Many of you will probably recognize the name Kate Pierson as a founding member and lead vocalist of The B-52's, a trailblazing new wave band formed in 1976. The band drew from and incorporated imagery and sounds from the 1950s and 1960s, including their name (Kate and fellow band member Cindy Wilson rocked a beehive hairdo which was also known as the B-52 because of its resemblance to the nose of the Boeing B-52 Strategic Bomber) as well as kitsch and camp culture.
The band had many hits, including Rock Lobster, Private Idaho, Summer of Love, Love Shack (regarded as one of their signature songs, with an accompanying video featuring none other than RuPaul in her first mainstream appearance), Roam and (Meet) The Flintstones (as the fictional band B.C. 52’s from the film The Flintstones), before announcing that they were retiring from touring after their final farewell tour which wrapped up in January 2023.
Kate has released two solo albums, Guitars And Microphones in 2015 and Radios And Rainbows in 2024. She described Radios And Rainbows as “an eclectic group of songs…anthems, dance things, a disco song” with “an upbeat vibe” because she wanted to put out “something positive in these dark times”. According to Kate’s official biography on SongVest Records, the album is “a portrait of the many sides of Kate Pierson” and has compelled the singer-songwriter to do more live shows in intimate venues with stripped-down accompaniment. Kate has said that she aims to “let the emotions and the feelings of the songs come through”, showcasing her distinctive vocals. After seeing her perform at City Winery in New York City this week, I can confirm that she certainly achieved this goal.
She took to the stage in a dazzling gold lamé ensemble and matching sparkly gold heels, sporting her signature fire engine red hair, and I think I just stared for the first couple of minutes because it was hard to comprehend that she is 76! She performed a string of songs from her solo discography as well as a few B-52’s numbers, looking effortlessly cool and sounding great.. For the encore, she brought Betty, an alternative pop / rock band from New York City, on stage for a performance of Roam (my favorite song by The B-52’s) and also sang Throw Down The Roses (from Guitars And Microphones) and a cover of Venus - a goddess on the mountain top indeed!
The complete setlist was as follows:
Radios And Rainbows
Always Till Now
Shiny Happy People
Higher Place
Pillow Queen
Deadbeat Club
Wolves
Give Your Heart To Science
Everyday Is Halloween
Evil Love
Take Me Back To The Party
Candy
Encore
Throw Down The Roses
Roam (with Betty)
Venus
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