When people think of ’80s pop music, they’re likely to imagine bright, danceable, slightly cheesy songs that typically crop up in movies looking for easy pop-culture markers. But there was a darker strain to pop music in the ’80s as well, exemplified by two bands that are performing together in Vegas, The Psychedelic Furs and The Church. The Furs may be best remembered by casual fans for their theme song to the John Hughes teen-movie classic Pretty in Pink, but their catalog goes beyond that into synth-pop tinged with moody art rock, including hits like “Heartbreak Beat,” “Love My Way” and “Dumb Waiters.”
The Church had their own radio-friendly hit with the somewhat gloomy “Under the Milky Way,” and their music has developed from new wave-style pop into more expansive progressive rock, incorporating long jams and psychedelic elements. Both the Furs and The Church have undergone numerous lineup changes over the course of their careers, but both are currently led by their original lead singers and main songwriters, and The Church is still producing new albums, with their latest released in 2014. Since the early ’80s, both bands have been giving audiences a taste of the dark and complex to go along with their catchy pop.
Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq, 8 p.m. Sept. 8, starting at $30 plus tax and fee, 18+. 702.862.2695
