The reggae-pop sounds of English band UB40 are a perfect fit for relaxing and soaking up rays at the Concerts on the Beach series at Mandalay Bay. During the ’80s new-wave boom, UB40 offered a contrast to their synth-focused peers, with organic Caribbean-influenced sounds and a multicultural, multi-instrumental lineup. The band’s biggest worldwide hits have been cover songs, first with its version of Neil Diamond’s “Red Red Wine” in 1983, and then with its take on Elvis Presley’s “(I Can’t Help) Falling in Love With You” a decade later.
UB40’s laid-back songs make for ideal chill music, but the band also has a strong social conscience, going all the way back to its name, a reference to British unemployment forms, and its politically charged albums of the early 1980s. After a period of upheaval, The current lineup has reunited original singer Ali Campbell with fellow original members Mickey Virtue and Astro, and Campbell, who remains politically outspoken, recently told Forbes that he’s been excited to get back onstage in these turbulent times.
Mandalay Bay Beach, 8 p.m. July 29, starting at $45 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster
