyed this era kickback. As the lights came up in Gateway Theater, hundreds of satisfied guests made their way out with smiles on their faces, each one excited for next years event and wondering what other cool events Subculture had up their sleeve.
