15-year-old me is alive and well after seeing John Waite with John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band last night in Tacoma.
NGL, I was a little nervous going into this show. It was my second time seeing a gig at the Emerald Queen Casino. The first time I saw a show there, I came down with my first bout of COVID while seeing Night Ranger. :/ So before, during, and after the show last night, I found myself covering my mouth and nose, turning away from people, etc. I think I made it through just fine.
The show itself was super fun, a real trip back to the ’80s for me. There was a stretch back then when I would’ve said John Waite was in my top 4-5 artists overall. Obviously, everyone knows “Missing You,” but that album, No Brakes, is filled with bangers. “Tears” and “Restless Heart” are still regulars in my Spotify rotation.
I also loved “Every Step of the Way” from the next album he did, Mask of Smiles. And, of course, he has a ton of hits from his days with The Babys and Bad English.
That reminds me — funny story! I’m hanging out in the lobby area before the show. People are milling around, getting food and drinks, checking out the merch table, etc. Two women walk past me and I hear one of them explaining the different bands John was in back in the day. She correctly said he was in The Babys. She incorrectly said he was in Modern English!! š¤£ OMG, I laughed so hard inside and debated if I should say something. (I elected not to.)
Now, as for John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, before and after Eddie and the Cruisers, they were mainstays on Philly and New Jersey radio.
No one else knows this, but I have a super soft spot in my heart for “Tender Years.” I don’t know why. It’s such an ’80s love song — so simple and innocent. And the incredible sax solos!! A year or two ago, I went down one of those YouTube rabbit holes and must’ve listened to a couple live versions of the song for an hour straight.
So, I was determined to get a live version of my own that I could watch whenever I want. It came out great.
It was all part of a super fun night in Tacoma reliving my high school days in the early and mid-80s with the two Johns — Waite and Cafferty.
