Photography by Caleb Nikolich Creations

Some of the best nightlife I’ve experienced was accompanied by artists whose most popular songs were released in 1981.

Philip Oakley, lead singer of The Human League, discovered Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley in a nightclub, neither intending to become singers with #1 songs under their belt. Today, nightlife is said to be dying off… well, your local casino venue can prove that wrong. This eighties crowd did something us millennials aren’t doing – they knew how to live in the moment and dance the night away.

The Human League, Soft Cell and Alyson Moyet came through MGM Northfield Park in greater Cleveland, Ohio to cap off their United States tour. Seeing their final run on state soil gave everyone some extra ‘oomph’ in their performances, keeping the energy up from open to close. I was attending mostly for my beloved The Human League, but there was never a dull moment with the friends they brought along on tour.

Photography by Caleb Nikolich Creations

And man, Oakley ate CD’s for breakfast! That man still sounds exactly like the recording. Additionally, the entire core gang were serving looks, changing into innovative fashion looks throughout the set. I was particularly a fan of the cropped and flare leg white suit that Oakley came out in, reminding me of a contemporary twist on Stop Making Sense vibes.

And when it came time for “Don’t You Want Me” … no butts were left in seats. Phones were in pockets. Drinks were raised. Whether this is a song you heard at clubs in the 1980s, in media in the 1990s, your parents’ car in the 2000s or karaoke in the 2010s, you were fully present in that room.

Some may unfairly consider The Human League close to a one-hit wonder despite an impressive track record – mostly since “Don’t You Want Me” and “Human” were more omnipresent than things like “(Keep Feeling) Fascination” (my favorite song, by the way). The setlist leaned into this, finishing the set with an outfit change and high energy for “Being Boiled,” a fan favorite, and “Together in Electric Dreams,” a soundtrack piece not directly tied to The Human League name. This was a nice wink-and-nod to the real fans in the crowd.

Photography by Caleb Nikolich Creations

All this to say that I have some tasks for milennials. Support your local scene and go out to cool shows, they’re happening, nightlife isn’t dying, you never know what will happen when you go. And also, we need to do a better job of putting the phone down and letting loose. Live like you’re seeing a show in the 1980s. Dance like you’re at your high school prom. We need some of that love action.