If your knowledge of The B-52s ended 16 years ago -- or even earlier -- you're not alone. The iconic new wave band that brought you songs like "Rock Lobster" and "Private Idaho" became a huge mainstream success with 1989's "Cosmic Thing" and its party anthem, "Love Shack."
Already down to four members after original guitarist Ricky Wilson died in 1985, Cindy Wilson left the band in 1990, and the stripped down B-52's put out "Good Stuff" in 1992.
For the next 16 years, the group continued to tour, put out some greatest hits compilations and record an occasional song here and there. This year, however, the reformed band released "Funplex," and is hitting Milwaukee's Pabst Theater on Oct. 18 to support the new album.
We caught up with drummer-turned-guitarist Keith Strickland, who writes the music for The B-52s. Here are some excerpts of the interview, in which Strickland talks about playing with the same group for 32 years, his changing fan base and the inspiration behind a few selected tunes. To listen to the complete podcast of the interview, click here.
OnMilwaukee.com: Catch us up as to what's been going on for the last couple of years.
Keith Strickland: The last 16 years? We took a short break, which ended up lasting several years. Cindy returned in 1996. We returned to performing, which we've been doing ever since. In 2003, we started talking about if we should do a new record. We needed new material for our show. We started writing. We changed management. And here we are.
OMC: I've listened to "Funplex" these last few days, and honestly, it sounds like a B-52s album.
KS: It was interesting because I live in Key West, and we're all spread out. Over the years, I've been listening to a lot of electronic music and dance music, which I love. I love rock and roll. If I'm going to work on something, I'd like to play around with those (three) ingredients, if you will, and combine it with our own sound. That was a pivotal moment for me ... I thought I could have fun with this and see where it goes.
OMC: It's been 30 years since "Rock Lobster," which is probably even more amazing to you than it is to me. What keeps you guys making music together?
KS: We have something when we're together. It just doesn't go away. I'm as surprised as anyone. We really started just to entertain ourselves in Athens, because there wasn't anything to do.
OMC: I saw you a couple of years ago at Summerfest and was struck by the age range in the crowd, people who remember you from "Love Shack," but way earlier than that, too. What kind of fans are coming out to your shows now?
KS: It's across the board. We have our old fans, and we were in Europe this past summer, and the fans were quite young. I think they had read about us. We didn't know if anyone cared anymore, but there was a lot of buzz. We're getting a lot of new, much younger fans.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
