Spazmatics to Bring 80s to Raue

This Saturday night the travels back into the ‘80s with Chicago’s new wave pop synth group, the Spazmatics.

This foursome of hilariously cool science nerds bring back the decade of dance, hair and parachute pants with their spastic show of tunes and popular themes that defined the era.

The band of synth playing, less-than-rock ‘n’ roll star looking players is made up Louis Stigwood (vocals), Milton Bradley (bass), Shureman Larusso (guitar) and Eugene Meegene (drums).

Before taking to the Raue stage this weekend, drummer Eugene Meegene talked to Patch, giving us a look into what to expect from the Spazs’ upcoming performance.

These musicians in plaid pants and bicycle helmets take their act no less than a full-time gig.

“Yes, we do do this full time,” said Meegene. “With all the different projects we do, playing three or four times a week is not unusual – unless there’s a Dungeons and Dragons tournament happening. Then we schedule around that. Ya gotta have priorities.”

These guys have mastered the ability to pack clubs and bars full of eager party-mongers who never seem to get over the powerful ambiance associated with ’80s pop.

“So much of the music from the ’80s is so awesome,” Meegene explained. “You had pop, rock, hair metal, ballads and new wave. We tend to lean a bit more toward new wave because of all the cool synths and stuff. Different markets react to different songs, so we pay close attention to that and carve our sets accordingly.

“We are just so thankful that our audiences love us and allow us to be ourselves, on stage and off. I mean seriously, chicks dig us! And practicing? To be honest, we never practice. We play so much it’s not necessary. Even when we add a new song, everybody learns it on their own and we show up to the gig and play it live right there in front of you for the first time,” Meegene said.

For tickets to the 8 p.m. July 16 show of the Spazmatics, visit the .