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This Friday, August 2nd, if you live remotely near San Francisco, I know exactly where you should be! You don’t want to miss an incredible tour that is coming to SF. You will be able to watch three amazing bands that truly defined the 90’s with their music and have continued to hold their position on today’s playlists. The SMIA LXXXV Tour brings The Alarm, Modern English and Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel to the Regency Ballroom.

Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel have stayed relevant over decades and continue to perform with much of the same lineup, (Jay Aston (vocals), James Stevenson (guitars), Pete Rizzo (bass) and Chris Bell (drums) – with Peter Walsh producing). For 30 years they have been gracing us with the infectious GLJ songs. They have also expanded their legacy with a new album that has not only captivated long time fans but have wrangled in a whole new batch of soon to be long time fans.

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GLJ members have always been far more interested in moving forward artistically, rather than dwelling on past achievements, but this reunion seems an appropriate occasion to acknowledge how each has made an integral imprint on the signature GLJ sound. Without any of them, GLJ might not have evolved into a such special entity with passionate fans worldwide.

Jay Aston founded GLJ in London in 1981 and quickly gained a fervent following. Promise, the band’s trailblazing debut, appeared in 1983. Though he shared vocals with his brother Michael, Jay was the primary songwriter. Jay’s songs, spotlighting his uninhibited and highly distinctive singing style, made GLJ instantly memorable and identifiable. Immigrant followed in 1985, marking Pete Rizzo’s first recordings with the band; his inventive and complex bass lines instantly became an essential part of the GLJ sound. The band matured even further on Discover (1986), when James Stevenson joined and demonstrated his talent for delivering guitar work that is both melodic and powerful. (Discover was also the first GLJ album that Peter Walsh was involved in, starting a symbiotic relationship that continues with their new album.) Then, on The House of Dolls (1987), Chris Bell joined the band full-time, his drumming providing a flawless foundation. Michael was largely absent from recording that album, resulting in the four-piece incarnation of Jay, Pete, James and Chris that is still going strong to this day.

It is noteworthy that while GLJ grew increasingly successful with each release, The House of Dolls led to a big jump in their U.K. and U.S. popular chart success, as well as substantial MTV exposure, a trend that continued when this same line-up released Kiss of Life (1990) and the single “Jealous” reached the top spot on the U.S. alternative rock chart. The band had clearly hit its stride, and the artistic achievements continued unabated with the following studio albums: Heavenly Bodies in 1992 (which the band itself considers its finest studio recording – until this new album, that is!), VII in 1999, and The Thornfield Sessions in 2003.

There is a particular ineffable magic in these musicians reuniting as GLJ. Their experience and knowledge add a layer of depth to the music they create together. They refuse to relegate their band to some nostalgia/novelty circuit; you will never find them merely creating a House of Dolls 2.0. Instead, their new release is intense and energetic, reflecting the euphoria found in rekindling a fulfilling long-time dynamic partnership.

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So I hope you head over here and pick up your tickets for Friday night’s amazing show. You can also catch them out on their US Tour at the following dates:

August 3             Sacramento, CA               Ace of Spades
August 5              Portland, OR                     Aladdin
August 6               Seattle, WA                     Triple Door
August 7               Spokane, WA                   Bing Crosby Theater
August 8               Salt Lake City, UT             The Complex (The Alarm/Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel only)
August 9               Denver, CO                       Oriental Theater
August 10           Lawrence, KS                     Liberty Hall
August 12           St. Louis, MO                     Delmar Hall
August 14           Minneapolis, MN             Fine Line
August 15           Milwaukee, WI                 Turner Ballroom
August 16             Chicago, IL                       House of Blues
August 17           Detroit, MI                         St. Andrews
August 18           Cleveland, OH                   House of Blues
August 20           Portland, ME                     AURA
August 21           Boston, MA                      Paradise
August 23           Huntington, NY                 The Paramount
August 24           Jim Thorpe, PA                 Penns Peak
August 25           Falls Church, VA               State Theatre
August 29           Asbury Park, NJ                Asbury Lanes
August 30           Staten Island, NY               St. George Theater
August 31           Philadelphia, PA               The Keswick Theater
Sept 1                   Norfolk, VA                       Norva
Sept 3                 Charlotte, NC                   Neighborhood Theatre
Sept 4                   Atlanta, GA                       Masquerade
Sept 5                   Orlando, FL                       The Social (The Alarm/Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel only)
Sept 6                 Bonita Springs, FL            Southwest Florida Event Center   Fort Meyers
Sept 7                 Miami, FL                           The Ground at Club Space
Sept 8                 St. Pete, FL                         Ferg’s Concert Courtyard

We hope to see you all in San Francisco for this incredible show. If you can’t make it , stay tuned for our coverage recap. Make sure to visit their social media sites for more information.

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