September 2nd will see the return of The Romantics to Rockford. They'll be playing the Oasis stage at On The Waterfront, which will put them only a short jaunt from where I first saw them at the Rockford Metro Centre. On a mismatched bill with Donnie Iris and UFO, the band put in a strong showing that time, just as I'm sure they will this time around.

It seems pretty likely that you know one or more of their hits. Those songs include "What I Like About You," "Talking In Your Sleep" and "One In A Million." The truth is, though, if you like any of those songs, you'll enjoy pretty much the entire performance of the band. These guys really pull their musical weight with their straight-ahead, almost punky, pop rock texture. While they are no slouches in the album sound department, from what I've seen their music really comes alive in concert performance. That's where it takes on a whole new life with added power and vitality. These guys really do rock in live performance.

The group formed in Detroit in 1977 and their blend of old school hard rock with modern (at the time) punk and new wave elements served to earn their debut release (the self-titled 1979 disc saw the release of "What I Like About You," and earned them fans and fame. Over the course of the next decade they would be destined to release a series of albums and rack up more hits. While things have slowed since then (and there have been a few lineup changes) the core of the band has remained and they are vital to this day. It seems a given that these guys will rock the Waterfront stage. My message to you in that regard is two words in length "be there."