Permed Mullets and Poet Shirts Still Live In the Land of Duran Duran

Or at least in the world of the guy who sat in front of me at the concert. And maybe in the land of Def Leppard, too. Well, the mullet at least. Probably not the poet shirt.

And no leg warmers at all, Andrew. Sorry. Despite your odd association with that retro fashion and 80s music. Even the patrons of a Def Leppard or Motley Crue concert have let go of the fixation on spandex and cut up t-shirts held together by shiny, strategically-placed safety pins.

For the most part, at least.

The Def Leppard concert I attended in Sacramento, CA was quite amusing from the standpoint that for hairstyles and basic fashion, I seemed to be the only woman there who had gotten out of the 80s permed hair and teased "mall bangs". And there were more mullets than I thought even existed. I had actually thought that when Billy Ray Cyrus cut his off ("That's not a mullet," someone once said about his hair, "that's the mullet." Example: http://onestientertainment.com/pages/billy_ray_cyrus_promo.jpg) that we had fully experienced the death of that hairstyle. It was something that seemed only to serve someone who couldn't decide if they wanted long or short hair. But there in Sacramento I discovered that the style is still popular in some places. I felt like I needed to perhaps erect a self-help booth in a corner to heal these poor souls. "Here. Just a snip. See -- it won't hurt! Have a pamphlet. Really -- there's help!"

Even Def Leppard and all the other seminal “Hair Bands” of the 80s have long since shorn their hair to more mature styles.

It's just that you rarely see that style in Portland, so I guess it just caught me by surprise. But even when it was a popular style I never quite got it. But then who am I to speak? I had some pretty damn stiff mall bangs when I was in high school, so I guess I really can't say too much. (Here's an example: http://www.naughtysecretaryclub.com/BigBangs.htm) I had stock in Aqua Net and Suave, I think, just from what I spent on hairspray. And my best friend Jane can relate some juicy stories of my first experimentations with hair coloring.

It wasn't until I did, she's fond of hinting, that she knew that orange could reach that tone and shade. I still say it was just light auburn with golden tones. And like that old country tune, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I have to admit I was this [-] close to going to my mother's house and getting out an old t-shirt to wear (well, okay, more like this [--------------] close, really), but I decided that I just couldn't be "that guy" for which someone in Office Space is admonished, when he wears a band t-shirt to the concert. I've done that once, and I did feel somewhat goofy. It’s just as bad when someone changes into their newly purchased t-shirt at the concert. But at least there’s a slightly different spin on doing that than appearing at the show, ticket in hand, band logo emblazoned across your chest, as if you’re showing a second piece of picture ID in order to be allowed inside. Or like you're needing to remind yourself where you're going and what you're doing.

The concert was a lot of fun. Duran Duran did many of their older songs, and it was amusing to me that I still know all the words to most of the songs. I did find myself stumbling through others at times. It's been awhile since I've listened to them on a regular basis, so I'm a bit rusty. Plus it was a lot of fun to see all the original members. The drummer left in approximately 1986, and the lead guitarist not too long after that. I saw Duran Duran in the late 80s, but it was only three of them, and it just didn't feel the same. Plus, for that show, they were followed by David Bowie. There's a performer if there ever was one. He put on an absolutely superb and fantastic concert, completely erasing the thrill I'd had of seeing Duran Duran. It was like watching a good high school choir followed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; there's no getting around which performance is really going to blow you away.

But for last night's performance, Duran Duran was truly in their own zone for performing. They'd seemed somewhat tired and off when I saw them before, but it's hard to replicate the energy of a complete band when it's just three of you, I think; given it was all five of them back together last night, I’m certain that was part of the magic and fun of last night’s show. I'd definitely go see them again -- if it's all of them. Otherwise it's kind of like my father's old joke: "This is Davey Crockett's hatchet. But it's had two new heads and three new handles."

It would have been even more fun if I'd gotten to see it with my best friend Jane, who was just as immersed in Duran Duarn during their heyday in the 1980s. But even though I was by myself, it was absolutely worth it. I didn't go to a concert a few years ago simply because I would have gone alone, and I found myself frustrated after the concert had come and gone as I realized how disappointed I'd been at missing it. It was then I vowed to just go, whether alone or with a friend or two. Nobody ever looked back and regretted going to something they wanted to see.

As a semi-side note, I was on eBay a while ago and came across a John Taylor poster for sale (the bassist for Duran Duran) that I still have. The bid at the time? $50. It made me blink -- hard. When I bought it in about 1986, I paid $3.75 for it. And I have a lot of those posters still. Some in good condition, some somewhat worn. Plus I have a lot of out-of-print books and 12" single records, too. I've seen those on eBay going for an easy $25-$75. A nest egg started with babysitting money.

One thing that amused me about last night’s concert was how many guys were there; not just with their girlfriends, but clearly there on their own. It was rare to find a guy freely admit when Duran Duran was popular (even at their height) he was a fan. Back then, if a guy wasn’t into Night Ranger, Foreigner, Motley Crue, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Judas Priest (and even U2), or any other more "manly" band, he became an immediate pariah to his friends. Not so now. The musical closet doors have swung wide open.

The other amusing (and…somewhat frightening) thing, too, were how many people younger than I were there. It was quite odd to be confronted with the sense that "my" music is now "retro" and being “rediscovered.”

Speaking of which, I'm sorry to inform you, Andrew, but not only are songs from Def Leppard's Pyromania being rotated on KGON (the local "Classic Rock" station), but so is Pour Some Sugar On Me, as is Motley Crue.

Which means...the music I like is now 15-20 years old. One of KGON's criteria for the music they play. That's....

....Yipe!

Not exactly sure how I'm feeling about that at this moment!

(Wipe that grin off your face, Andrew! Your time will come soon. Just wait until Jesus Jones does a reunion tour.)

So, my fellow Durannies, rock on. If there is "something I should know" about our new "retro" status for our era of music, only time will tell. Or a few new rotations into KGON’s playlist, which ever comes first.