Now that Christmas is over and 2023 is in front of us, it is time to say goodbye to 2022. The past year had its challenges, downsides, but also glimmers of hope. We learned to stay committed to our decisions while staying flexible to our approaches. What does that mean exactly? Hopefully, we can do more of the things that make us smile, like going to live music events. While 2020 stopped them all, and 2021 had some stops and starts, the past year saw many bands completing their tours with minimal postponements and cancelations.
In 2023, we will celebrate what we want to see more of: The return to life as “normal” is a big part of that, and bringing in the new year with the bands we love is number one on the list. For SoCal locals, you have one of the best options as you can welcome the new year with The English Beat.
English Beat Live | Photo by Green-Eyed Blonde Photography
There’s always a lot going on in SoCal for NYE, but Dave Wakeling will lead us into 2023 with The English Beat at The Coach House with not just one, but two nights of shows – New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
You can also catch them Friday, December 3oth at The Bourbon Room in Los Angeles.
Known as the King of Ska, Wakeling and The English Beat have been entertaining us for decades. They were first brought to the masses by “Top of the Pops” as The Beat, and were featured in the 1981 documentary “Dance Craze” – which is being re-released in March 2023.
The band is synonymous with skankin’ and having a good time, and are responsible for songs we all grew up having a blast with: “Best Friend,” “Tears of a Clown,” “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Twist and Crawl,” “Ranking Full Stop,” “Stand Down Margaret,” “I Confess,” and “Save It for Later,” all of which you can expect as part of the NYE entertainment.
Not only will we get that incredible, soulful EB sound, but we will also get to hear some General Public classics, including “Tenderness,” “Hot You’re Cool,” “General Public,” “Never You Done That,” and “I’ll Take You There.”
Dust off your creepers, black leather jackets, checkered whatever, and head on down to the Coach House for a skankin’ good time with one of the legends of ska!