13 December 2023 (gig)
15 December 2023
The film, "Valley Girl" was a surprise hit in 1983. With stiff competition at the box office with future classics as "Return of the Jedi" and "Flashdance", "Valley Girl" took the story of "Romeo and Juliet" and updated it to a forbidden romance between a punk and a popular girl from the "Valley" in California.
While not his first movie role, this was the initial starring role for Nicholas Cage. He did have a non-speaking role in 1982's classic teen comedy, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", (as one of Judge Reinhold's friends), but proved in "Valley Girl" that he was a bonafide leading man. He would later give amazing performances in "Moonstruck" and would eventually win an Academy Award for "Leaving Las Vegas".
While Cage was easily the breakout star Of "Valley Girl" (although, supporting actress E.G. Daly would go on to roles in "Better Off Dead" and "Pee Wee's Big Adventure"), the film's soundtrack was phenomenal as well. A great mix of New Wave and Pop gems of the time added to the charm of the film, and made it very relevant in 1983.
It's almost impossible to not think of "Valley Girl" when hearing Modern English's "I Melt With You" and the Psychedelic Furs' "Love My Way". But neither band actually appeared in the movie. The musical acts that did were The Plimsouls and Josie Cotton, who just undertook a short tour to honor the movie's 40th anniversary.
Josie Cotton and The Plimsouls performed at the Middle East Club in Cambridge, Massachusetts on December 13, 2023.
Playing to a packed room, The Plimsouls revived their power-pop gems from the '80s. They peppered their set with throwbacks such as, "How Long Will It Take", "Lost Things", "Zero Hour" and "I'll Get Lucky".
Sporting a new lineup, the band's sole original member, Eddie Munoz, plucked out some remarkable guitar licks and leads.
The set's most recognizable moments came with the tracks from "Valley Girl": "Oldest Story in the World", "Everywhere At Once" and their epic cult-classic "A Million Miles Away".
Cotton is a fireball. Decked out in a plaid top which read "Reform School" on the back, she is from the original '70s California punk scene (which included members of the Go Go's) and is the real deal.
Opening with "Creeps", "So Close", and "Systematic Way", she then did a fun retro cover of Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man". Cotton then donned a guitar for a pair of tunes, "Pussycat Babylon" and a newer song, "Day of the Gun".
A mid-set cut from "Valley Girl", "School Is In", was followed by killer takes of "Money" and "Loves Love".
During "(Let's Do) The Blackout", Cotton reminded one of Exene Cervenka of the band X, and was the most punk rock song of the night.
Cotton wrapped things up with her most famous song from "Valley Girl", "Johnny Are You Queer?" (from the movie's climax at the junior prom), nostalgically taking the crowd back to the much more fun days of 1983.
