By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
The Madison St. Plaza in Decatur put on its sunglasses at night Thursday and a large crowd of concert-goers was most appreciative.
Sunglasses at Night, a Fort Wayne band, made its first appearance on the plaza stage and, judging by the crowd reaction, it won’t be the last.
It was the penultimate concert in the Decatur Chamber’s 2025 series, with The Bulldogs to wrap it up next Thursday.
In a three-hour period, the six-member Sunglasses band banged out 41 songs, all of it dance music – mostly from the ’80s – and not a ballad among them. That kept the dance area in front of the band busy most of the night.
The music was not only good stuff, but encompassed a wide variety: Hughie Lewis & The News and White Snake, the Go-Go’s and Poison, Guns & Roses and Michael Jackson, The Escape Club and Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac and Paula Abdul.
Vocalists Justin Lee Whaley and Vickie Harter brought enthusiasm to their effort, which was obviously appreciated by both the dancers and the sitters.
The only break taken by the band brought local talent Lexi Lamons, a Bellmont grad, to the stage for the third year. The 20-year-old performed three songs and received a warm reception.
The Sunglasses will be on again at night in Decatur on Sept. 13 when the band plays the St. Marys Fall Fest.
ORIGIN: “Sunglasses at Night” is a song by Canadian singer Corey Hart which was released on January 21, 1984, as the first single from his debut album.
How the name came about is an odd tale.
According to co-producer Phil Chapman, the recording sessions for the album took place in a studio whose air conditioning/heating vents were directly above the mixing console. Air from the vents blew directly into the faces of the control room personnel, so they often wore sunglasses protect their eyes.
Hart, working on a new song, began to improvise lyrics that included the line “I wear my sunglasses at night.”
The band, of course, included that in its playlist Thursday night.
About the Author
