“Nina Blackwood’s Absolutely 80s” music festival at Fremont Street Experience to showcase great music for the Fourth of July weekend with a free concert by Colin Hay of Men at Work on Saturday, July 2 at 9 p.m. at the 1st Street Stage.
Throughout the weekend visitors can also enjoy a stage extravaganza The Nancy Rayguns, an original production show, “VJ Invasion: Launch Date 8.1.81,” Las Vegas based premier cover band Venus Rising, Blackwood’s countdown of her 100 greatest songs of the 80s on Viva Vision and a chance to travel Back to the Future with a rare 80s icon, a DeLorean DMC-12.
Colin Hay of Men at Work
Colin Hay, the singer, guitarist, and main songwriter of Australia’s Men at Work, was the force behind several of the quirkiest pop hits of the early ’80s. In 1978, Hay met Ron Strykert and they began playing acoustic music as a duo and then formed the band Men at Work by adding three other players. The group released “Who Can It Be Now” as a single and in October of 1982 it quickly hit #1 in the US. In November of that same year, their debut album Business as Usual began a 15-week run on the US album chart and went on to sell six million copies in the US and 15 million worldwide. The album featured the singles “Down Under” another US #1 chart topper and “Be Good Johnny.” Hay was also the focal point of the band in videos that pushed the debut album to the top of the U.S. charts — making Men at Work an overnight sensation. In 1983, Men at Work won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, a first for an Australian recording act. The band soon released their second album Cargo that produced three chart singles in the US, “Overkill,” “It’s a Mistake,” and “Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive” and went to #1.
After Men at Work broke up Hay embarked on a solo career in 1987 with Looking for Jack and continued to release solo material with regularity throughout the ’90s. Hay has made appearances in cult movies such as Cosi and television shows including The Larry Sanders Show, JAG, and The Mick Molloy Show. Hay also appeared on television in the ABC show Scrubs where he was a troubadour playing an acoustic version of “Overkill.” Still making music Hay continues to tour with his shows mixing together classic and new songs along with hilarious stories drawn from his often unbelievable experiences over the past three decades.
About Fremont Street Experience
Fremont Street Experience is a five-block entertainment complex located in historic downtown Las Vegas. Fremont Street Experience features Viva Vision, the world’s largest video screen which is 1,500 feet long, 90 feet wide and suspended 90 feet above the urban pedestrian mall. Viva Vision features nightly spectacular light and sounds shows with 12.5 million LED lights and a 550,000-watt sound system. Fremont Street Experience is a one-of-a-kind venue which includes free nightly concerts and entertainment on two stages. With direct pedestrian access to 10 casinos, more than 60 restaurants and specialty retail kiosks, Fremont Street Experience attracts over 17 million annual visitors. Fremont Street Experience can be found online at www.vegasexperience.com.
