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Arts
Oct. 3 - Oct. 16, 2015
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ABC’s Martin Fry said, “If you’re an artist in your 50s, you have to be on fire.” Submitted photo
ABC recalls humbling Phoenix gig BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
Martin Fry and his band ABC have traveled the world, thanks to the ‘80s hits “Poison Arrow” and “Be Near Me.” Despite the hundreds of locales, Fry vividly remembers a 1982 gig in Phoenix. “We had a 14-piece band,” Fry said via telephone from England. “We had sparkly outfits. We were kind of ‘new romantics’ conquering America. “Then we had to open for a heavy metal band. We had a lot of success in Britain and it was our first date in the U.S. That brought us down to earth.” Since then, Fry said, the band has “obviously been through many adventures.” Among those, playing “When Smokey Sings,” “Poison Arrow” and “Look of Love” on U.S. stages. Playing in the United States has afforded ABC the chance to spread its wings. “There are a couple songs that we never play in the U.K. that we get to play in the U.S.A.,” he said. “‘Be Near Me’ was a big hit in the U.S.A., but not at home. So we get to dust that down and play. “We never play that song (in the United Kingdom), though. It’s like having two careers. The gigs in the U.S. have been fantastic. Many years have rolled on. We’re still energetic and the music means something in 2015. That’s why we’ve been putting dates down through September/ October time.” That includes “Lost ‘80s Live” with other stalwarts from that decade like Wang Chung, A Flock of Seagulls, Christopher Anton of Information Society and Boys Don’t Cry. It is set for Saturday,
Oct. 10, at Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino. “I’ve played a lot of multi kind of band gigs before and it’s a lot of fun,” Fry said. “There’s a tiny little competitive edge between the acts, which means everybody’s up for it. They want to maximize the applause in a way.” Besides playing gigs like “Lost ‘80s Live,” Fry has been writing new songs for a sequel to the album “Lexicon of Love,” which spawned the hits “Look of Love” and “Poison Arrow.” Orchestral music will be featured on the new collection. “The album is about what it’s like to be the age I’m at now and looking at love and all its manifestations,” he said. “I’m in my mid-50s, you have to be very inspired to make a record. I saw that New Order just put an album out. U2, too, of course. Those guys are my contemporaries. If you’re an artist in your 50s you have to be on fire. You gotta show up with a very strong selection of songs to justify making a record because it’s a young man’s game—young women’s game—like Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift.” Lost ‘80s Live begins at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino’s Ovations Live Showroom, 5040 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler. Tickets are $39 to $99. For more information, visit www.wingilariver.com. Christina Fuoco-Karasinski is the executive editor of the SanTan Sun News. She can be reached at christina@ santansun.com.
Zombies, local art and live music at Chandler Art Walk Downtown Chandler will look like something out of a Stephen King novel at the upcoming Third Friday Chandler Art Walk Oct. 16. Guests are encouraged to dress like zombies for the event, which will feature complimentary face painting by artists dressed as Elsa and Captain America. Among the clamor of the live music and shuffling of zombie feet, guests will find Valley artists selling their handcrafted wares. Guests can expect to find wooden
pieces, paintings, jewelry and pottery. The family-friendly event is free to the public and hosted by Downtown Chandler Community Partnership. The Chandler Art Walk runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. with face painting from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Chandler Art Walk will be held at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 3 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler. For more information, visit www. downtownchandler.org, or email Karli@ downtownchandler.org.