Thursday May 1, 2008 (8:30pm)
On paper, it makes no sense. How could a band as eccentric as the B-52s be universally loved? Yoko Ono's chirping, rudimentary keyboards, and the queer kitsch of Beach Party aren't exactly a recipe for chart domination. And yet, the high-gloss Funplex (their first album in over 15 years) offers another lesson in how weird doesn't have to mean repellant. The robo-disco pulse of "Juliet of the Spirits" sounds great against dance-party classics "Rock Lobster" and "Love Shack." Forgive the hyperbole, but heaven must look a little like a B-52s concert: young and old, straight and gay, fashionistas and squares, all dancing out their differences.
– Stephen Gossett